Painting is Breathing
Charica Daugherty describes her early desires to be an artist as “little epiphanies” throughout her childhood. For example, she says, “I always thought God’s colors were browns and clays. And then one day I looked at the sunset, and I was like, Look at that neon pink! Wow, God made pink, too,” and from that moment, she started seeing vibrant colors in people’s faces and anatomy.
Charica tried to take every art class she could find in school at Victory Christian. In college, while getting her history degree, she took courses at Tulsa Community College with artist and teacher Margie Aycock. “Margie changed my life. She taught me how to paint with color, and I just kept taking her class repeatedly while I got my degree,” explains Charica. But as most artists realize, the path of following our he{ART} might not be a lucrative one. So, especially since her family consisted of pastors, stockbrokers, lawyers, and politicians, instead of art, she focused on history, and education, got married, started having babies, and eventually let her art go.
After her third child, she had a literal Come to Jesus moment. The minute she claimed she missed her passion for art, she got an answer to pursue it. “I got the liberty to go back into art literally from God. I felt like he stopped me and said, Hey, you not only buried your dreams, you had a funeral for them. And I promise, if you start again, start somewhere, I will take you where you desire.” explains Charica. After this moment, she started painting again and created the Black Victorians series, beginning with Frederick Douglas.
Her Black Victorian series, inspired by historical photographs and stories of Black Americans and Europeans in the 19th and 20th centuries, raised important questions for Charica, her race, and her audience: to reexamine their idea of what Victorian society looked like and “thereby resist any notion that would put race and culture in a box”. To be Victorian doesn’t mean to be white. So, what does it mean to be black?” In all of Charica’s art, she hopes to bring all these elements together; her culture, her bi-racial heritage, being a woman and being a Christian.
Being a Christin female artist hasn’t been the smoothest journey for Charica, especially with the images she chooses to paint; the human form. Spending many years in the church as a pastor and a pastor’s wife, her art has been a topic of controversy. But this controversy is not just in the church, it has been experienced universally by so many women for so long. Explaining in detail how white men have painted nude women for centuries, but questioning how, even in today’s modern world, to some, it can still come off as erotic or a fall from grace. “There has to be a place where a woman can be honest, to be able to express herself, and where the body isn’t shameful” expounds Charica.
She hopes that her art can give women permission to release shame about their bodies and be comfortable in their skin, sex, and skin color. Charica wants all women to find something that gives them permission to breathe. “Because that’s what I’m doing right now with painting; my painting is breathing”.
Purchasing Her Art
Charica describes her art as Representational with a Contemporary feel. She wants people to understand what they are looking at.
Like the importance of breathing, for Charica, painting is enjoyable and indulgent. “It’s honestly like eating chocolate. I put on my tunes, like Lana del Rey, Justin Bieber, and Nina Simone, and I paint.” You might even find her painting in local coffee shops around Tulsa, like Double Shot and Notion. Since it is such an indulgent and intense experience, she loves the synergy of tons of people around her while she paints, plus the smell of espresso.
Ready to Plan A Visit?
To learn more about Charica’s art, check out her website.
Local Hotels & Restaurants
- When visiting Double Shot Coffee off Boudler in the SOBO district of Tulsa,Check out TXMZ , a local hot spot for street tacos and mezcal 39 E 18th St
- Mercury Lounge for live music 7 nights a week 1747 S Boston Ave
Charica Daugherty’s 3 Pieces
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