Storefronts are generally attractive, intended to entice customers, but the back walls are generally colorless and drab, unless you look at the parking lot behind the stores on the west side of Swarthmore. The back wall of Paliskates is resplendent with color, thanks to Charlie Edmiston. Paliskates owner Erika Simpson, who asked Edmiston to paint the building’s wall, gave him free rein. ‘He’s been on our skate team since he was 14 years old and he’s very talented,’ Simpson told a reporter at the Palisadian-Post. ‘I support and encourage local talent.’ Edmiston, 19, went into the alley, sat down and pondered the 15-ft.-by-50 ft. space. After some contemplation, he started by using two shades of green and yellow house paint for the background. After buffing it, he used spray paint for the characters. He didn’t work from a sketch, but instead did ‘free-styling.’ After he finished the characters, he outlined everything in black. The entire process took three days. The result is striking, fun and joyful. One of the neighboring business owners looked out while Edmiston was working and told him ‘We wish you could do our buildings, too.’ Edmiston would be glad to do other buildings, when he has time. Currently, he’s completing his second year at Otis College of Art and Design in Westchester. ‘I’m definitely happy,’ Edmiston said about school. ‘You just go into the studio and paint whatever you want.’ Edmiston, who attended Palisades Elementary, Paul Revere Middle School and Palisades High School, has drawn since he was little. ‘I wasn’t always good in math and science,’ he admitted. Once he started the art program at Palisades High and took AP classes, he found his niche. ‘When I was a junior, I could see how motivated the teachers were to get students into art schools,’ he said. ‘ I started researching colleges.’ Since he didn’t feel like leaving Southern California, Edmiston only applied to Otis. ‘It’s tough to get in,’ he said. Currently, he’s living at his childhood home in the Palisades. (His mom Pepper is a contributing columnist for the Palisadian-Post, and his dad is the executive director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.) Edmiston submitted a portfolio of 13 pieces from his junior and senior year at Pali, which included a few abstracts and some still lifes. Before graduating, as part of his AP art final, he painted two murals above the steps next to the tunnel on the Pali High campus, which garnered him A’s. His first year at college was a foundation year, which meant he studied the basics, including sculpture, design and life and composite drawing. He originally thought about choosing a double major in graphic design and painting, but later decided to major solely in painting. There is nothing more satisfying to Edmiston than to spend the entire day in the studio. ‘It is so chill,’ he said. ‘Recently, I have been working on mixed media, which includes tempera, spray paint and cel vinyl, a medium that cartoonists use for cartoon cels. ‘You don’t have to follow any rules for art,’ he said. ‘You find a medium that you’re comfortable with.’ His latest is car paint, which is thick and glossy, that doesn’t wear away and has an opaque quality. But, there is a downside: ‘You have to wear a mask because it is harmful to your lungs,’ Edmiston said. In addition to painting, he’s also started exploring photography. ‘I like to be well-rounded,’ he said. In his junior year, he will intern with working artists, and as a senior he will participate in a show in which galley owners, magazine editors and other artists are invited. Although he still has two years left at school, this young talent is already being recognized. Edmiston’s work was recently exhibited in art shows in Culver City and Venice and he sold paintings at both. Out of hundreds of entries for a design contest for the Santa Monica Pier, his design is one of the finalists. In addition, he recently started working with a film company that is flying him to Spain in July to document a large group show in Barcelona. To view or buy Edmiston’s work go to www.charlieedmiston.com.
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