Out of the Darkness…

…And into the light. Chris Waters, better known to his limited following as “CW”. CW spent nearly over 55 years listening to others, of all shapes and sizes, tell him not to undertake art, he had no talent. So why try. Since he was 9 years old, when he began sketching, his life changed.

His mother saw his work and said, “Did you do that?” CW, sheepishly look up at his mother and said, “Yes. I did that.” His mother said, “for someone who is nine, never having an art lesson, it is very good.” CW did not realize that it was about to start a new course in his life. Now he just wanted to let the public know that very first sketch was the head of Michelangelo. It is frame and available for sale. He said he may let it go for $12,000.

CW began drawing nearly 60 years ago. Since that time, he has experienced using, mono-printing, watercolors, Acrylic, oils, statuary, and, of course, ink drawings. His work demonstrates that he has lived a life that few experienced. He first exhibited came at 14 at the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, FL. He told us that he was mostly self-taught, only having taken 6 art lessons from the world beknown Artist Hilton Leach. “In a short period of time, I cannot begin to tell you what his influence was like.” For having taken so few lessons CW began to see the value of having seasoned artist mentoring young inexperienced artists.

   He has exhibited in Sarasota at the Field Club, Ringling Museum and Ringling School of Arts. He has also exhibited, both public and private galleries, in such places as Jacksonville, Bradenton, Atlanta, Denver, Aspen/Snowmass, Seattle, Federal Way, to name a few. Throughout this period, he become a professional artist. He BY the age of 20 he had displayed in museums, art galleries, and in academic settings. Several of his works sold in the high twenties Thousand Dollar range.  Most of his sales have been to private collectors or through commissions. When he began to show his painting efforts in 1985, he sold one of his commissions, in Florida, for $49,000.00.

Once graduated from college, in 1977, with a dual degree in Theatre Arts and Business he desired to work in Dinner Theatres. His father discouraged CW from pursuing a career in theatre, saying, “Do anything but don’t go into theatre.” So, off he went to work in real estate development in Florida. For the next 20 years he served as board member for several community theatres, directed over 10 plays, wrote several plays, and volunteered in both professional and community theatres in the back-stage areas and as stage manager. He spent part of his time perfecting his sketching and painting skills by drawing the actors in rehearsal.

CW’s life story, like many who listen to other in hopes of building their self-esteem or just to be accepted was the same.  It wasn’t until 1991, in a theology class, that his professor challenged all of the class members to write a narrative. It was about his experiences with what the world thought was our values and how they influence us verse how the Bible wants to be understood through us.

When doing his homework that night he struggled for a couple of hours and all he could pay attention to were the thoughts which put his frame of reference in the negative. Finally, he mustered the energy to overcome those negatives. He starts to write, much slower than today. The more he wrote the more he learned about himself. When he finished, he patted himself on his back; Saying, “well done.”

He turned in his paper. Finally, the paper came back with an A for creativity, a B+ for how he managed his content and an overall A- for the work. He was amazed at the grade, as he had never received such a grade before. He was somewhat confused as the hundreds of people who told him not to even try. It was like a moral dilemma. Who was he going believe?

So, this incident was the beginning of his writing career. Over nearly thirty years CW has written 10 books and published 6 for the academic world. Along with this he published multiple articles. If you, as a reader, take only away a few nuggets having read this bio, let this be one those nuggets: