Artist and Entrepreneur
Charles Reynolds

By Rebekah Powers | November 2024

Two recently acquired paintings by Charles Reynolds are evocative of the original Taos Society of Artists, with all of the charm, painterly realism and innocence of the early days of Taos. Reynolds had been studying early works and eventually became well known for his paintings, but one thing that set him apart was his business sense, something artists are not usually known for.

Born in 1902 in Kiowa Indian Territory in Oklahoma, Reynolds grew up to attend Tulsa University and the University of Oklahoma and become an accountant, treasurer, clerk and secretary in turn. He married Ruth, the great love of his life and started a family in middle America, and it looked like the script for his life had been written. Charles had started painting in his twenties as a personal passion, advancing his studies and keeping life balanced by keeping a day job and traveling to New Mexico with the family on painting jaunts, starting in 1932.

“Stacking Hay”, Oil on canvas panel, ca. 1940s – 17.25″ x 21.25″

Life as they knew it was upended when Ruth’s health took a very serious turn. To deal with his prolonged anxiety and difficult days worrying about his wife’s health, Charles took refuge in painting, channeling his focus on what he could control, the brush moving across the canvas. They would soon make a move to Taos, like the great artists and families before them, for the art, for the dry air, where the light in the mountains lifts your spirit and inspires another day.

“Aspen Drive” Oil on canvas panel, ca. 1940s-1950s – 20″ x 24″

Charles became instrumental in launching the Taos Artists Association and opening his own gallery. One collector wrote about the artist before his death in 1963:

“Reynolds is a confirmed realist, a fine craftsman and an adept technician as his paintings show. But he is equally adept as a salesman and promoter of Art. He sells a great deal of artwork, both his own and that of others. His gallery is probably the largest Art Market in New Mexico.”

See for yourself what all the hubbub is about, viewing the works of successful Taos artist (and entrepreneur) Charles Reynolds at Chimayo Trading.

“Aspens In Rio Hondo”, Oil on panel, ca. 1950s – 12″ x 9″ SOLD

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Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557

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