Charles Simmons (NC, 1939-2020), Portrait of Man in Blue Overalls

1997, acrylic on board, depicting a standing man in blue overalls and hat with white ground, possibly a self portrait, set within wood frame, signed and dated to lower right.

Frame 18 1/2 x 10 1/2 in.; sight 16 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.

Private Collection of American Folk Art, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Purchased from Ledbetter Folk Art Auctions in 2021.

Charles Simmons lived in North Carolina throughout his life. He left school and went on to work for the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for 35 years. Simmons started carving wood in the 1970s and became a dedicated artist once he retired. He painted and carved a large number of works - some of which were later displayed in The Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Neighbor and fellow artist, Raymond Coins, taught Simmons how to work with stone which Simmons eventually adopted exclusively as his motor functions declined with age. Simmons was unfortunately in a truck accident later in life, and due to brain damage was no longer able to continue creating art.

Some warping to board; light scuffs to frame; a few small areas of light staining to board.