Green River (by Lavetta Rhinehart)

M. Charles and Lavetta Rhinehart are husband-and-wife artists based in Missouri. The pair are both skilled at painting in lavish realism, depicting scenes and landscapes that could be taken straight from the pages of a fantasy or science fiction novel.

Bellem Fields, oil on board (by M. Charles Rhinehart)

I’m really intrigued by the similarities between each of the artist’s styles. While M. Charles and Lavetta both have their own distinct motifs and methods, it seems clear that the artists have spent a long developing their artistic skill alongside one another. Both seem to have a penchant for landscapes that are painted in such pristine detail so as to feel slightly magical -- the smooth, almost photorealistic style of working reminds me a bit of illustrations by Sue Ellen Brown.

The front page of M. Charles and Lavetta's portfolio website

Lavetta’s paintings in particular tend to focus on female figures, often in compositions that are slightly geometric, hearkening to 20th century artists like Gustav Klimt or Pablo Picasso. The artist has also delved into sculpture, rendering a female face as a skillful bronze.

Pause, bronze (by Lavetta Rhinehart)