An innovative wax-sealing technique saved Nadine Charlsen’s watercolor paintings from a devastating flood. In the below interview she shares her process, inspirations, and the story behind her “hurricane survivor” artworks.
Nadine Charlsen is a watercolor artist whose work transcends the traditional boundaries of the medium. Her career is deeply influenced by her theatrical set and lighting design background, and Charlsen brings a dramatic sensibility to her art, transforming everyday scenes into evocative visual narratives.
Yet, what further distinguishes Charlsen’s work is her innovative approach to the medium itself. While studying at the Art Students League in New York, she collaborated with fellow artists to develop a technique using archival art wax to seal watercolors. This method preserves the artwork and eliminates the need for traditional glazing, allowing her to present her paintings without glass. By mounting the paper on a wood panel and applying the wax, Charlsen creates bold, textured pieces that challenge conventional expectations of watercolor art.
Charlsen’s work has earned her a place among notable contemporary watercolor artists, with features in American Art Collector and Watercolor Artist Magazine and exhibitions at venues like the North Carolina Transportation Museum. As a signature member of the American Watercolor Society and the Salmagundi Club, she has established herself as a respected voice in the field, continually exploring new ways to push the boundaries of her craft.
In the following interview, Charlsen talks about her five watercolors that survived a devastating flood, from Hurricane Helene, earning each painting the title of “hurricane survivor.” She details her process for cleaning and restoring the damaged pieces, highlighting the durability of her wax-sealed technique. Charlsen also reflects on her inspirations, her unconventional approach to watercolor, and how her theatrical background continues to shape her bold, dramatic style.
The Interview with Nadine Charlsen
RRM: NorthLight Studios was built at one of the highest points in the River Arts District, which protected the studios on the first and second floors from damage during the September 2024 flood. Where were your “hurricane survivor” paintings stored so they would be covered by water and mud?
Nadine Charlsen: The back of the first floor at NorthLight Studio slopes down toward the river. I had five paintings in the back of the building that got water and mud damage. All five paintings were loosely wrapped in plastic. The dirty water was high enough that it picked all five paintings up and floated them in the water.
The hurricane happened on Friday, and I found them on Saturday. The water and mud had seeped into the plastic. Four paintings had been waxed with an archival art wax; one was not. It was mounted on an illustration board mat behind traditional plexiglass glazing in a metal frame.
RRM: Cleaning mud off a watercolor sounds like a delicate operation. What was your process for saving them?
Nadine Charlsen: After finding them soaking in muddy water, I put on protective gear, pulled them out of the mud, and put them in our covered carport just outside the building.
I removed them from the plastic and realized they had damage, but the wax protected the surface. I left them outside in the carport for two weeks, trying to decide if I should try to save them. It was a good experiment to give this process the ultimate test.
On a warm sunny day in early October, I took the garden hose with the jet stream wand, stood back, and began washing the surface of the paintings. The mud just washed off. I cleaned the painting and the frame and let them dry for a week or more. Once dry, I brought them inside, repainted the frame, reglued the paper to the wood panel top, and rewaxed the painting. I have sold two of the paintings.
One is in a show at the Salmagundi Club in NYC through March 17. “The Planes on the Tarmac” was not waxed, but I washed the mud off its face with the garden hose’s mist. I peeled it off the illustration board, repainted small sections of it, and had a wood panel made.
Since the flood, it has been glued to the panel and waxed. It was in the Ghosts of Helene exhibit at Mars Hill University in January 2025.
RRM: Could this waxing process work for any watercolor, or is it specific to your style?
Nadine Charlsen: This can be used on any watercolor. I have even used it on two watercolors painted on rice paper and glued to panels.
RRM: Watercolor is often seen as fragile and unpredictable, but your style is bold and dramatic. Do you think that helped preserve your work?
Nadine Charlsen: My techniques and dramatic style are very different for watercolor work. I use excellent heavy-weight paper and top-of-the-line professional watercolors. I believe those reasons help my style and the preservation of my work. I have also promoted the use of wax coating for years. It seals the painting because the wax is solvent-based.
Once it dries, the painting is sealed. It has other advantages. It protects the surface and doesn’t change the color except maybe brightening the color a tiny bit. There is no glare from the glass or plexiglass; it is lighter, easier to ship, and less expensive because you do not need additional glazing or another frame. You can add a floater frame and more glazing if you wish.
RRM: What draws you to watercolor instead of oils or acrylics? It seems like such a unique choice for your bold style.
Nadine Charlsen: Watercolor is so forgiving if you use good paper. I scrub, scrape, and paint over my work. Sometimes, I have scrubbed it entirely off, leaving just the ghost of the previous painting, and start over.
Almost every time I have done that, I produce a much better painting. Watercolor does not have to be the delicate one-time medium. It is much more fun, rewarding, and easy to manipulate than all the other mediums I have tried: acrylic, encaustic, oil, charcoal, pen and ink, collage, and some I’ve forgotten.
RRM: Collectors often assume watercolors need glazing for protection. What challenges does that create for you, and how do you address them?
Nadine Charlsen: I explain the process and sometimes even take a spray bottle with water and spray the paintings in my studio. I wipe them with a soft paper towel to show them the paint is sealed, which helps sell the paintings.
RRM: Without giving away too much, how do you manipulate the medium to make glazing unnecessary? It sounds like a game-changer.
Nadine Charlsen: This process takes anywhere from two days to a week. I have a woodworker that builds a panel for each specific piece. I paint the panel and prepare the painting to be applied to the panel. The painting is adhered permanently to the panel. I put weight on the painting while the glue dries, which can take 1-4 days, depending on the weather. Once the glue is completely dry, I apply the cold wax with a putty knife covering the entire painting, then scrape off most of the wax, leaving a very thin, even layer on the painting. The paintings in the hurricane have a second coat of wax after the cleaning.
RRM: How did you discover this waxing process? It’s such an innovative approach to watercolor.
Nadine Charlsen: I attended the Art Students League in NYC for most of the 31 years I lived in the city. In 2006, I started a watercolor class with league instructor Paul Ching-Bor. He was an excellent teacher, letting the students work on their imaginative pieces.
Many of us were painting very large watercolors and desired a way to display them without the expense of glazing and framing. Tim Saternow, one of the students in the class (around 2011-2013), took a watercolor he had completed and did surface tests with clear acrylic, varnish, and cold wax.
He brought the painting into the class after a summer in his condo with direct sun, humidity changes, cats walking on it, and other condo life. The cold wax was the only coating that did not show changes from the summer of testing. Several of us in the class took that basic idea of the wax and developed our own method of using it on our original watercolors.
Works Cited
Charlsen, Nadine. Personal interview. Conducted by RRM, 2023.
“Nadine Charlsen: Trains that Made America.” North Carolina Transportation Museum, 2022.
“Making a Scene.” Watercolor Artist Magazine, Jan./Feb. 2017.
“Focus Artist: Nadine Charlsen.” American Art Collector Magazine, Nov. 2019.