Looking at an oil painting by Charlene Rene Clark is like peeking into the melancholy side of historic Maryland. Viewers are easily transfixed by images of the now-deserted Enchanted Forest or the squeaky Ocean City boardwalk ferris wheel, spinning them back to their childhoods when days were longer and Charm City more charming … and preserved. Much of her subject matter, including the One Spot Flea Killer store, has been demolished of late.

“There is an abundance of potent and visual memories inside my head and since most of these images no longer exist in reality I am compelled to put them on canvas,” says Clark.

She now brings a collection of “roadside” paintings to the Architects Bookstore and Gallery, themed around the simplicity and charm of the roadside storefront and signage of old time Baltimore.

Clark’s artwork is represented in galleries and shops throughout the U.S. and Canada. It has been featured in national and local magazines including Better Homes and Gardens, Art Alternatives, Baltimore magazine and Style, and has received such national television coverage as Home and Garden TV, PBS and NBC news.