Meet Contemporary Photographer/Painter "Charlin Janene" from Akron, Ohio

I'm a Combat Veteran's Wife, lifelong athlete & self-taught versatile multi-medium artist. Born October 11th, in Akron, OH, and raised in Riviera Beach & West Palm Beach, FL. I taught myself how to draw at age three - I wrote my name after seeing it on the refrigerator. I attended a performing arts school. I've sold a few dozen pieces. My first sale was in 6th grade - to a local business in Akron; then I sold another piece to the Akron Children's Hospital before I left for our first PCS in Colorado. I didn't sell my first charcoal portrait until adulthood, but when I did, I sold it to Grammy-Nominated, 19-year-old Harvard graduate, producer and artist, Ryan Leslie. That charcoal portrait was actually the very first portrait I completed using charcoal. Anything that can be created, in the arts, is pretty much my thing. I worked for The University of Akron's ZipsVision sports production staff and while working there I gained experience from FOX TV and ESPN; I also interned at NewsChannel 13, KKTV 11 News, and Sky Sox Baseball (minor league team) in Colorado Springs, CO. At the news stations, and working in sports I was writing & producing news, creating & editing video using AVID, recording & editing plays in sports, writing & producing radio commercials, arranging music, and going into the field as a reporter; all while attending college and working a part-time job. Graduated Phi Theta Kappa with a degree in Telecom. I shot my first wedding, which was also my first LGBT photography session in July 2017.

My photographs have been published by LIVESTRONG, Comet, Eventbrite, LinkedIn, Healthline, The National Domestic Violence Hotline, Southern California Reproductive Center, and Telemundo just to name a few. I have also produced ad content on social media for big corps like Intel, Coca Cola, Petco, and Sony Pictures.

I studied Web Design & Interactive Media at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Left the Sports Marketing & Media program at the extremely sought-after, college for media professionals, Full Sail University, for various reasons. I still gained 2.5 years of social media marketing experience. I've been married to my War Veteran (Marine AND soldier) for 10 years and we are finally 'free' from the military. He was a Marine when I met him, then transitioned into the Army right before we got hitched in 2007. Downtime consists of trips to the dog park and donating my time and funds to various causes - the homeless, animal shelters, t-ball team that I coach, various charities like UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency), St. Jude, etc. One of our dogs is a rescue, so I feel compelled to volunteer regularly. When I go, I donate food, and occasionally walk & play with the shelter pups. I run a few miles each week; sometimes with my Akita. Lastly, I aspire to write a book one day, when I find time.