Charles Marchant Stevenson
Encyclopedia
Charles Marchant Stevenson (August 29, 1927 - August 30, 2004) was an American artist, born to Mildred and Charles Marchant Stevenson II in Washington, D.C.
. In the Navy Stevenson worked on service publications, as illustrator for All Hands
and as art director for Naval Training and Training Bulletin. After his tour of duty, Stevenson studied in Philadelphia, at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the University of Pennsylvania
.
Stevenson's early jobs included church window design at the Paine-Speyers stained glass
company, work as an attendant and art therapist in a mental hospital and as an advertising artist for several department stores. In 1954 Stevenson moved from the East Coast
to San Francisco. There he worked for the advertising agency Wyatt & Welch for several years before leaving for a free-lance work as a mural
ist and portrait painter
. From 1957 to 1961, Stevenson ran Stevenson Graphics, a San Francisco advertising agency with ten commercial artists.
Examples of Stevenson's artwork from this period include "Charles Marchant Stevenson: Self Portrait" (1960) and '"The Goat Lady's House"(1960), a painting of Lyford House, Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary., built in the 1870s, now a Registered Historical Landmark, part of the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary
and open to the public.
which he made his home until his death. Of his radical change in location and lifestyle, Stevenson said, "Years ago a fortuneteller told me that I had a chance to remake my entire life and I said, 'What I'd really like is to find someplace like Carmel or Monterey was when all the artists and writers were there' and she said, 'Mendocino!'"
Just arrived in Mendocino, Stevenson phoned artist Dorr Bothwell
who introduced him to Mendocino Art Center founders Bill
and Jennie Zacha ; that night the Zachas fed Stevenson dinner and rented him a studio behind their house. To earn money, at first Stevenson did architectural drafting for Bill Zacha, then worked part-time at several local restaurants. Subsequently, Bill Zacha offered Stevenson a position teaching at the Mendocino Art Center where Stevenson taught for almost forty years. In addition, Zacha represented Stevenson at Zacha's Bay Window Gallery.
panels , which he prepared for painting with a ground of gessoed cheesecloth, a technique Stevenson developed painting for theatre. Referring to Stevenson's paintings, Maureen Eppstein wrote, "In some the richness of texture is enhanced by the surface under the paint, layers of gesso and loosely woven cheesecloth..." In addition to acrylics, Stevenson worked in serigraphy
, watercolor
, gouache
and pen and ink drawing.
"] (1968), "Mendocino Shepherd: Portrait of Thorkild Thompson" (1967) and "Dorr" (1964), Stevenson's portrait of Dorr Bothwell at work in her Mendocino studio.
Although Stevenson always painted portraits, in the early 1970s Stevenson became more selective in accepting commissions and began to focus on other genres; his interests were wide and most are reflected in his subject matter.
, first referred to by Leonardo da Vinci
as the secto aurea (golden section). Leonardo's line drawings of the five Platonic solids
illustrate Luca Pacioli
's book La Divina Proportione (1509). One of Stevenson's reference books on the subject was Elements of Dynamic Symmetry by Jay Hambidge
.
Stevenson's post-1961 work often included dynamic fractures inspired by Pythagoras'
"theory of spiraling forms, serial dynamic symmetry" patterns which Stevenson says compose "the webwork of energy that extends everywhere." , illustrated in "Apotheosis of the Working Man" (1993), "As I See It: Mendocino Bay" (1995) and Stevenson's double portrait of jazz poet ruth weiss
and artist Paul Blake, "The Poet & The Artist" (2002). Originally Stevenson called the star-like figures which emerged in spiraling fractures, "sparkles", but an interviewer's typo changed the word to "sparles" and Stevenson adopted it.
, some of Stevenson's Christian
liturgical work can be seen at several Northern California churches . The stained glass angel windows at Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church , Fort Bragg, California were designed by Stevenson and installed in 1984. Other church installations include Stevenson's murals at the Methodist Church of the Good Shepherd, now Good Shepherd United Methodist Church , Richmond, California and the Piedmont Community Church , Piedmont, California. In a rare foray into sculpture, Stevenson designed the altar cross for the children's chapel at the Piedmont Community Church.
will recognise Charles Stevenson as the illustrator of Anderson's groundbreaking proto-graphic-novel Fox & Hare: The Story of a Friday Evening (1980), published by Paul Williams
, Entwhistle Books. Lately I've Been Thinking (1990), one of the Mendocino Malady series by Bobby Markels, is illustrated on the cover and throughout the text with Stevenson's line drawings of the author. Stevenson's painting "The Hee Ancestor Landing on the Headlands" appears on the cover of the Kelley House Museum publication Chinese on the Mendocino Coast (1990–1991), by Dorothy Bear and David Houghton.
s at Stevenson's house in the village of Mendocino, open gatherings of local artists, writers and musicians, with art exhibits, poetry reading
s and performances by local musicians After a long illness, Stevenson died at home the day after his 77th birthday, August 30, 2004.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Early years
Stevenson spent his early years at his family home in Maryland. He was awarded a scholarship to the adult school of the Corcoran Academy of Fine Art in Washington, D.C., which he attended from 1938 until 1945 when, immediately after his eighteenth birthday, Stevenson enlisted in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. In the Navy Stevenson worked on service publications, as illustrator for All Hands
All Hands
All Hands Magazine of the U.S. Navy is the title of a monthly published magazine of the United States Navy for its sailors . It is published since August 1922 under different names; the current title was established in 1945....
and as art director for Naval Training and Training Bulletin. After his tour of duty, Stevenson studied in Philadelphia, at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
.
Stevenson's early jobs included church window design at the Paine-Speyers stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
company, work as an attendant and art therapist in a mental hospital and as an advertising artist for several department stores. In 1954 Stevenson moved from the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
to San Francisco. There he worked for the advertising agency Wyatt & Welch for several years before leaving for a free-lance work as a mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
ist and portrait painter
Portrait painting
Portrait painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to depict the visual appearance of the subject. Beside human beings, animals, pets and even inanimate objects can be chosen as the subject for a portrait...
. From 1957 to 1961, Stevenson ran Stevenson Graphics, a San Francisco advertising agency with ten commercial artists.
Examples of Stevenson's artwork from this period include "Charles Marchant Stevenson: Self Portrait" (1960) and '"The Goat Lady's House"(1960), a painting of Lyford House, Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary., built in the 1870s, now a Registered Historical Landmark, part of the Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary
Richardson Bay
Richardson Bay is a shallow, ecologically rich arm of San Francisco Bay, managed under a Joint Powers Agency of four Northern California cities. The Richardson Bay Sanctuary was acquired in the early 1960s by the National Audubon Society. The bay was named for William A...
and open to the public.
Mendocino
Stevenson closed Stevenson Graphics in 1961 and left San Francisco for the village of Mendocino, CaliforniaMendocino, California
Mendocino is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California, United States. Mendocino is located south of Fort Bragg, at an elevation of 154 feet...
which he made his home until his death. Of his radical change in location and lifestyle, Stevenson said, "Years ago a fortuneteller told me that I had a chance to remake my entire life and I said, 'What I'd really like is to find someplace like Carmel or Monterey was when all the artists and writers were there' and she said, 'Mendocino!'"
Just arrived in Mendocino, Stevenson phoned artist Dorr Bothwell
Dorr Bothwell
Dorr Hodgson Bothwell was an American artist, designer, educator, and world-traveller. She was born in San Francisco, California. She began her art career at the California School of Fine Arts in 1921, under the tutelage of Gottardo Piazzoni and Rudolf Schaeffer.- Travels :Bothwell's travels...
who introduced him to Mendocino Art Center founders Bill
Bill Zacha
Bill Zacha was an artist and entrepreneur who founded the in Mendocino, California and by doing so started the artistic revival of Mendocino....
and Jennie Zacha ; that night the Zachas fed Stevenson dinner and rented him a studio behind their house. To earn money, at first Stevenson did architectural drafting for Bill Zacha, then worked part-time at several local restaurants. Subsequently, Bill Zacha offered Stevenson a position teaching at the Mendocino Art Center where Stevenson taught for almost forty years. In addition, Zacha represented Stevenson at Zacha's Bay Window Gallery.
Media
For his large work, Stevenson preferred acrylic paint, sometimes on canvas or canvas board, but more often on wood or masoniteMasonite
Masonite is a type of hardboard invented by William H. Mason.-History:Masonite was invented in 1924 in Laurel, Mississippi, by William H. Mason. Mass production started in 1929. In the 1930s and 1940s Masonite was used for many applications including doors, roofing, walls, desktops, and canoes...
panels , which he prepared for painting with a ground of gessoed cheesecloth, a technique Stevenson developed painting for theatre. Referring to Stevenson's paintings, Maureen Eppstein wrote, "In some the richness of texture is enhanced by the surface under the paint, layers of gesso and loosely woven cheesecloth..." In addition to acrylics, Stevenson worked in serigraphy
Screen-printing
Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a woven mesh to support an ink-blocking stencil. The attached stencil forms open areas of mesh that transfer ink or other printable materials which can be pressed through the mesh as a sharp-edged image onto a substrate...
, watercolor
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
, gouache
Gouache
Gouache[p], also spelled guache, the name of which derives from the Italian guazzo, water paint, splash or bodycolor is a type of paint consisting of pigment suspended in water. A binding agent, usually gum arabic, is also present, just as in watercolor...
and pen and ink drawing.
Portraits
Initially, Charles Marchant Stevenson's work focused on his distinctive multiple-image portraits , for example http://www.williamzacha.com/gallery/product.php?productid=16691&cat=283&page=2"Bata Bheag: Portrait of Irving S. ShapiroIrving S. Shapiro
Irving Saul Shapiro was an American lawyer and businessman, best known for being the first lawyer, and the first person outside the Dupont family, to become CEO of DuPont. Shapiro served as Dupont chairman from December 1973 to 1981...
"] (1968), "Mendocino Shepherd: Portrait of Thorkild Thompson" (1967) and "Dorr" (1964), Stevenson's portrait of Dorr Bothwell at work in her Mendocino studio.
Although Stevenson always painted portraits, in the early 1970s Stevenson became more selective in accepting commissions and began to focus on other genres; his interests were wide and most are reflected in his subject matter.
Golden Ratio & "Sparles"
Stevenson based his compositons on the golden ratioGolden ratio
In mathematics and the arts, two quantities are in the golden ratio if the ratio of the sum of the quantities to the larger quantity is equal to the ratio of the larger quantity to the smaller one. The golden ratio is an irrational mathematical constant, approximately 1.61803398874989...
, first referred to by Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
as the secto aurea (golden section). Leonardo's line drawings of the five Platonic solids
Platonic solid
In geometry, a Platonic solid is a convex polyhedron that is regular, in the sense of a regular polygon. Specifically, the faces of a Platonic solid are congruent regular polygons, with the same number of faces meeting at each vertex; thus, all its edges are congruent, as are its vertices and...
illustrate Luca Pacioli
Luca Pacioli
Fra Luca Bartolomeo de Pacioli was an Italian mathematician, Franciscan friar, collaborator with Leonardo da Vinci, and seminal contributor to the field now known as accounting...
's book La Divina Proportione (1509). One of Stevenson's reference books on the subject was Elements of Dynamic Symmetry by Jay Hambidge
Jay Hambidge
Jay Hambidge was an American artist, born in Canada. He was a pupil at the Art Students' League in New York and of William Chase, and a thorough student of classical art. He conceived the idea that the study of arithmetic with the aid of geometrical designs was the foundation of the proportion and...
.
Stevenson's post-1961 work often included dynamic fractures inspired by Pythagoras'
Pythagoras
Pythagoras of Samos was an Ionian Greek philosopher, mathematician, and founder of the religious movement called Pythagoreanism. Most of the information about Pythagoras was written down centuries after he lived, so very little reliable information is known about him...
"theory of spiraling forms, serial dynamic symmetry" patterns which Stevenson says compose "the webwork of energy that extends everywhere." , illustrated in "Apotheosis of the Working Man" (1993), "As I See It: Mendocino Bay" (1995) and Stevenson's double portrait of jazz poet ruth weiss
Ruth weiss
ruth weiss is a German-born poet, performer, playwright and artist who made her home and career in the United States. weiss is an artist of the Beat Generation, a label she has recently embraced and that is used frequently by historians detailing her life and works.weiss spells her name in...
and artist Paul Blake, "The Poet & The Artist" (2002). Originally Stevenson called the star-like figures which emerged in spiraling fractures, "sparkles", but an interviewer's typo changed the word to "sparles" and Stevenson adopted it.
Liturgical Work
Although Stevenson was eclectic in his personal spiritual exploration , with a special interest in Hermetic philosophyHermeticism
Hermeticism or the Western Hermetic Tradition is a set of philosophical and religious beliefs based primarily upon the pseudepigraphical writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus...
, some of Stevenson's Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
liturgical work can be seen at several Northern California churches . The stained glass angel windows at Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church , Fort Bragg, California were designed by Stevenson and installed in 1984. Other church installations include Stevenson's murals at the Methodist Church of the Good Shepherd, now Good Shepherd United Methodist Church , Richmond, California and the Piedmont Community Church , Piedmont, California. In a rare foray into sculpture, Stevenson designed the altar cross for the children's chapel at the Piedmont Community Church.
Book Illustration
Those who are familiar with the work of musician, writer and cultural icon Chester AndersonChester Anderson
Chester Valentine John Anderson was a novelist, poet, and editor in the underground press. Raised in Florida, he attended the University of Miami from 1952 to 1956 before becoming a beatnik coffee house poet in Greenwich Village and San Francisco's North Beach...
will recognise Charles Stevenson as the illustrator of Anderson's groundbreaking proto-graphic-novel Fox & Hare: The Story of a Friday Evening (1980), published by Paul Williams
Paul Williams (Crawdaddy! creator)
Paul Williams is an American music journalist and writer. Williams created the first national US magazine of rock music criticism :Crawdaddy! in January 1966 on the campus of Swarthmore College with the help of some of his fellow science fiction fans...
, Entwhistle Books. Lately I've Been Thinking (1990), one of the Mendocino Malady series by Bobby Markels, is illustrated on the cover and throughout the text with Stevenson's line drawings of the author. Stevenson's painting "The Hee Ancestor Landing on the Headlands" appears on the cover of the Kelley House Museum publication Chinese on the Mendocino Coast (1990–1991), by Dorothy Bear and David Houghton.
Stevenson-Leach Studios
In 1989, Stevenson invited young Mendocino artist Matt Leach first to be his apprentice, then to work with him as a partner; they formed Stevenson/Leach Studios. Among the works produced by the team were a series of large painted screens , of which "Mendocino Afterglow" is a strong example. The Artist's Magazine awarded "Mendocino Afterglow" first place in its 1995 international landscape competition.Theatre
Both Stevenson and Leach worked in local theatre, designing sets and posters for local productions, including productions at the Mendocino Art Center's Helen Schoeni Theatre , currently administered by the Mendocino Theatre Company and the Gloriana Opera Company, now Gloriana Musical Theatre. Stevenson directed plays as well.Mastership Program
Inspired by private schools of art on the East Coast, in the mid-1970s Stevenson created and was the first director of the Mastership Program at the Mendocino Art Center, an accredited alternative art school for children and teens. Instructors included James Maxwell (life drawing), Miriam Rice (sculpture), Ray Rice (murals and animation), Charles Stevenson (painting) and Bill Zacha (watercolor). Outside the classroom, Bill Zacha was the school's administrator and Dorr Bothwell acted as advisor.Land Donation
In 1976 Stevenson donated a large parcel of land to the Mendocino Art Center. Stevenson sold the property, located on Little Lake Street between School and Howard Streets, for one dollar ], with the provision that it be used for affordable housing for artists. In 2006 the property was sold to a private developer for 1.2 million dollars.The Stevenson Studio at the Mendocino Art Center
The Stevenson Studio at the Mendocino Art Center was donated by Mildred & Charles Marchant Stevenson II, the artist's parents.Retrospective
The Charles M. Stevenson Retrospective was held at the Mendocino Art Center in 1994.Last Years
In Stevenson's later years, he and his friend artist Pamela Hunter held salonSalon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...
s at Stevenson's house in the village of Mendocino, open gatherings of local artists, writers and musicians, with art exhibits, poetry reading
Poetry reading
A poetry reading is a performance of poetry, normally given on a small stage in a café or bookstore, although poetry readings given by notable poets frequently are booked into larger venues to accommodate crowds...
s and performances by local musicians After a long illness, Stevenson died at home the day after his 77th birthday, August 30, 2004.
Print & Web Sources
- Anderson, Chester. Charles Stevenson, illustrator. Fox and Hare: the story of a Friday evening. Entwhistle Books. Glen Ellen, California, 1980. Print.
- "Archive of the Art of Charles Marchant Stevenson". Accessed 05-30-2010. Web.
- "Artist's Magazine '95 Art Competition: Landscapes, First Place: Charles Stevenson and Matthew Leach: Capturing Passing Time." The Artist's Magazine, Fall & Winter, 1995. Page 66. Print.
- Arvola, K. Andarin, "The Magic of Charles M. Stevenson: August 29, 1927 - August 30, 2004", Real Estate Magazine: Mendocino Property, Vol. 18, No. 8, Issue 450. Pages 1–4. Print.
- Arvola, Andarin, "The Magic of Charles M. Stevenson: August 29, 1927 - August 30, 2004", Real Estate Magazine, Editorial 450 for Printing. Accessed 11-14-2009. Web.
- Bear, Dorothy & Houghton, David."Chinese of the Mendocino Coast", Mendocino Historical Review, Volume XV. Winter/Spring 1990-1991. Kelley House Museum (original name of publisher: Mendocino Historical Research), P.O. Box 922, Mendocino, California. Print.
- Bear, Dorothy & Houghton, David. The Temple of Kwan Tai. Excerpts from The Chinese of the Mendocino Coast. Mendocino Historical Review, Volume XV Winter/Spring. The Kelley House Museum, publisher. 1990-1991. Accessed 06-13-2010. Web.
- Blick, Carol Goodwin, "Charles Stevenson (1927-2004)". 2008. Accessed 06-13-2010. Web.
- Brossard, Chandler. Ted Streshinsky, photographer. "California Village: A Young Man Saves an Old Town", Look Magazine. September 25, 1962. Accessed 06-10-2010. Web.
- De Vall, Norman. "The Mendocino Art Center", Mendocino Arts, The Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, California 95460. Summer 2006. Page 18. Print.
- Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, formerly Methodist Church of the Good Shepherd, 6226 Arlington Boulevard, Richmond, California. Accessed 06-28-2010. Web.
- Hambidge, Jay. Elements of Dynamic Symmetry. Dover Books on Art Instruction. 1967. 133 pages. Print.
- Hee-Chorley, Lorraine. Chinese In Mendocino County. Arcadia Publishing. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. 2009. Print.
- Review, "Chinese in Mendocino County" by Lorraine Hee-Chorley, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Accessed 06-12-2010. Web.
- Huckaby, Gerry. "Charles Stevenson: The Nature of Reality." A&E Magazine. August 1994. Mendocino Art Center. Mendocino, California. Pages 4–6. Print.
- Kelley House Museum, 45007 Albion Street, Mendocino, California, 95460. Accessed 06-13-2010. Web.
- Kjeldsen, Beverley Baker, "Mendocino Art Center's 35th Anniversary: Bill Zacha Builds an Art Center", Arts & Entertainment Magazine The Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, California, Vol.XIX, No. 8. August 1994. Pages 8–10. Print.
- Korbel, Connie. "Art Center Denied Extension: Must Reapply For Water Permit", Mendocino BeaconMendocino BeaconThe Mendocino Beacon is a weekly newspaper for the community of Mendocino, California, owned by MediaNews Group.The Mendocino Beacon was founded on October 6, 1877 by W. H. Meacham and William Heeser, an immigrant from Germany who also founded the Fort Bragg Advocate-News and three other local...
. 07-06-2006 Page 1. Print - Korbel, Connie. "Harvest at Mendosa's Secures More Water", Mendocino BeaconMendocino BeaconThe Mendocino Beacon is a weekly newspaper for the community of Mendocino, California, owned by MediaNews Group.The Mendocino Beacon was founded on October 6, 1877 by W. H. Meacham and William Heeser, an immigrant from Germany who also founded the Fort Bragg Advocate-News and three other local...
. 01-04-2007. Page 1. Print. - Lamb, Antonia. "Interview: Charles Stevenson", A&E Magazine. December 6, 1990 . Mendocino Art Center. Mendocino, California 95460. Print.
- Leach, Matt with Lamb, Antonia. "Interview: Charles Stevenson, Master Painter", A&E Magazine. Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, California, 95460. August 1994. Pages 5–7, 22-23. Print.
- Leach, Matt, The Art of Charles M. Stevenson, Mendocino, California Accessed 06-13-2010. Web.
- Levene, Bruce, compiler & editor. The Mendocino Art Center: A 50 Year Retrospective. Pacific Transcriptions, Mendocino, California 95460. 2009. ISBN 97-0-93339-1-32-1. Print.
- Lyford House at Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary. Tiburon, California. Accessed 06-13-2010. Web.
- Markels, Bobby. "Quotes by Bobby Markels", GoodReads. Accessed 06-13-2010. Web.
- Markels, Bobby. Lately I've Been Thinking. Charles Stevenson, illustrator. Saul Bellow and Anne Halley, comments on back cover. Stone Publishing Company, P.O. Box 711, Mendocino, California 95460. 1990. Print.
- Markels, Bobby. "Lately I've Been Thinking", Mendocino Malady: The Complete Collection, 1966 - 2006. Cypress House. ISBN 978188099108. Print.
- Mendocino Art Center, 45200 Little Lake Street, Mendocino, California, 95460. Accessed 06-14-2010. Web.
- Mendocino Community Services District, minutes of the meeting, July 28, 2008. Accessed 11-16-2009. Web.
- Miller, Rebecca. John Birchard & Justin Lewis, photographers. Judy Dietrick, book designer. "Charles Stevenson", Mendocino Artists: An Endangered Species. North Coast Rural Challenge and Mendocino County Museum in collaboration with Monday Press, Palo Alto, California. 2000. Unpaged. Print.
- Obara, Samuel. "Golden Ratio in Art and Architecture", The University of Georgia, Department of Mathematics Education. Accessed 06-28-2010. Web.
- Pacioli, Luca. "Divina Proportione" Nabu Press. 2010. ISBN 1-142-24443-1. Print.
- Pertha, Hilda. "Drawing with Charles Stevenson", A&E Magazine The Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, California. Summer 2002. Pages 27, 75. Reprinted with permission. Originally published in WESTART, May 1975. Print.
- Piedmont Community Church, 400 Highland Avenue, Piedmont, California. Accessed 06-10-2010. Web.
- Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary. Tiburon, California. Accessed 06-13-2010. Web.
- Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church, Fort Bragg, California. Accessed 06-13-2010. Web.
- Saint Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church 201 E. Fir Street, Fort Bragg, California 95437. Accessed 06-13-2010. Web.
- Stevenson, Charles. Antonia Lamb, editor. "Local Artists on Avant Garde: Charles Stevenson talks about the onward march of culture and other things related to the avant garde", Arts & Entertainment Magazine. The Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, California 95460. March 1981. Pages 8–9. Print.
- Stevenson/Leach Studios. Accessed 06-28-2010. Web
- The Temple of Kwan Tai, 54160 Albion Street, Mendocino, California. Accessed 06-10-2010. Web.
- Wallace, Kent & Roberson, Robyn. "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities: The Saga of Bill Zacha and the Mendocino Art Center", OutLook (formerly Mendocino County Outlook). August 1994. Page 14. Print.
- Williams, Paul. "Introduction", Fox and Hare: The Story of A Friday Evening. Entwhistle Books, Glen Ellen, California 95442. Chester Anderson, author. Charles Stevenson, illustrator. 1980. Print.
- Zacha, Bill. "I've Been Looking For This Town All My Life: an Oral History",The Mendocino Art Center: A 50 Year Retrospective. Pacific Transcriptions, Mendocino, California 95460. 2009. ISBN 97-0-93339-1-32-1. Print.
- Zacha, Bill, "The Nurturing Love", Arts & Entertainment Magazine, Vol. XIX, No. 8. The Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, California, 95460. August 1994. Page 11. Print.
- Zacha, Lucia. "Divine Inspiration, Creative Genius. A Whim.", Mendocino Arts. The Mendocino Art Center, Mendocino, California 95460. Fall 2010. Page 11. Print.