Charleston Style & Design Spring 2023 Art Issue

SPRING 2023

CHARLESTON STYLE & DESIGN THE ART

Long Lasting Beauty and Durability with Premium Metal Roofing and Fiber Cement Siding by G&S

Long Lasting Beauty and Durability with Premium Metal Roofing and Fiber Cement Siding by G&S

Long Lasting Beauty and Durability with Premium Metal Roofing and Fiber Cement Siding by G&S

gsmetalroofing.com

gsmetalroofing.com

gsmetalroofing.com

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Photo by Margaret Wright

Location is Private Residence: Old Village

Photo by Leigh Webber

photo by Kyle J Caldwell

Lissette DelVecchio Principal + Founder

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Photo by Katie Charlotte

Photo by Tripp Smith

Ace Basin, 48”x60”

Photos by Tripp Smith

Photo by Tripp Smith

Far Horizon, 36”x36”

The Path, 48”x60”

Liliana Maya CHARLESTON FINE ART

lilianacharlestonart@gmail.com

lilianacharlestonart

(980) 505-7853

Photography

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Throughout the Charleston area, the Custom Home division of our real estate company is changing the game on design-build. We’ve assembled, and manage for you, an elite team of architects, builders, interior designers, and landscapers with deep experience and expertise. Together, we take your ideas, needs, and style and bring your vision to life, delivering a home that is personalized to you. And if you don’t have one, we can find you the perfect homesite. Our streamlined process means you are in your home faster, with less stress, and more for your money.

Are you ready?

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Coastal Real Estate Photography

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Bridging the outside world to the intimate life of home

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Photo by Holger Obenaus

SHOPTAXIDERMY.COM

Such unique and quality items. The service is phenomenal and the team goes above and beyond every time.

BEST OF THE SEASON + YEAR ROUND RESORT

64b Boathouse Street Bluffton, SC 29910

IG: simonestyle@palmettobluff

44a Spring Street Charleston, SC 29403

IG @harperhartfordboutique www.harperandhartford.com

Models: @hayleemichalski_ and @ericalynnfoulkes | Photographer: Mira Adwell Photography @miraadwell_photo | HMU/Stylist: Lisa Jean Walsh @whowhatoui

Photos by Patrick Brickman

Alex Fleuren Owner, Lead Designer

Advice for what matters most, when you

it most

Source: The Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” list, published on January 12, 2023. Rankings based on data as of March 31, 2022. Data provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC. Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Management Teams” ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings and a ranking algorithm that includes: a measure of each team’s best practices, client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of Forbes and not representative nor indicative of any one client’s experience, future performance, or investment outcome and should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor. Rankings and recognition from Forbes are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results. SHOOK’s research and rankings provide opinions intended to help investors choose the right financial advisor and team, and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client’s experience. Past performance is not an indication of future results. Neither Forbes nor SHOOK Research receive compensation in exchange for placement on the ranking. For more information, please see www.SHOOKresearch.com. SHOOK is a registered trademark of SHOOK Research, LLC. Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC and a wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp.

Investment products: Are Not FDIC Insured Are Not Bank Guaranteed May Lose Value

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Photos by Ebony Ellis

Photos by MKMC Photography

Experience matters when you are designing interiors

The Lowcountry’s Premier Dealer Recreational Vehicles

Spring and summer are about having fun and enjoying life. Imagine yourself sur ng without waves, riding with friends or exploring downtown in a new vehicle. Call Carolina Rides today and learn more about the most exciting lineup of electric vehicles in the Lowcountry, each beautifully designed with you in mind.

MOKE LSV RADINN Jetboards

SIPA Powered Paddle Boards

ELLWEE Golf Carts

M.P. DEMETRE JEWELERS

LUXURY IS

A FEELING. OUR SERVICE. OUR STANDARD.

MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME WITH THE RIGHT REPRESENTATION

MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME WITH THE RIGHT REPRESENTATION

WE PROVIDE LUXURY SERVICE AT EVERY PRICE POINT

WE PROVIDE LUXURY SERVICE AT EVERY PRICE POINT

MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME WITH THE RIGHT REPRESENTATION WE PROVIDE LUXURY SERVICE AT EVERY PRICE POINT

At Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International Realty, we are local experts with a global reach, showcasing your property to the widest audience to achieve the highest price-point. High-touch, service-minded, and technology driven; our representation goes above and beyond all others.

At Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International Realty, we are local experts with a global reach, showcasing your property to the widest audience to achieve the highest price-point. High-touch, service-minded, and technology driven; our representation goes above and beyond all others.

At Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International Realty, we are local experts with a global reach, showcasing your property to the widest audience to achieve the highest price-point. High-touch, service-minded, and technology driven; our representation goes above and beyond all others.

Discover the difference.

Discover the difference. Only

Discover the difference.

Only

An elevated look for modern living

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Photos by Holger Obenaus

Jenan McClain

Poetic Painter

PHOTOS BY: ZEKE RUELAS

SHIPS NEXT DAY  FREE SHIPPING/DELIVERY NO EXTRA FEES FOR PREMIUM MATERIALS

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Alice Dobbin Fine Art

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Ann Watcher

Michele Byrne

Leonard Mizerek

John Michael Carter (OPA Master)

Paul Cheng

Rick Reinert

Christopher Zhang (OPA Master)

Jill McGannon

Calvin Liang (OPA Master)

Mary Qian (OPA Master)

Nancy Seamons Crookston (OPA Master)

Roger Dale Brown (OPA Master) Zhiwei Tu (OPA Master)

Rick Reinert

Photo by Holger Obenaus

I Rise Rachel DuBose King

Flickering Memories Yvonne Rousseau

Color in the Marsh Sky Alexandra Kassing

Carlton Robert Maniscalco

Fancy Dance Sally Accetta

Tulips Sally Fleming

Honkin’ Hank Larry Alexis

Colors in the Wind Judy Hopkins Jacobs

Azalea Necter Jan Dalton

The Boat Dock Shelia Roush

Lake Clear William Newby

Spring at Middleton Debbie Grogen

Serenity in Blue Julia Gallagher

Picnic Time Belle Anderson

Koi Pond Visitor Carla Hood

Queen Ann’s Lace Renee Bruce

Sweetgrass Station #1 Carlos Bilal

Photo by Holger Obenaus CHARLESTON MT. PLEASANT SUMTER

Photo by Sean Reagan Photography

Photos by Dickson Dunlap

Photo by Caitlin Antje

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Photo by Dickson Dunlap

Photos by Holger Obenaus

For those with a sophisticated palate

Photos by Holger Obenaus

Photos: Nicholas Skylar Photography

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Why wait for new construction when you can purchase a move-in ready luxury condo at The Waterfront now?

Lowcountry waterfront living at its finest! Newly constructed luxury condominium located at The Waterfront, the newest community on Daniel Island. Spacious 3-bed, 3-bath condo with river views, features an open floor plan, a separate study/den, 2 private balconies, stainless appliances, upgraded lighting, hardwood floors, luxurious bathrooms, oversized closets with custom built-ins, 2 secured garage parking spaces, rooftop terrace, first class amenities and walking distance to shops, restaurants, parks and community boat docks. Condo may be purchased fully furnished.

Jennifer Patterson

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Photo by Leigh Webber

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Bliss Designs by Jen Elkins

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Dr. Craig Rowin Dr. Ram Kalus

Photo by Michael Blevins / MB Productions NC

Photo by Holger Obenaus

268

>>>

on the cover

Bill Huey + Associates

PHOTOGRAPH BY HOLGER OBENAUS

FEATURES

268 Island Time

Architect Bill Huey creates a comfortable Kiawah Island retreat to accommodate the whole family

282

An Island Paradise

A dream team led by King & Society Construction collaborates to create an idyllic seaside home on the Isle of Palms

296

Colorful Curation

Designer Nicole Norris mixes new and collected furnishings with a Mexicaninspired color palette in a Daniel Island condo

310 Arts

Top artists and galleries

LIFESTYLE

150

Fashion Magic

Maris DeHart boutique mixes classic and cuttingedge fashion with fun

156

Smart Move

Rachel Urso helps clients find and design their residential and commercial dream properties

160

When Buildings

Speak, Sully Listens

We had the pleasure to speak with Charleston author Susan Sully

166

For Sale

Lauren Zurilla matches homeowners with Lowcountry homes that are a perfect fit

170

Head to Toe

Respoke reinvents iconic designer silk scarves into fabulous accessories for style-savvy shoppers

176

The Noble Tradition of Prosecco

Sales of Prosecco bubble over

“I find inspiration in architecture, street art and what other women are wearing.”

ALDEN

138 Design Trends Fabulous finds

184

An International Destination for Art Lovers

The Charleston Gallery Association provides collaborative muscle to the region’s rapidly expanding arts community

190

Blowing Minds and Glass

James McLeod earns kudos for his unique illuminated sculptures

196

Eye of the Beholder

Artist Helli Luck explores form through the prism of light

202

Furnishing Your Charleston Home With Purpose and Style

Attention to detail and design make Southeastern Galleries a standout

208 Get Busy Living Harbor Classic promises luxury outdoor furniture shipped next-day and delivered locally daily

214 Color Notes

Plein air artist Chris Doyle channels the magic of nature

244

220

Painting a Story

The watercolors of Dennis Fulbright

226

Spiritual Retreat Artist Laura Fontaine finds peace in creating large-format landscapes

232

Timeless Art

GD Whalen Photography captures the fragile in a frame

238

Home as a Sanctuary

Vicki P. Maguire’s art brings healing and peace to a chaotic world

244

A Journey of Fine Art

Reinert Fine Art serves as the road map to oil paintings and sculpture

250

The Color of Words

Through therapy, painter and poet Jenan McClain unlocked her inner artist

256

The Pure Joy of Self-Expression

Overcoming her fears and doubt, painter Susan Klavohn Bryant has found a voice and audience for her art

262

Stopping Time

Photographer Ivo

Kerssemakers invites viewers to press pause with photos that capture perfect stillness

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Champagne corks are popping as we celebrate the 15th anniversary of Charleston Style & Design! It’s been an adventure meeting the local businesses, artists and interior designers who help make Charleston what it is today.

This is our ART Issue, and it doesn’t disappoint. Our Home features all have an underlying theme of art and science. Each project was executed in tandem by a team to achieve beautiful results. For architect Bill Huey, a home his team designed on Kiawah Island was the collaboration of

architect, builder and interior designer to create an extraordinary home that is full of detail, including a four-sided stainedglass window with pivoting windows rising through the floor. That is art and science at its best.

A dream team led by King & Society Construction built and designed a home with classic coastal-style architecture mixed with touches of craftsman detailing on Isle of Palms. The home connects seamlessly with nature, marrying the interiors to the outdoors.

And for interior designer Nicole Norris, her project mixes new and collected furnishings with a Mexican-inspired color palette in a Daniel Island condo. The desire for color drove many of the design choices.

In our Lifestyle section, we introduce you to author Susan Sully, real estate agents Rachel Urso and Lauren Zurilla and retail boutique Maris DeHart. Our Design section puts you up close and personal with local showrooms, galleries and artists, including Chris Doyle, Susan K. Bryant, Jenan McClain, Reinert Fine Art, Helli Luck, Vicki Maguire, Cleod Glassworks, GD Whalen, Respoke Home, Laura Fontaine, Dennis Fulbright and Ivo Kerssemakers.

Our Arts section is also full of talented artists. Discover works by Judy Walters, Rana Jordahl, Charleston Gallery Association, Eleanor Parker, Liliana Maya, Stephen Moscowitz, Art on the Square, Patricia Huff, Hagan Fine Art, Perspective Gallery, Ella W. Richardson Fine Art, Sandra Roper, Deewees Art Gallery, Ginny Versteegen, Charleston Artist Guild, Debra Paysinger, Floyd Fine Arts, Lowcountry Artists, Stono Gallery, Fallon Fine Art, Marlowe and Jeanne Moore O’Neal.

I’d like to recognize the Style & Design team for creating the beautiful issues each quarter and our advertisers for supporting us. Last but certainly not least, I’d like to acknowledge our loyal readers and subscribers. Here’s to the next 15 years!

—Quentin Senise Publisher

The World’s Best MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY furniture delivered to Charleston and the surrounding areas.

STYLE & DESIGN

PUBLISHER

Quentin Senise

EDITOR

Debra Kronowitz

COPY EDITOR

Jessica Manley

ART DIRECTOR

Lili Picou

AD DESIGNER

Kellie Frissell

PHOTOGRAPHER

Holger Obenaus

ADVERTISING SALES

Quentin Senise

Open M-Sat.10am-5pm ph: 843.884.2256

CONTRIBUTORS

Christina Andrews

Helen Gregory

Robin Howard

Jeanne de Lathouder

Christiana Lilly

Michelle Morton

Liesel Schmidt

Wendy Swat Snyder

Bill Thompson

Leslie J. Thompson

Dana W. Todd

Ellen Uribe

PRESIDENT

Quentin Senise

ADVERTISING SALES

publisher7@bellsouth.net

843.754.1211

Address:

Charleston Style & Design

P.O. Box 20098

Charleston, SC 29413

Charleston Style & Design reserves the right to refuse advertisements for any reason. Acceptance of advertising does not mean or imply the services or product is endorsed or recommended by Charleston Style & Design. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Charleston Style & Design, LLC. Manuscripts, artwork, photographs, inquiries and submitted materials are welcome. Visit us online at charlestonstyleanddesign.com

Meghan Baskin Photo

Meghan Baskin Photo

Meghan Baskin Photo

TWO LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU!

CHARLESTON STYLE & DESIGN

Reader Services

CONTACT US

You may contact us by mail, phone or email at:

MAIL

Charleston Style & Design P.O. Box 20098 Charleston, SC 29413

PHONE 843.754.1211

EMAIL

publisher7@bellsouth.net

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INQUIRE AND SHARE IDEAS

Would you like to write for us? Do you know of an individual, institution or business we should feature in our pages? Please contact the editor at editor@charlestonstyleanddesign.com.

ELLIO T REMINGTO N

YOUR PASSION, OUR PRIORITY

As true auto enthusiasts, cars are our lifestyle. At Elliot Remington, we have passion with a purpose.

announce

completion of their newly

We deliver quality asset management care by carefully selecting the best aftercare products and incorporating specific methodology to ensure all our client vehicles are kept in the best possible conditions.

ELLIOT REMINGTON

Whether you are looking to protect your new vehicle from the elements or restoring your classic to its original beauty and shine, the Elliot Remington team has the experience necessary to manage your project.

843-779-9533 | 2532 Spruill Ave | N Charleston, SC 29405 | www.elliotremington.com

BUYERS ONLY

Charlotte did an amazing job for us! We were new to the area and she walked us through each phase of the buying process with ease. Our three children also used Charlotte to buy their homes, so we knew we were getting someone who knew the area, knew the real estate market and would help us get the best home to suit our needs. We highly recommend Charlotte Lemon to anyone trying to buy a home, especially in this difficult market.

Mount Pleasant resident

|

Elliot Remington Auto Studio, Charleston’s only purpose built climate controlled automotive storage and detailing facility is proud to

the

renovated 25,000 square foot facility in downtown Charleston.

Matt: 843.452.4050

Jackie: 843.327.4557 mattandjackie@carolinaone.com www.mattandjackiescarafile.com

“Jackie and Matt are an all-star team in every way. Their deep relationships in the area helped us successfully navigate some complex challenges and their professionalism is top notch.”

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Photo by Holger Obenaus

FABULOUS FINDS

EMBLER’S JEWELERS

The Confetti Collection showcases this flush set, scattered diamond, 14K yellow gold cigar band with a brushed finish. The perfect addition to any collection.

843.216.7349

emblersjewelers.com

DESIGN ON TAP

Line and curve. Plane and arc. The Allaria™ bath collection begins with simple forms. Alone, each is unassuming, but combine the elements and a transformation occurs, creating an alluring force.

843.329.0661 creggercompany.com

MARIS DEHART

Our faux leather cream tote features structured circular handles and a gold aesthetic chain. Inside there is a matching adjustable crossbody strap included.

843.974.5712 marisdehart.com

CAROLINA RIDES

Beautifully designed for speeds up to 26 mph and a cruising range of 40 miles. On or off road, KAASpeed will transport your day from fun to exhilarating.

844.378.6653

carolinarides.com

IOLA MDRN

Made from digitally etched brass, Etch Web’s polished finish gives it a jewel-like quality and creates a mass of shadows as external light is reflected from its mirrored surface.

843.225.6286

iolamodern.com

M.P. DEMETRE JEWELERS

Marco Bicego’s love of nature takes shape through the handengraved 18K yellow gold petals that pay homage to its inspiration, the Lunaria flower.

843.722.2073

demetrejewelers.com

RESPOKE

This one-of-a-kind Respoke Porter chair is upholstered with Hermés, Gucci and Emilio Pucci silk scarves and trimmed with antique studs. respoke.com

MARIS DEHART

The embossed crocodile genuine leather bag features an adjustable blue and brown strap, as well as a leather strap to match the beige colored bag; both are detachable. Available in purple, green and orange.

843.974.5712

marisdehart.com

M.P. DEMETRE JEWELERS

The OMEGA Seamaster

Aqua Terra 34mm 18K Sedna gold and stainless steel ladies wristwatch is presented on a stainless steel bracelet with 18K Sedna gold links.

843.722.2073

demetrejewelers.com

DESIGN ON TAP

The BlueStar pro-style ventilation hood features a seamless design paired with heavy-duty construction to offer uncompromised durability, functionality and style Available in stainless steel and over 1,000 colors and finishes.

843.329.0661

creggercompany.com

TAXIDERMY

The JW Micro is a chic minibag made in luxe pebbled leather. Large enough to hold your cellphone and other small essentials, you won’t want to leave home without it. Available in a wide range of colors.

843.297.5233

shoptaxidermy.com

ZINN RUGS

An antique Afghan Beluchi prayer rug shows its age and usage in the right spots. Measures 3'5" x 5'4".

843.834.2425

zinnruggallery.com

ENCORE LUMBER

American white oak floors are available in the color of your choosing. Available in wide widths up to 9.5". 843.974.5895 encorelumber.com

DEWEES ISLAND ARTS COUNCIL

Made of recycled stainless steel, Pineapple is a symbol of Southern hospitality designed to complement walkways and gardens. 704.641.1405

SEE WEE HOMES

This faux deer head is sure to spark conversations. Covered in a blackand-white tribal lines fabric, the colors blend nicely together. 843.608.7610 seeweehomes.com

ONE OF A FIND CHARLESTON

This vintage chest was lacquered in glossy white to give it new life. oneofafindcharleston.com

ORIGINAL CHARLESTON BEDSWING

The Mini Charleston bedswing is the ideal addition to create a smaller hanging bedswing retreat, giving unique style and sink-in comfort to that favorite, more intimate area of the home. 843.323.7004

originalcharlestonbedswing.com

TAXIDERMY

The Sayre sling mini crossbody is made from soft pebbled leather. It has a wide shoulder strap, zipper top and roomy back pocket. It’s a must-have for travel or daily use.

843.297.5233

shoptaxidermy.com

REINERT FINE ART AND SCULPTURE

GARDEN GALLERY

Lorri Acott’s work, which exudes childlike wonderment and joy, receives a powerful emotional response wherever it is placed. Shown is First Love in bronze. 843.694.2445

reinertfineart.com

L&M CARPETS

Raw, natural wool is blended with soft, fine New Zealand wool to create a heavy, thick and dense flat weave construction. Available in 15 colorways as shaded plain carpets, or the colored yarn can be used in L&M’s patterned flat weaves.

201.951.0980

lmcustomcarpets.com

OMEGA’s Seamaster Aqua Terra 41mm model has been crafted from 18K Sedna gold and stainless steel, with a wave-edged design on the caseback.

843.722.2073

demetrejewelers.com

SOUTHEASTERN GALLERIES

This luminous, spherical 12-light chandelier by John-Richard is finished in gold leaf and features an explosion of quartz crystals. Several sizes available.

843.556.4663 southeasterngalleries.com

RESPOKE

Respoke antique piano stool is upholstered with a Gucci silk scarf.

Respoke repurposes iconic designer silk scarves into one-of-akind products. respoke.com

ONE OF A FIND CHARLESTON

Glossy coral lacquer and grasscloth wallpaper transformed this vintage Thomasville Allegro china cabinet. oneofafindcharleston.com

M.P. DEMETRE JEWELERS

CLEOD GLASSWORKS

The Cascading Bubble chandelier is inspired by contemporary design and handblown with an organic shape and clean finishes. Brass hardware adds subtle color and elegance to this ultramodern look.

843.789.4031 cleodglassworks.com

DEGUISE INTERIORS

Terra-cotta is formed to create an almost kylix-like shape in a fossil gray finish. Accented with five abaca wrapped handles. 843.971.1491

deguiseinteriors.com

RHODES BOUTIQUE

These pepper mills from Addison Ross make a fun statement on a tabletop. Mix and match with over a dozen color options.

843.225.5244 rhodesboutique.com

HARBOR CLASSIC

The Montauk Harbor outdoor chaise features clean lines and a streamlined silhouette, creating a visually striking appearance while the lightweight aluminum frame in a stunning onyx finish lends high-impact style. Cloudlike Sunbrella cushions are included.

843.564.7517 harborclassic.com

ZINNIA

Lush, black jungle porcelain lamp by Maison Berger Paris cleans indoor air and delicately fragrances the home. A wide range of home fragrances available.

843.388.9433

shopzinnia.com

TERRA DESIGNS

Proust’s Lilacs in pink is a lovely floral wallpaper inspired by a vintage fabric. Printed on a coated paper with a subtle sheen, this large-scale botanical layers beautifully with other patterns, evoking the sophisticated charm of old-school decorating.

843.856.3991

terradesignsinteriors.com

SOUTHERN STRING SUPPLY

A comfortable Lowcountry setup, unique style and spectacular pickup voicing make this John Pisano model guitar from Eastman a joy to play.

843.276.9239

southernstringsupply.com

TAXIDERMY

The Liz Traveler tote is the perfect size for an everyday carryall. Adjustable sides make it easy to expand the tote when you need a little extra room. It is available in a wide variety of colors and two sizes to suit your mood.

843.297.5233

shoptaxidermy.com

IOLA MDRN

Emitting an attractive, mildly hallucinogenic light, this floor light creates a mesmerizing, melting blown-glass effect when turned on and a mirror-finish effect when off.

843.225.6286 iolamodern.com

SEE WEE HOMES

Bring a little extra character to your home’s exterior with this stained-glass lantern.

843.608.7610

seeweehomes.com

SOUTHEASTERN GALLERIES

Hand-knotted in India, the Valloire rug is handcrafted with hand-carded wool infused with metal threads and flora motifs, including palmetto, lupines, tulips, iris and dahlias. Multiple sizes.

843.556.4663

southeasterngalleries.com

SOUTHERN

STRING SUPPLY

This Teton grand concert guitar brings together a beautiful, solid spruce top, flamed maple back and sides, and eye-catching purpleheart binding with Fishman Flex electronics. 843.276.9239

southernstringsupply.com

CLEOD GLASSWORKS

Inspired by childlike and playful themes, the Bubble Bouquet is handblown with fine ropes of glass on the surface of each shade to create a regal texture. 843.789.4031

cleodglassworks.com

TROPICAL TAPESTRY

Printed on recycled paper in France from Charleston artist Helli Luck’s oil painting. Hand-crumpled, antiqued and glazed for a vintage feel. Measures 4' x 3'. 615.300.3092 tropicaltapestry.com

RHODES BOUTIQUE

The marble print on the Abby dress from Marie Oliver reminds us of an expressionist painting of a spring meadow.

843.225.5244

rhodesboutique.com

COASTAL COPPER

The Winnsboro hanging pendant is shown with water glass and in a dark copper patina with a hint of verdigris. Available in the size and finish of your choice. 843.696.7560

coastalcopper.com

COASTAL COPPER

The Biloxi hanging pendant is shown in an electric application in raw copper with a half yoke band. Available in the size and finish of your choice.

843.696.7560 coastalcopper.com

HARBOR CLASSIC

Taking inspiration from the Pacific Northwest, the weathered gray Port Angeles outdoor sofa seamlessly blends clean lines with a casual touch. This streamlined sofa easily seats up to three and is the perfect spot for cocktails and conversation. Worry-free Sunbrella fabric cushions are included.

843.564.7517 harborclassic.com

RHODES BOUTIQUE

Grommets and studs bring an edge to this smooth-as-butter leather crossbody from Hammitt.

843.225.5244 rhodesboutique.com

DEGUISE INTERIORS

The Cat Tail mirror features artisanally made grass that sits atop a rectangular frame Shown in the finishes bronze, palmetto and antique platinum, it is available in several finishes. It is a beautiful statement piece measuring 62"H x 36"W. 843.971.1491 deguiseinteriors.com

ELLIOTT BROTHERS WOODWORKS

Antique beams are authentic oldgrowth timbers salvaged from warehouses, barns and industrial structures from the southeastern United States. Choose from reclaimed and “pecky” cypress. The beams are kiln-dried or fumigated. Available unfinished or finished to specifications. 206.949.1447

ebwoodworks.com

CAROLINA RIDES

Surf any body of water, freshwater or saltwater, with speeds up to 35 mph. Catch the ride of a lifetime on a Radinn Jetboard, no waves required.

844.378.6653

carolinarides.com

LAGOS High Bar 18K gold and sterling silver caviar 12mm link bracelet. 843.722.2073

demetrejewelers.com

CLEOD GLASSWORKS

The Kona lamp features the company’s signature prism pattern. The refreshingly modern look is perfect for any room. 843.789.4031

cleodglassworks.com

M.P. DEMETRE JEWELERS

FASHION MAGIC

Maris DeHart boutique mixes classic and cutting-edge fashion with fun

by ROBIN HOWARD / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

For nearly seven years , the Maris DeHart women’s boutique has been a vibrant staple in the Exchange District, just steps from Charleston’s iconic waterfront and Rainbow Row. Opened when the founder, Alden Haviland, was just 24 years old, the store carries timeless and cutting-edge pieces, shoes and accessories from a range of designers. The boutique’s elegant window displays are always a delight for locals and travelers alike.

Our Clients Say It Best...

Suzie was the most professional and knowledgeable real estate agent I have ever worked with. She went above and beyond to make sure every aspect of my home buying experience was the best it could be. She is very smart and has great resources even after the deal is done! I would give her 6 stars if I could!

— J. Baldinger

Photo by Cristina Young

Haviland got her start in fashion retailing working at Henri Bendel on 5th Avenue in New York City. During her time at the famous department store, and during various fashion internships, she learned the foundations of visual merchandising, customer service and how to buy just the right mix of products for her customers. At 21, she spontaneously moved to Charleston, where she worked as an assistant manager in retail and launched a social medial company, Rutledge Social, before opening Maris DeHart. As of summer 2022, Maris DeHart welcomed store director Cricket Cope and creative director Morgan Linét, who have worked since as a tightly knit team. Because of its prime location, the boutique attracts customers from all over the country. “The Maris DeHart woman is chic, representing the ability to gracefully transition her look with the ever-changing trend cycle at any age,” Haviland says. “We get visitors from major cities, such as New York, Boston, Chicago and Washington, D.C., so I aim to carry items

that are wearable everywhere.” Haviland has also worked hard to create a store that appeals to all ages. “With our location, we love to sell something to all three generations of women,” she adds.

“From 18 to 80, we pride ourselves in having an assortment for everyone.”

Recently, the boutique expanded across the hall to create Amused, a pop-up shop within a boutique, for the young at heart and those who prefer more trendy pieces. “Amused is our new addition to Maris DeHart. You’ll find amusing, colorful and trendy pieces and have fun in our Y2K-themed girls’ playground,” Haviland says. “Make sure to check out the art by local female artists represented by Miller Gallery, including gummy bear sculptures by Olivia Bonilla, lips by Angela Chrusciaki Blehm and the hand-painted mural by Savannah artist JuLu.”

While the Maris DeHart buyers watch trends and set their own, Haviland and her team also attend markets in New York, Atlanta and Miami several times

a year to stay up to date. She also finds inspiration in what her younger customers are wearing or asking for. “Beauty is everywhere, so I keep my eyes open,” she says. “I find inspiration in architecture, street art and what other women are wearing.”

Many of the boutique’s most popular lines can be found exclusively in-store, but there is also an expansive website that is updated with every social media collection drop. The boutique also carries local brands. Whether it’s brightly colored bracelets from Holst + Lee or handmade semiprecious stone bracelets from Snaffle Bit Bracelet Company, Maris DeHart has pieces that bring local color to your ensembles.

Maris DeHart also has an exclusive relationship with Eleventh Hour sunglasses. “We love carrying Eleventh Hour because we’ve built trust in the founder ’s manufacturing and quality, and they have the perfect flow of new shapes and colorways,” Haviland says. You’ll also find clothing and accessories from

Alden Haviland

HELLI LUCK FINE ART

“Humble Grace” 30x40

Danish brands Ichi and b.young. “These have become staples in our store, not only because of my love for styling blazers for any occasion but because we carry almost any color you could ask for,” she adds.

Though the boutique has plenty of foot traffic from visitors, it caters to locals. “We are constantly receiving new merchandise, and we love to style clients from head to toe. Once our stylists get to know returning clients and their tastes, we can pull things ahead of time and create some beautifully curated looks,” Haviland says. “Plus, our store is uniquely located near the pineapple fountain, so lots of locals grab lunch nearby and come in to shop. We love to see familiar faces and make fashion magic for everyone.” *

Robin Howard is a freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com.

SMART MOVE

Rachel Urso helps clients find and design their residential and commercial dream properties

by ROBIN HOWARD / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

In 2017 , rachel urso sold her new york city P r firm of nearly two decades and fully immersed herself in real estate development, one of her successful, long-term side ventures. Through tenacity, creative vision and excellent customer service, today she ranks in the top 1% of Realtors in Charleston’s tri-county area.

Rachel Urso

Fast success meant Urso and her team quickly outgrew their first office at 25 Broad St. and are now headquartered at 169 King St. Urso’s business continues to grow at such a rapid clip that she now has a second location on Sullivan’s Island and is planning six more offices across the country in Lake Oconee and Savannah, Georgia; North Carolina; Aspen; Nantucket; and Florida.

buying or selling properties. At its core, I want it to be fun. These decisions can be stressful, but people are forging the foundation for a lifetime of memories, so I want them to enjoy it,” she says.

When her team outgrew the office at 169 King St., instead of leasing a space in a corporate office building, Urso made a bold move: She renovated a long-neglected shack on Sullivan’s Island, investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into a full rebuild. Now residents and visitors alike are welcomed by this in-town coastal gem as they enter the barrier island.

Urso’s investment was intentional, and she maintains an opendoor policy. “We want people to come and see what we’ve done,” she says. “It’s exciting to see families tossing cornhole on the front lawn or having a good time at events such as our annual Sullivan’s Fall Spooktacular.”

Despite continuous business growth, Urso remains deeply committed to maintaining the small boutique firm feeling that is her recognizable trademark across town. Last year, she and her team sold an average of $50 million in luxury properties, including the famous pink door Queen Street house downtown, and her goal for 2023 is to sell $100 million with a growing group of hard-working Realtors. “We’re not out there coldcalling or door-knocking,” she says. “Because of our reputation in the community, people refer us and come back to us.”

The firm specializes in coastal luxury and Southern charm properties on Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Daniel Island, historic Downtown, Mount Pleasant, Kiawah and Seabrook, and beyond. Many of these properties are her clients’ second or third homes or strategic investments. Urso tells people right away she’s not your average real estate agent. With a background in finance, public relations and real estate investing, she backs up that declaration with her particular blend of creativity and drive that goes more than the extra mile for clients. “Tell us where you want to live, and we’ll find it. Then we’ll make it beautiful and help you plug into your new community,” she says.

Urso is a lifelong equestrian, and her adventurous spirit is apparent from the moment you meet her. Underneath her kinetic energy, Urso is all about people, community and enjoying life. Her values and ethics are deeply rooted in the community and the people who live there. “We don’t just find our clients’ houses. We find them the perfect house, in the perfect location, then show them where to sip and shop, and meet and greet,” she says

Urso often has a unique way of showing properties. It’s not uncommon to see her branded golf cart touring Broad Street or her company boat, wrapped in palm leaves and her logo, cruising up the intracoastal, clients in tow. “I want my clients to have something more than just a quick, transactional experience

Urso is selective about the Realtors she hires. She puts her money where her mouth is when it comes to putting people first and refuses to see other agents as competitors. “We don’t have competitors; there’s so much business out there for everyone. I’m friends with my peers and fellow agents. I love smooth transactions, good vibes and making smart investments. However, I always stand firm for my clients and fight for their best interests. My only competitor is myself; that’s where my fire comes from,” she says. *

Robin Howard is a freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com.

“We don’t just find our clients’ houses. We find them the perfect house, in the perfect location, then show them where to sip and shop, and meet and greet.”

WHEN BUILDINGS SPEAK, SULLY LISTENS

by BILL THOMPSON

Susan sully sold her first book at age 8 Her neighboring sidewalk vendor, a lemonade stand, did better.

“She made a lot more money than I did, and I should have paid attention!”

Happily, she didn’t. Charleston’s resident design maven hasn’t done too shabbily in the large-format publishing world. With 18 books on architecture and interiors to her credit, most recently The Allure of Charleston: Architecture, Rooms, and Gardens (Rizzoli International), Sully has helped define a philosophy of style.

Her other best-selling titles include Charleston Style, New Moroccan Style, The Southern Cosmopolitan, and

Casa Florida A familiar fixture on the lecture circuit, Sully also has collaborated on a number of books with leading American architecture and design firms, while contributing articles to The New York Times, Town & Country Travel, Veranda, and other publications.

Sully, a graduate of Yale University, is a former archives and public information officer at the Pace Gallery in New York and one-time director of development at the Poetry Society of America.

A self-described “homing pigeon,” Sully returned to Charleston in 2016 after stints in New Orleans and Asheville, North Carolina.

Currently, she is immersed in research for her first novel.

Susan Sully

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Q: How would you define your approach to architecture?

Sully: I don’t consider myself to be an architectural historian. I consider myself to be an architectural medium. Buildings talk, and I tell their story.

Q: Was it inevitable that you would write about architectural design?

Sully: Actually, I thought I wanted to write fiction, but I was intimidated by it. I came down here from New York with the intention of becoming a writer, though I didn’t know what I was going to write. But when I started walking down the streets of Charleston, the buildings began talking to me.

Q: Who or what have been your principal influences?

Sully: Professor Vincent Scully, one of the greatest architectural historians in America, whom I studied under at Yale. He gave me permission to experience architecture the way I experienced it. From a very emotive perspective. It was eyeopening. Two of the architects I’ve coauthored books with also studied under him.

Q: Have you developed a personal philosophy of design?

Sully: Yes. I was first exposed to architecture in a meaningful way in two places. In Milledgeville, Georgia, which is my mother’s hometown. I grew up in Connecticut and every time I went to Milledgeville it was this magical place to me. The architecture was associated with a whole way of life down there: the heat, the sitting on porches, the food, the telling of stories. It wasn’t just the architecture, it was the lives

“My family took this long voyage through Italy, Greece, India and England. I discovered that architecture was fun, that it was engaging and exciting. I want to ignite that interest and excitement in other people and show the ways it can enrich your life.”

intertwined with the architecture. That was really important to what my philosophy is. The second one was when I was 7. My family took this long voyage through Italy, Greece, India and England. I discovered that architecture was fun, that it was engaging and exciting. I want to ignite that interest and excitement in other people and show the ways it can enrich your life.

Q: What of interiors and the integration of art and furnishings?

Sully: Rooms tell you so many stories. Interior and exterior architecture both intrigue me. And I do love the decorative arts. Objects fascinate me.

Q: What roles do color and texture play in your philosophy?

Sully: They communicate very directly to the senses. There is nothing filtering them. We see it; we feel it. Though it’s abstract and left to you to interpret it. It’s an expression of material history rather than an academic history of language and ideas. Material history is about an object that holds ideas.

Q: Are you drawn to harmony in design or unexpected, striking contrasts?

Sully: If the person feels their home is either a reflection of who they are or a place in which they find joy, that’s all that matters. When I walk into a room, I can tell whether or not it’s such a place. That’s where authenticity comes in. They know something about themselves, and they feel safe expressing it.

Q: Where do interior designers come in?

Sully: If you have a good one, they can work with the things that you have and love and create unity. Really skilled designers know how to layer a space so that it looks like it was put together over time. Personally, I’m looking for the most interesting homes, not the most beautiful.

Q: Large-format books

be a tough sell for publishers and buyers. How have you managed it?

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Sully: I have been extraordinarily fortunate in that and in having a good track record. It’s helpful that my first Charleston book and my last Charleston book were my alpha and omega.

Q: Do you feel you are entering a new creative phase?

Sully: I’m at the age when somebody should do that. It’s not only my writing but my photography, which in the past has always been about documenting things in a way that was sensual and evocative. I’ve just gotten to the point where I want to photograph things that aren’t art related.

Q: What can you tell us about the novel at this stage?

Sully: I’m almost done with a kind of storyboard for it. I know most of what it will be, which is exciting. I just don’t know what the ending is yet. The working title is Reb, and it is loosely based on the life of my grandmother, who grew up on a small cotton plantation near Abbeville, South Carolina. She gave me these various objects, like a silver tea service, that are talismans to me. Each time I got an object I was told a story. And it is through these objects and their emotional provenance that the book is told. These objects serve as touchstones throughout the book. *

Bill Thompson covers the arts, books and design.

FOR SALE

Lauren Zurilla matches homeowners with Lowcountry homes that are a perfect fit

by DANA W. TODD / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

Real estate agent lauren zurilla isn’t the person who sets a for sale sign in the ground and walks away, satisfied in securing a listing agreement with a homeowner. Although 65% to 75% of her business is as a listing agent for Charleston-area sellers, she says there is so much more effort that goes into the real estate sales and buying processes.

Lauren Zurilla

“I provide concierge-level services to my clients,” Zurilla says. “I like to do so much for them when they are moving because it’s at that stage homeowners need a lot of help. Whether they need staging, help selling furniture or setting up an estate sale, have insurance needs, or need to hire a contractor, I take care of all of these tasks as I work one-onone with them.”

Representing Lowcountry coastal buyers and sellers for eight years and with a total of 18 years of experience working as a Realtor, Zurilla started her career in Maryland but Charleston “quickly captured her heart” when she first visited back in the early 1990s. “I love the coastal areas,” she says. “Realistically, a good agent knows her area. I really have to know Charleston and the surrounding islands well, especially when clients are relocating here from another state. They lean on me to translate their goals and budget into a house that is just right for them.”

don’t seem to be coming down. We are still seeing houses sell within a few days, but on average, it’s taking about 39 days to sell a house in the Charleston County market.”

Although Zurilla serves homebuyers and sellers of all ages and stages of life, she thrives on helping clients who are juggling dual transactions, both selling their home while buying a new one. “Many baby boomers are buying their second homes or downsizing and buying two smaller homes, one here in Charleston and one elsewhere. Maneuvering through two transactions at the same time takes an experienced agent, especially in a booming market like Charleston,” she says. With a special emphasis on consultation, her meetings with clients are really strategy sessions. “It’s never about how to sell someone a house but understanding the client’s goals,” she adds. “I advise homebuyers and sellers to take great care in choosing a listing agent for their homes by interviewing potential agents and asking the right questions. A great agent can both make money and/or save money for you depending on what side of the transaction you are on. Who you choose to partner with in buying or selling a home is extremely important, and it’s not always the right choice to choose someone you know to help with this. It’s business and involves a lot of money, so do your due diligence in choosing an agent.”

The Lauren Zurilla & Associates team has been working together for many years. “I’m not the agent who will take a listing and shuffle clients off to another agent,” Zurilla says. “I work one-on-one with each of my clients. I’m in this business for the people part of it and enjoy navigating not only the emotional side of the process but the business and numbers side of the transaction, too. After all, people usually are moving due to an emotional or life circumstance, such as a death, divorce, pregnancy, marriage or related situation, so they need someone to balance that along with the analytical part of what needs to be done.”

When working with buyers, Zurilla says she is not selling them a house but instead selling them a lifestyle. “That’s what makes for happy clients,” she says. “I listen to their needs and desires and match that with their budget. It’s a winning combination and because of that I feel so confident I truly help people. Whether buyers or sellers, my clients are so important to me; making them feel taken care of and listened to is my top priority.” *

Zurilla says she receives the most questions regarding the current market conditions; buyers think waiting to buy might be a good idea because interest rates or prices may fall. The fact is, Charleston is in demand. She says: “If interest rates fall, it will just increase demand, which in turn raises prices. We still don’t have a lot on the market so prices are holding steady, not dropping. On the other hand, sellers think they missed the market because houses aren’t getting 15 offers at a time; however, prices were up 17% this year over the same time period last year. Sellers haven’t missed the market, and if buyers want to buy, they shouldn’t wait because prices

“It’s never about how to sell someone a house but understanding the client’s goals. I advise homebuyers and sellers to take great care in choosing a listing agent for their homes by interviewing potential agents and asking the right questions.”

Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and art.

HEAD TO TOE

Respoke reinvents iconic designer silk scarves into fabulous accessories for style-savvy shoppers

by LESLIE J. THOMPSON

Magical things can happen over a glass of good wine Romances are kindled. New friendships are forged. And for Michael Tonello, a casual conversation led to connections that catapulted his unique product to swift success.

Author of the best-selling book Bringing Home the Birkin, Tonello was chatting with fashion industry icon Fern Mallis at The Polo Bar when he presented her with a gift: a pair of custom, handstitched espadrilles made from a vintage Pucci print dressing gown. Walking over to greet Mallis, Ralph Lauren caught a glimpse of the inventive footwear and was intrigued. He introduced

Tonello to executives from Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, who were dining at the restaurant that evening, and the brand now known as Respoke found its home.

Tonello conceived the idea of repurposing classic designer scarves into colorful slip-on shoes after moving to Barcelona in 1999. The erstwhile luxury reseller had made a name for himself sourcing authenticated Hermès scarves and envisioned turning one of the elegant silk squares into a pair of espadrilles, the footwear of choice in sunny Spain. He later shared the concept with graphic designer Chris Bartick, and the two joined forces to create Respoke.

After researching factories for more than a year, Tonello found a group of artisans in Spain’s remote mountain villages, where a master craftsman took on the task of creating the prototype pair. His shop developed a process of bonding the delicate silk fabric to a thin cotton canvas for durability and added decorative stitching on the toe cap for additional reinforcement. The resulting footwear was everything Tonello had dreamed of.

The fashion-wise entrepreneur first marketed the custom espadrilles to his fanbase on social media, but it was after

the fortuitous meeting in Manhattan when things really took off. Orders came in from Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s and other highend retailers. When inventory started to overwhelm the owners’ respective apartments, Respoke opened a retail location in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in 2015.

Since that time, Respoke has launched boutiques in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard and will be opening a new store in Southampton, New York, in late spring 2023. “We learned that having a physical space was really special,” Bartick says. “People are oversaturated with shopping online, and they want connectivity. They want to walk into an experience.”

Because the other locations are seasonal, Tonello and Bartick last year started to search for a place to establish a year-round presence. Charleston was the perfect fit, both for its milder climate and because of the continued expansion of shopping and dining options along King Street in the city’s historic downtown area. Scheduled to open with the summer season this year, the new Respoke store at 377 King St. will include furniture, artwork and chandeliers, in addition to the brand’s iconic footwear.

The process of reinventing an authenticated vintage silk scarf into a stunning pair of shoes involves several steps and likewise several mountainside workshops, most of which have been family-owned for more than a century. The first shop winds strips of jute and sews through the base to create the bottom. From there, a separate factory applies all-natural rubber soles with a heat press. Meanwhile, artisans in another workshop are creating the uppers, crafting two pairs of espadrilles from each scarf. In the final step, workers hand sew the upper to the base and add toe stitching, using a nearly forgotten technique passed down through generations.

“As time progressed, we started adding other categories of shoes,” says Bartick, who has a background in fine art. “We created a mule, a wedge, a bow slide and other designs,” he notes, including sneakers and high-tops. With a desire to promote sustainability, the duo also looked for more ways to use every small scrap of fabric that remained from making Respoke’s trademark shoes. The brand eventually added limited edition readyto-wear items, like jackets and sweaters, embellished with delicate pieces of silk, as well as hats and face masks.

Bartick also uses colorful bits of remnant fabric combined with acrylic paint and a special sealant to create vibrant canvases that depict familiar scenes from cities where Respoke has a presence. His mixedmedia artwork is available for purchase at Respoke boutiques and through the brand’s website. “We like to be involved in the communities we’re in,” says Bartick, who recently completed a canvas of Charleston’s famous pineapple fountain. Just as Tonello’s first pair of custom espadrilles evoked fond memories of his time in Spain, Respoke aims to give customers a special remembrance of the sunny destinations they love. *

Leslie J. Thompson is a Dallas-based freelance writer with a passion for interior design and international travel. Read more of her work at lesliejthompson.com.

Photo by Holger Obenaus

THE NOBLE TRADITION OF PROSECCO

Sales of Prosecco bubble over

by HELEN GREGORY

It’s a good time to be in the prosecco business. Over the past 15 years, Prosecco sales have shot sky-high to reach 700 million bottles each year. Easy drinking and a great value, Prosecco has become synonymous with sparkling wine and good times. And yet, the people behind the wines would respectfully like to remind us that Prosecco is not just another name for bubbly. It’s a special place with a noble tradition: Prosecco is a historic sparkling wine region in the Veneto and Friuli area of northeastern Italy.

After centuries of history, Prosecco waited a long time to claim its winemaking legacy. Post-millennium, just about everyone producing cheap bubbly—anywhere in the world—was calling it Prosecco. In 2008, Paris Hilton became the cover girl for an upstart “Prosecco” from Austria, appearing in high heels and tabloid glory to help sell it in 27 countries. Her gold-painted body was depicted on cans available in various fruit varieties, a far cry from what Italian producers envisioned for their wine reputation. It was too much to ignore. “Paris Hilton is sensationalism. It’s not good. It’s not adequate for Prosecco,” declared an infuriated Fulvio Brunetta, president of the Prosecco winegrowers’ association. One year later, Prosecco formed an official regional organization to establish three strictly controlled winemaking areas: Prosecco DOC, the largest production zone, which extends across the regions of Veneto and Friuli; Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, the steep hills and historic center just north of Venice; and Prosecco Asolo Superiore DOCG, near the town of Asolo. Thanks in part to Paris Hilton, nothing produced outside these areas can legally be called Prosecco.

Claudia Manetta

TASTINGS

LA MARCA PROSECCO LUMINORE DOCG

($25)

NAMED FOR THE MORNING LIGHT ON THE VINES, LUMINORE IS SOURCED FROM THE HILLS OF PROSECCO DOCG. DELICATE AROMAS OF WHITE FLOWERS, PEAR AND NECTARINE. SOFT AND CREAMY, WITH A LIGHT, REFRESHING FINISH.

Made predominantly from a local white grape variety called Glera, Prosecco comes in a range of sweetness, from the driest Brut to medium-sweet Extra Dry and the sweetest “Dry” wines. By popular demand, Prosecco DOC also offers an official Rosé style made from Pinot Noir. It’s a common misperception to think that all Prosecco is sweet. Most Prosecco wines are produced in a dry Brut style; however, Glera is a fruit-forward grape with notes of green apple, honeydew melon, pear and honeysuckle that naturally tastes sweeter than Champagne. Often compared to Champagne, Prosecco is usually made very differently, earning its bubbles through a gentle fermentation process in large stainless steel tanks (versus the traditional bottle fermentation method of Champagne, which is far less common in Prosecco). The popular tank method of making Prosecco debuted at the turn of the 20th century and allows producers to make quality sparkling wine on a large scale. For a more ancestral taste of Prosecco, some producers also offer a “Col Fondo” or pétnat (pétillant naturel) style with traditional fermentation in bottles; the spent yeast leaves a fine residue on the bottom (fondo in Italian), which results in a cloudy appearance with earthy apple, mineral and citrus flavors.

LA MARCA PROSECCO ROSÉ DOC

($18)

PROSECCO ROSÉ FIRST DEBUTED IN 2020. LA MARCA BLENDS 10% TO 15% PINOT NOIR WITH THE LOCAL GLERA VARIETY FOR A LOVELY BLUSH COLOR. CRISP AND SATISFYING, WITH BRIGHT CITRUS AND WILD STRAWBERRY FLAVORS.

CA' DEI ZAGO VALDOBBIADENE PROSECCO COL FONDO DOCG 2020

($26)

FROM A FIFTH-GENERATION FAMILY WINERY IN THE HEART OF HISTORIC VALDOBBIADENE, THIS IS A BIODYNAMIC WINE MADE IN THE COL FONDO STYLE. LIVELY AND PURE WITH NOTES OF HONEYSUCKLE AND WET STONE.

Claudia Manetta, export manager for La Marca Prosecco, one of Italy’s leading wines, has had a front row seat to watch Prosecco’s meteoric rise. Originally from Bergamo in northern Italy, Manetta relocated to her husband’s hometown in the Veneto to join La Marca, just as things were getting frothy in 2008. Many Italians were also just getting to know Prosecco. “When I moved to Treviso, it was new to me as well to enjoy a spritz as an aperitivo. Prosecco is so friendly and affordable,” Manetta recalls. Just north of Venice, Treviso is an ideal vantage point to discover the region: the nearby towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene are home to the best Prosecco DOCG. The rolling hills frame a picturesque landscape worthy of a Renaissance painting; they also create the exposure, microclimates and mineral-rich terrain that distinguish Prosecco DOCG (handpicked from steep, sloping vineyards) from Prosecco DOC (grown on the valley floor).

Like many Prosecco producers, La Marca has a foothold in both growing areas and makes a range of wine, including its iconic

Snake River Farms Wagyu Hanger

Tender, full of flavor, and found on our menu of fine steaks

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Fashion Fabrics

A Showplace for Everything

Tiffany-blue label, a global bestseller. Founded in 1968 as a cooperative between multiple wineries in Prosecco DOC and Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG, La Marca is made up of 5,000 local growers managing some 38,000 acres of vines, an astounding 25% of the region’s output. As Manetta shares, the average vineyard size per grower is about 7 acres, but many parcels are closer to 1 acre, not much larger than a suburban backyard. In a co-op model, family growers secure long-term contracts and benefit from shared technical expertise at every step of production. Access to a consistent supply of quality grapes has real benefits: The entry-level La Marca Prosecco is affordable and tasty with flavors of green apple, peach and lemon.

Prosecco is such a big part of our wine-drinking culture it’s hard to remember a time when we didn’t reach for it at brunch, happy hour or to top a spritz. For Manetta and friends, meeting for aperitivo hour—usually an Aperol-style spritz at the end of the day—is a part of life. Nothing fancy, this slice of la dolce vita costs about four euros a glass. “You always get a small bite to enjoy, like salty nuts, chips or grissini with prosciutto,” Manetta shares. “The acidity and structure of Prosecco works well with many foods, and we don’t save it for weekends.” The simple pleasure of sharing a well-made bubbly with friends is at the heart of Prosecco, which Manetta believes is the most valuable export of the region. “Prosecco stands for a specific territory, a tradition rooted in this small part of Italy where great care is taken to make the wines. We didn’t start out making a wine to export; Prosecco is the wine the locals love to drink.” *

Helen Gregory is the founder and president of Gregory + Vine. She has worked in strategic brand management and communications for beverage industry leaders such as Moët Hennessy USA, Rémy Cointreau and STOLI, and has led award-winning hospitality, beverage and lifestyle campaigns for prestige clients from the European Union to Argentina, Australia, Chile, Israel, South Africa and

the United States.

Handmade Sharks Teeth Designs by Charles Albert

AN INTERNATIONAL DESTINATION FOR ART LOVERS

The Charleston Gallery Association provides collaborative muscle to the region’s rapidly expanding arts community

by CHRISTINA ANDREWS / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

Simpatico Gallery

As folks from the region well know , Charleston is now one of the top destination vacation spots in the United States. Scores of tourists from all over the world come to enjoy its beautiful scenery and beaches, soak up the rich history of the region and experience this community’s thriving performing and visual arts, all while being pampered at world-class hotels and savoring the city’s amazing and varied cuisine. The well-heeled tourists who flock here seem to have this in common: They love art

There are many things that draw artists to a particular region, but generally, the aesthetic is the first and primary draw. Charleston enjoys beautiful weather, varied and intriguing architecture and interior design, opulent gardens and landscaping, as well as spectacular natural scenery. This inspiring setting, plus Charleston’s congenial and arts-appreciative residents and its renowned educational institutions, provide fertile ground for artists, artisans and those in the performing arts.

“The Charleston art community is now one of the most vibrant in the United States, ranked alongside New York City and Santa Fe, both in terms of quality and variety of art styles, but also in terms of the number of thriving galleries and artists active in the region,” touts Jennie Fili, Charleston Gallery Association’s (CGA) president. Fili and her fellow CGA board members describe their gallery community as diverse, colorful, accessible, “cutting-edge” and above all collaborative “In some parts of the country, there is

cutthroat competition between neighboring galleries. As a result, patrons often miss the gallery that most speaks to their tastes and sensibilities,” says Fili. “Our association nurtures collaboration and applauds diversity in style and medium, and we hear time and again that when a client is not finding what they seek at a particular gallery, staff will direct them to a neighboring gallery that has what they are looking for. I like to call this ‘Southern hospitality comingling with the arts.’”

For those unfamiliar with Charleston’s art community, be they residents or international travelers, please know there is much to be enjoyed here. Members of the Charleston Gallery Association have studios that feature sculpture, handblown glass, ceramics, oil and acrylic paintings, watercolors, drawings in a variety of mediums, photography and fine art prints, mixed media, jewelry, murals and digital art forms. There is something for everyone. Styles represented include realism, contemporary, abstract, landscape and folk art, with some galleries offering historical pieces. While much of the art represented is created by regional artists, many galleries also feature works from artists of national and international renown.

There are many ways to partake in Charleston’s art scene. Locals enjoy the CGA’s First Friday Artwalks that take place monthly from 5 to 8 p.m. For this event, select galleries, all within walking distance of one another in Downtown Charleston, stay open into the evening. Each gallery celebrates this event in a different way:

Robert Lange Studios

top: Helena Fox Fine Art

bottom: Robert Lange Studios

top left: Dare Gallery, top right: Principal Gallery Charleston bottom left: Helena Fox Fine Art, bottom right: Principal Gallery Charleston

some offer bubbles and nibbles, others have artists painting live, while some galleries sponsor a themed exhibit. Artwalks are a great excuse to meet up with friends and enjoy cocktails and dinner at a nearby restaurant after gallery hopping. Experiencing art invites lively conversation and you and your friends may find yourselves taking home a new painting or sculpture at the end of an evening!

Many of Charleston’s art lovers travel from long distances, having caught wind of the region’s art treasures through friends or in travel guides. The emergence of this art-centric tourism has helped grow Charleston’s art scene to what it is today. There are now over 40 galleries in the downtown area alone, with an additional seven in the outlying regions of Charleston: Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms and Kiawah Island. This growth and the quality of the galleries has not gone unnoticed by major publications, including Christie’s International, Culture Trip, Condé Nast Traveler, Fodor’s, Wall Street Journal, Travel & Leisure and the Washington Post. Those who now visit the region specifically to see art often blend gallery outings with historic tours and museum visits, beach outings and sampling the area’s exquisite cuisine. Affluent art travelers/buyers will not be disappointed by Charleston’s accommodations, which are world-class, stylish, luxurious and dripping with Southern hospitality. Travel & Leisure offers a definitive guide to the region’s hotels, which will put you close to all of the coveted downtown galleries and beach resorts.

Since 2015, the Charleston Gallery Association has helped to bring community to this diverse collection of art venues and has acted as a center point from which tourists and locals can explore options and plan outings. The CGA website offers gallery descriptions with representative photos of their artwork, phonefriendly/printable maps of gallery locations, and it is a hub for special art event announcements. From its inception, the CGA has aspired to make Charleston an international art tourism destination,

and as this mission was achieved, tourism has strengthened and enriched the galleries and artists who live in the region.

Charleston’s art roots run deep, and art in the region continues to flourish and expand. In the early part of the 20th century, the region was home to many internationally prominent artists, and even today it continues to attract top talent. Charleston’s art royalty includes the likes of Alice Ravenel Huger Smith, William Melton Halsey, Alfred Huffy, Elizabeth O’Neill Verner, Mary Whyte, West Fraser, Anna Heyward Taylor, John C. Doyle, Shepard Fairey, Robert Lange, Hirona Matsuda, Jill Hooper, John Duckworth, Fletcher Williams III, Jim Booth and Johnathan Green, to name but a few. Even Beeple (aka Mike Winkelmann), one of today’s most renowned and gifted digital artists, calls Charleston home and recently opened a 50,000+ square foot gallery/workspace on Daniel Island.

CGA’s talented board of directors includes Jennie Fili, president; Griffith Britton, vice president; Cynthia Miles treasurer; and Molly Clishom, secretary. The Charleston Gallery Association encourages all who love the region to support the artists and galleries that have helped create the beautiful and aesthetically rich fabric that is Charleston. *

Christina Andrews is a freelance writer from the Napa Valley who specializes in personal and business bios, food and wine, visual arts, music, hospitality, the event industry, community interest stories, obituaries and political satire.

CHARLESTON GALLERY ASSOCIATION

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left: Simpatico Gallery right: Dare Gallery

BLOWING MINDS AND GLASS

James McLeod earns kudos for his unique illuminated sculptures

by ELLEN URIBE / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

James mcleod fell in love with glassblowing the first time he tried it during his undergraduate studies at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland. “When I was an illustration major in college, I took an elective sculpting class, and it changed my world,” he recalls.

McLeod, who is the founder and creative director of CLEOD Glassworks, which has locations in Charleston as well as Rockport and Essex, Massachusetts, has been generating plenty of buzz over the past few years with his beautifully crafted designs—from simple glassware to spectacular lighting installations.

CLEOD Glassworks combines the ancient art of glassblowing with a modern aesthetic to create products that feature clean lines, pure intention and a thoughtfully curated color palette. All of the products are designed by McLeod and are handmade in Essex, using the finest lead-free crystal.

McLeod is fully immersed in the contemporary glass world and along the way has gleaned inspiration from the likes of German-born American sculptor Eva Hesse, Canadian-born American architect and renowned designer Frank Gehry, and Sir Anish Mikhail Kapoor, a British-Indian sculptor who specializes in installation art. “I look at these heroes of mine and see the beautiful work they have done, and it gives me real inspiration that infuses my work,” McLeod says, adding, “I’m looking at the world of lighting through the lens of a sculptor, and with that, I am interested in form and light and the material properties of glass and how they interact in space.”

McLeod notes that the Charleston store was the result of an

extended search to find the best location on the East Coast. “We opened the Charleston location on East Bay and Broad streets in 2020 because we wanted a branded outpost—so we decided on a lighting showroom and retail store. We looked for the ideal location and thought Charleston would be a great fit because it is such an alive and vibrant city,” McLeod says.

The showroom, which features McLeod’s blown glass creations in myriad colors, shapes and designs, specializes in lighting fixtures, the vast majority of which are custom made and one-ofa-kind for commercial or home use. McLeod, who partners in the business with his wife, Libby McLeod, says often they work with the clients on the concept and design, which ensures the process becomes a true collaboration.

“We love the creative aspect of the process,” he says. “Whenever we are designing the next project, we always start with a blank canvas that pushes us creatively. We can work with our clients and design this work together. They can have as little or as much input as they want—then we come up with a basic concept and start to build the piece out.”

Currently on the drawing board for McLeod and his 12 employees is a new marquee restaurant—Azur—in Charleston that promises to be exciting and challenging all at the same. “It

was a unique enterprise to undertake such a large installation in a relatively short period of time. This project, which includes 30 custom-designed, handmade fixtures, really pushed us,” he says.

According to McLeod, there are three ways his company usually collaborates—with an architect or design company, with an interior designer or directly with the client. However, when he is working in his studio, it all comes down to McLeod and the talents he has developed as an artist.

“When everything is going well, it can be very relaxing. You get in the flow state, and when you begin to see a personality emerging in the piece, it is such a wonderful feeling,” he says.

A wide variety of blown glass items are for sale in the Charleston store, including bowls, glasses, decorative pieces for the home and a full array of well-priced lighting fixtures. McLeod says he tries to keep things affordable for every budget and has several items that come in at less than $400.

McLeod, who has three children under 7 years of age, has also learned the fine art of multitasking. He still teaches in Boston in his studio as well as at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and he also makes monthly trips to Charleston to build his brand in his home away from home.

“My kids have a healthy respect for glass,” McLeod says, adding

that his wife works on the customer relations and retail side of the business. “She also is a pro when it comes to multitasking, as she often walks around with a baby in a backpack. I love the fact that CLEOD Glassworks has become a family business. It is not just our livelihood, it is our life.” *

Ellen Uribe is an award-winning journalist and a communications expert. She is a sought-after speaker, participating as a moderator and panelist at numerous industry events, conferences and broadcast outlets. She has contributed to Vanity Fair, Palm Beach Life, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Women’s Wear Daily and Time Magazine.

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

Artist Helli Luck explores form through the prism of light

by WENDY SWAT SNYDER

Photos by Holger Obenaus

The quality of the light in the Lowcountry—sunrise, sunset and everything in between—is what drives Helli Luck’s passion for painting in the coastal region of South Carolina.

“I painted in Paris a lot before COVID,” says Luck in her soft British accent. “The light here is beautiful, but the light in Paris is amazing. That’s the theme that runs through my art—not the subject or where I am—it’s the light. I’m also a big foodie, so I’d paint all day and go out to a fantastic dinner at night—Charleston is like that too.”

The artist admits the ocean is a draw and that she finds inspiration in the maritime forests and marshes that hug the coastal waterways. And the natural beauty of the Lowcountry plays to her old-school approach to painting: She sets up her easel where she plans to paint—en plein air—and whether it’s on a shoreline or city sidewalk, it’s an approach she’s always taken. Again, she says it’s all about the nature of the light in the moment.

“For me, the light sculpts the image, which allows me to paint three-dimensionally,” says Luck. “The shape where the light and shadow meet provides a way for me to sculpture the piece.”

The London-born artist credits her parents’ propensity for travel abroad for developing her appreciation of the Old Masters. Her pull to the art world was instinctive: At 14, her work was on display in Mall Galleries near Buckingham Palace, putting her on a path to the prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London.

While in school, Luck secured a parttime gig as photographer’s assistant at the multinational ad agency Saatchi and Saatchi in London.

“I specialized in it as part of my degree,” she explains. “But I really wanted to paint and draw to express myself.” Luck advanced there to art director in charge of accounts like British Airways. “I worked with some really nice businesses that took me to really nice places.”

After a stint in Nashville, where her paintings of Charleston’s iconic horse-drawn carriages were especially popular, she found her way to South Carolina and settled in Pawleys Island.

Barely five years later, the Carolina newcomer has secured a solid place in the

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artistic community and in 2022 showed her work at Piccolo Spoleto. “It was a great experience and great exposure,” says Luck. “People come to the event from all over the country and Canada, not just to look but to collect—serious buyers. Connecting with them was amazing. Clients are calling me now, and I’m being commissioned to do paintings.”

Luck has experimented with a variety of media and styles over the years and is happiest painting with oils. “The impressionist artists are my favorites,” she says. “Looking at their work gives me pleasure and inspires me to use that style, a painterly method, for self-expression.”

The expat’s repertoire is wide, encompassing life experiences from the Continent to the States—a Parisian café, ballerinas at practice, portraits, still lifes, the hunt and Lowcountry landscapes and the creatures that inhabit them.

“I prefer larger-scale works,” says Luck. “The brushstrokes can be more creative, make more of an impression because the canvas provides more room to move your arm. It’s more freeing to me, and I feel it has more impact.”

Luck’s expansive works are a good fit for many of her clients’ homes. “They’re looking for big art, and that’s what I paint,” she says. “Think of the impact that must make on someone’s wall. It’s more of a statement—feeding into what excites us.”

Luck’s art is exhibited at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, and Stellers Gallery in Jacksonville, Florida. She is represented locally at Wynsum Antiques and Interiors, Lowcountry Artists Gallery and Perspective Gallery, which I visited recently for a viewing of her latest works. I was struck by the action in her paintings, how she captured a moment, a bird in flight—light shimmering on a wing.

“She is one of our most popular artists,” notes Betsy Jones McDonald, fellow artist and Perspective Gallery staffer.

“My goal is to express the excitement of what I see,” says Luck. “To paint what speaks to me in the hopes that the magic translates to the viewer.”

On the horizon: Luck hopes to soon bring to fruition a longdistance French collaboration, unfolding in a novel medium. *

FURNISHING YOUR CHARLESTON HOME WITH PURPOSE AND STYLE

Attention to detail and design make Southeastern Galleries a standout

by CHRISTINA ANDREWS / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

Southeastern Galleries has provided high-quality custom furnishings to generations of families in the Charleston area. No matter whether a client is looking for a single piece, to redecorate an entire room or to have a new home furnished from top to bottom, Southeastern is at the ready.

“‘Everyone should have the opportunity to work with an interior designer’ is the family motto at Southeastern Galleries,” says Trudie Cooper Krawcheck,

“Serenity” 24x24 oil

who represents the third generation of this distinctive, fourgeneration home furnishings design center. Founded by Krawcheck’s father, William Thomas Cooper, and grandfather, Norman Lee Cannon, Southeastern Galleries is an institution in Charleston, a city renowned for its rich architectural history and its graceful and gentile lifestyle. Southeastern Galleries’ offerings knowingly reflect the elegant, idiosyncratic and time-tested beauty of this region in a way that chain furniture stores cannot.

Southeastern boasts a 30,000-square-foot showroom, plus an expansive warehouse and offices. Rather than leave customers to their own devices when roaming this vast facility, Southeastern Galleries provides a skilled interior designer to every client. Guests are encouraged to bring architectural plans and photos with them or to have store designers come to their property to assess furnishing needs, be it for specific rooms or larger areas of the house. Through these in-person consultations, customers can convey which furnishings and artwork will remain and which items are to be replaced. Southeastern’s designers then offer advice on the type of furnishings that can be artfully woven into the preexisting colors, patterns, layout and style of the home.

Southeastern’s storefront showcases a vast array of furniture, rugs and carpeting, light fixtures, window treatments, linens,

accessories and décor, and provides an experience whereby customers can weigh options in three dimensions, testing comfort, touching fabrics, sizing-up the scale of the pieces and visualizing the effects of color and lighting. Once the designer has an idea of the client’s preferences, each piece is customized accordingly with the client’s choice of fabric, finish or stain, decorative hardware, etc. Rooms to be transformed are then rounded out with handwoven or custom-sized broadloom rugs, window treatments, decorative lighting and fine art elements, including archival-quality canvas and giclée prints. In bedroom vignettes, designers also assist in “dressing the bed,” offering custom linens, pillows and mattresses appropriate to the overall concept of the space.

For homeowners, architects and designers searching for a one-stop shop for the core components of interior design, Southeastern Galleries is the perfect choice. For nearly 70 years, Southeastern has curated exclusive brands that blend with the region’s rich heritage. Local architectural styles supported through its offerings include traditional Lowcountry, the varied coastal island aesthetics and transitional styles that are prevalent in remodels and new construction and blend historical architectural elements with features supportive of contemporary lifestyles.

Charleston’s historic architectural styles range from Colonial, Federal, Classical Revival and Italianate to Georgian, Victorian, Gothic Revival and Art Deco. With Southeastern Galleries’ expert designers, clients can rest assured that the furnishings they purchase will resonate with the bones of their unique property.

Another great service provided by Southeastern Galleries is the warehousing of each client’s custom furnishings. As custom-made items are completed and shipped from the manufacturers, they are held at the company’s warehouse until work on the client’s home is complete. At that time, Southeastern’s qualified and trusted staff bring the items to the home and with the oversight of the interior designer precisely place and install all furnishings per the schematics drawn up in the planning process. Staff ensure all items are carefully handled: window coverings are expertly hung, rugs properly laid and secured, decorative items arranged, and art prints hung with precision. It is this attention to detail and seeing the process through from start to finish that makes Southeastern Galleries stand out from its competitors, and it is the reason that customers return to Southeastern Galleries whenever there are new spaces to fill or a new home to fully furnish.

In working with Southeastern Galleries, clients have access to more than 200 top-quality manufacturers. Exclusive brands include Baker, Tommy Bahama, Lexington Home, Hickory White,

Lillian August, Hancock & Moore, Chelsea House, Tamarian and Samad Rugs, Woodbridge, Sligh, Chaddock, Barclay Butera, Summer Classics, Sherrill, Palecek, Dovetail and Currey & Company, to name a few. In addition to indoor furnishings, the highest-quality outdoor furnishings are also offered. Also of note is Southeastern’s huge inventory of handwoven rugs from Nepal and India, which is unsurpassed in the region.

Krawcheck and her team of skilled interior designers look forward to providing you with a fantastic experience. *

Christina Andrews is a freelance writer from the Napa Valley who specializes in personal and business bios, food and wine, visual arts, music, hospitality, the event industry, community interest stories, obituaries and political satire.

SOUTHEASTERN GALLERIES

1885 ASHLEY RIVER ROAD

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846.556.4663

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GET BUSY LIVING

Harbor Classic promises luxury outdoor furniture shipped next-day and delivered locally daily

by ROBIN HOWARD / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

If you ’ ve ordered outdoor furniture recently , you’ve likely been surprised by lead times that range from three to six months. It’s disappointing and frustrating for consumers, and it’s a supply chain model begging for disruption. Disruption is precisely what Cliff Wooldridge had in mind when he started Harbor Classic, a high-quality outdoor furniture brand that offers delivery as soon as (you might want to sit down, friend) the same day.

Kathy

Clark Original Oil Paintings

Bliss 24"

canvas

Represented by: Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Exhibition | May 26 – June 10, 2023

The Perspective Gallery

1055 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Suite 50

Crickentree Village Center

Mt. Pleasant, SC | (843) 800-5025

The Banfield Gallery 171 East Main Street Forest City, NC 28043 (828) 447-7118

Blue

x 36" oil on

What began as an e-commerce site recently morphed into Harbor Classic’s first brick-and-mortar store in the Belle Hall Shopping Center. The 3,000-square-foot showroom has every piece in stock that’s displayed online, and it will deliver and set it up, at no additional charge, within the next business day, guaranteed. You’re probably wondering how that’s possible. It’s simple: Wooldridge, the genius behind the brand and the service model, is a highly decorated, retired marine whose training and experience make him immune to perceived obstacles.

Here’s how it works: Wooldridge and his seasoned team designed bespoke lines of luxury outdoor furniture, built a manufacturing facility, hired industry-leading craftsman and artisans who would adhere to the former marine’s stratospheric expectations for quality control, then invested millions of dollars into inventory and local warehouse space.

“From residential customers to designers and commercial projects, there’s a huge need for outdoor furniture in Charleston,” Wooldridge says. “Most customers we’ve dealt with are frustrated by industry-standard lead times online and locally in Charleston. If you order in spring or summer, you’ll spend more time waiting on it than enjoying it at home. Most retailers in this space take orders and wait until they’ve compiled enough customer orders and then set out to purchase from various third-party manufacturers and wholesalers. Quality is really sacrificed as a result, and lead times are lengthy. I knew we could do it better. We’ve made significant investments into our inventory, and we keep everything local, all right here in Charleston. If you tell me you’ve got a party tonight

and need a new dining set, I can meet your needs that very day. We’ll get it there and set it up with our complimentary whiteglove delivery. We have a small but powerful team. We only display what we have in stock; if we can’t send it the next day, it’s removed from our website and placed back when we can. We pride ourselves on being open and honest with our customers.”

Harbor Classic is not only giving Charlestonians instant gratification, it also isn’t selling someone else’s furniture. “We’re not just the fastest online shipping and local delivery retail store; we design everything in-house and, as a result, have superior quality control among any of our competitors,” Wooldridge says. “Owning every step of the process provides an outstanding level of craftsmanship. Our customers are getting true works of art handcrafted by our industry-leading artisans. Our prices are fair, mainly due to us cutting out the middleman. We avoid industry markups and pass those savings on to our customers. Our model includes next-day shipping with Sunbrella cushions and fabrics (for pieces that require a cushion) at no upcharge. We simply offer the best in class in every category to ensure our customers receive what they should have received all along.”

Harbor Classic’s bestseller is the Charleston Harbor Collection, generously proportioned chairs, sofas, love seats, chaise lounges and full dining collections made from grade-A teak. The pieces are refined, versatile and warm and will last for decades. Each piece is crafted and sanded by hand, and all seating comes with weather-friendly Sunbrella fabric cushions in various neutral colors.

The Newport Harbor Collection is another bestseller. Made from handwoven wicker with warm teak accents, this classic and infinitely configurable collection evokes breezy coastal evenings on the piazza. If you want a more contemporary vibe, the Savannah Harbor Collection is designed for terrace living, with powder-coated onyx aluminum frames, clean lines and contrasting Sunbrella cushions. The Nantucket and Seward collections have a more relaxed feel, with airy furniture made from teak and tightly woven rope.

Each collection has options for lounge chairs, sofas, love seats, club chairs, chaise lounges, dining tables, dining chairs and benches, coffee tables, side tables and ottomans. Adirondack chairs, bar tables and chairs, and umbrellas are also in the collections.

If you get to talk to Wooldridge, and I hope you do, you’ll see that he doesn’t mess around. He wants people to be happy and is laserfocused on making that happen. “The hot months are coming up, and people are building new homes and renovating their outdoor spaces,” he says. “If you need new furniture or you’re waiting weeks and possibly months for it, cancel your order. Come see us at the Belle Hall Shoppes, and we’ll bring it over tomorrow.” *

Robin Howard is a freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com.

HARBOR CLASSIC

608-D LONG POINT ROAD

MOUNT PLEASANT, SC 29464

843.564.7517

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COLOR NOTES

Plein air artist Chris Doyle channels the magic of nature

by ROBIN HOWARD

When chris doyle was 10 years old , she set up an easel in a storage room in the basement because it was the one place her grandmother wouldn’t tidy up. She kept painting through high school, then through a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in fine art at American University in Washington, D.C., but even in art school, Doyle still had to stake her claim. It was the heyday of abstract expressionism (think Jasper

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Johns and Jackson Pollock and their giant canvases), so nobody wanted to talk about or teach traditional painting. “It was tough in the ’80s,” Doyle says. “I knew I wanted to do plein air, but my professors said no—we’re done with that. But for me, if there isn’t beauty—if it doesn’t speak to your soul—it’s not art.”

Now that plein air has proven to be one of history’s most significant art movements, Doyle is enjoying the fruits of her indefatigable labor. Apart from innate talent and 60 years of honing her skills, part of the artist’s work is capturing moments— sometimes milliseconds—that make us feel joy and awe. With just oil and canvas, Doyle captures grand finales of light before the sun sinks below the horizon, the thunder of crashing waves and the feel of breezy days when clouds skate across blue skies. In her pond, marsh and woodland scenes, we can experience the glory of solitude in nature and the majesty of the natural world. Remarkably, Doyle doesn’t often paint from photographs; she paints from a sort of quantum memory.

“There is no way you can paint from photographs and understand what you’re looking at,” she says. “The eye is too complex. I’ve been doing this for 60 years, and I’m just

beginning to understand it. What I’ve learned is that everything has energy and a frequency. When I immerse myself in an environment, it’s certainly not about me, but it’s clear that I’m a conduit taking those frequencies and translating them into color notes. Then, when someone looks at the canvas, they feel that. Paintings are living entities; you can keep returning to them and learning new things.”

Doyle spends a significant amount of time searching for places that resonate with her and are different than what other plein air painters are attracted to. She’ll take as many as three or four canvases with her, sometimes as large as 3-by-4 feet, and work on them simultaneously over a period of time, working on layer after layer. “The thing I keep coming back to is, are you painting what you think is there, or are you painting what is there?” she explains. “You can edit so the composition works, but there has to be a veracity to the space.”

The artist has had gallery representation in the past, but she finds she prefers to represent herself at shows such as the Litchfield Art Festival, the Georgetown Boat Show, Brookgreen Gardens Art Festival and the Murrells Inlet Festival of Arts and

Marsh Pond , oil on canvas, 14" x 18"

Photo by Holger Obenaus

Crafts. She’s also happy to bring a selection of paintings to clients’ homes, and all of her work is available on her website.

“I love talking to my clients and getting to know them,” Doyle says. “I want them to get to know the artist. You don’t get that experience with a gallery. I like to watch people relax as they look at my work; it creates a moment for them, an experience. We’re so busy we don’t have time to be in nature the way we want to. It’s a humbling experience when one of my paintings touches someone. I know the power of what we do as artists can heal people.” *

Robin Howard is a freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com.

» CHRIS DOYLE FINE ART MURRELLS INLET, SC 29576

843.360.3545

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Photo Credit: Ebony Ellis

PAINTING A STORY

The watercolors of Dennis Fulbright

by LIESEL SCHMIDT / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

he first time i realized and really saw that people responded to my art and that I could make them laugh and feel happy when they saw it, I was in sixth or seventh grade,” Dennis Fulbright says in his thick Georgia accent, launching into a tale that seems to hold importance to the trajectory of his career, even in its ordinariness. “As a kid, I’d always been a huge fan of Jack Davis, from Mad magazine—he was a Georgia boy like me—and I loved how expressive he was with the caricatures in his drawings. This one particular day, we had a substitute teacher, and of course, any time a substitute teacher showed up, it was all fun and games in class. So, I was sitting in the back, drawing caricatures with a graphite pencil and showing some other kids around me. We were all laughing, and the teacher came back to see what was going on. She grabbed the paper out of my hand and said, ‘Gosh, this is really good!’ and held it up to the

class. It was upside down, but everyone loved it.”

In the 60-odd years he’s been painting, Fulbright has come a long way since those adolescent drawings, though he’ll outright tell you that he still can’t sit still without a pencil in his hands, working on something—even if it’s as simple as a doodle on a napkin in a restaurant. “It gives me an outlet,” he explains. “It’s not a passion, it’s an obsession. When I go out to eat, I am always looking for a napkin to draw on, which often delights the waitress along with the tip. These sketches have even resulted in free meals and drinks.”

Those hands have been busy professionally producing paintings since the Toccoa, Georgia, native graduated from the University of Georgia, where he earned a degree in landscape architecture and environmental design. His skills in watercolors were put to use in commercial art, first by creating architectural renderings for firms throughout the Carolinas and Georgia, and he made a long and prosperous career of bringing life to the renderings of his projects. As successful as he was painting landscapes and architecture with technique and attention to detail, it was only a matter of time before his talent became recognized in the art world. After retiring in 2015, he turned a greater focus to

transparent watercolor and entered a number of juried shows in the Carolinas and Georgia, for which he won awards. He has been featured at the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition in Charleston twice and will be at the 2023 event.

“My design ability and my eye for design have made me a successful landscape architect, as have my understanding of proportions and the way I see things,” says Fulbright, who paints from the studios in both his Charleston and Cleveland, South Carolina, homes. “There are seven basic principles and seven basic elements of design, and I think that’s the same for art. If you incorporate some of those in a painting, you’ll have a successful piece of art. As I paint today, I still strive to incorporate four or five of these elements and principles of design to produce an aesthetically pleasing or an artistic painting.”

An artist who considers his paintings to be stories, Fulbright loves to paint the back roads of the Lowcountry and the Appalachian Mountains. “It’s fantastic scenery, but it’s also a way of life,” he says. “When I paint, I’m telling a story, and there are some real stories to be told in those little old secondary roads, stores, houses. You can imagine what life was like then and now—and the hardships that were part of that life. You can see and almost feel the hardships. It’s painting something that has occurred. It’s a happening.”

With a style that blurs the line between impressionism and realism, Fulbright depicts landscapes and seascapes, with

architecture often incorporated to “help develop scale and mood.” His medium of choice, transparent watercolor, is one that creates a much different effect than the heavier oils or acrylics so often used by artists. “Transparent watercolor is a method of painting that allows light to penetrate through layers of watercolor pigments and reflect back through them, giving the color brilliance and luminosity,” he explains.

Through that brilliance and luminosity, Fulbright creates paintings with life and vibrancy, regardless of whether those paintings are figurative, landscape or architectural. Fulbright recently won first place in the Forgotten Coast en plein air in the open class, a quick draw competition. *

Liesel Schmidt lives in Navarre, Florida, and works as a freelance writer for local and regional magazines. She is also a web content writer and book editor. Follow her on Twitter at @laswrites or download her novels, Coming Home to You, The Secret of Us and Life Without You, at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

Swamp House

, watercolor on paper, 20" x 30"

Photo by Holger Obenaus

(Located between Copper Penny and Southern Belles)

SPIRITUAL RETREAT

Artist Laura Fontaine finds peace in creating large-format landscapes

by ROBIN HOWARD

When Laura Fontaine was 4, her preschool teacher had to have a talk with her mother. The class had experimented with painting that day, and Laura got in trouble because she flatly but politely refused to leave the easel. She hasn’t stopped painting since. Today, Fontaine’s dreamy, contemporary impressionistic Lowcountry and mountain landscapes are

Serenity , oil on canvas, 36" x 36";

PHOTO BY HOLGER OBENAUS

represented by galleries throughout the South. She comes by her talent naturally; her mother was an interior designer with a significant presence in Atlanta, so Fontaine grew up traveling around Europe, helping her mom choose crates of art and antiques for clients.

Aside from a broad exposure to art, fabrics and antiques, the artist spent years painting her mother’s collection of blue and white porcelain in watercolors. “I painted hundreds of watercolors of my mother’s porcelain throughout college,” she says. After college, her mother encouraged her to attend The Finishing School in New York, one of the nation’s top schools for faux and decorative painting. That education led to starting a business glazing walls. “It was great because I was able to travel, but eventually, I was exhausted from climbing ladders and scaffolding, so I decided to start painting in oils.” Because of her former education in faux finishing, Fontaine now prefers to put a thin layer of Venetian plaster on her canvas and layer glazes, creating depth.

Fontaine’s inspiration comes from nature and her faith. She

begins every day with two to four hours of prayer and reading before going to her studio to paint. Most days, she paints her view across the marsh or floats in her kayak and takes pictures or sketches for inspiration. “Painting is my serenity; it’s absolutely mandatory,” she says. “I love painting landscapes because they’re God’s creation. The colors He creates are just phenomenal; that’s why when people see a beautiful landscape, they’re drawn to it.”

Fontaine also occasionally paints still life, taking joy from the light, texture and colors. She also prefers to paint large, working on canvases that range from 48-by-72 inches to 30-by-40 inches and sizes in between.

Spend just a few minutes with Fontaine and it’s clear that her faith is at the center of everything she does. “I have always walked closely with God. Naming my paintings after His words from scripture seems only natural to me since he gave me the gift of painting. I also know most of my clients prefer to have some reference to God on their painting. It just means more to them, and I feel the same,” Fontaine says.

Go With the Flow , oil on canvas, 48" x 60";

PHOTO BY RICK RHODES

Room by Sarah Heckler Design

In addition to gallery representation, Fontaine works with clients all over the United States on commission, which allows them to have the right size, colors and vision of what they would like to have hanging on their walls.

Fontaine completes about 40 paintings a year, primarily commissions and mostly for people who share her faith. As she looks to the future, she envisions holding art retreats for people diagnosed with an illness or who want to learn more about serenity in healing oneself. “Not just a workshop where people drink wine and watch me paint,” she says. “I want to teach the spiritual part of painting that encompasses everything God

provides. None of us knows where the world is going, but I know I want to help others be at peace so they can heal.” *

Robin Howard is a freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com.

To Be Old and Wise , oil on canvas, 48" x 48";

PHOTO BY HOLGER OBENAUS

TIMELESS ART

GD Whalen Photography captures the fragile in a frame

by WENDY SWAT SNYDER

An emerald green spring leaf blown up to reveal tiny dew drops; an orange, freeze-framed, splashing into water; a bigger than life cheetah caught mid-stride; a sun-drenched dome on an ancient Greek Isle; a glacial crystal resting on black volcanic rock. Gary Whalen of GD Whalen Photography walks the world with camera in hand, drawing attention to the natural landscape and everything it supports. With both macro and large-format techniques, he captures the essence of his subjects. Life, big and small, comes into sharp focus for the viewer when observing Whalen’s very personal style of photography.

“My eye is drawn to the little things people walk by and don’t notice,” Whalen says. His lifelong love of photography is matched by a passion for drawing attention to both the beauty and the vulnerability of the planet.

“All my animal photos are animals shot in the wild,” he says. “I love being out there in nature— Africa, Alaska, Iceland—wherever it takes me. I love the peace of it, the sounds of it, the smells of it. Lately, I have to look hard to find a natural landscape.”

An avid photographer since he started snapping pictures as a kid with a Kodak Instamatic, the artist confesses he’s a bit of an introvert, leading him to vacillate between the landscape and portrait worlds.

“I hung my hat on portraiture, but it involved dealing with people’s idiosyncrasies,” he admits. “I decided to do what I really have a passion for, creating images of the earth that really resonate with people. Animals are so pure; there’s nothing malicious about them. We have to do a better job of taking care of them.”

Sustainability is a priority for Whalen, who is based in the mountain city of Asheville, North Carolina, where he’s surrounded by nature. He says he got rid of his darkroom in college because the chemicals were terrible for the environment. And he believes that collecting photographic art should be an investment that brings decades of enjoyment to multiple generations. To ensure that long-term return, he offers clients the Crystal Archival Gallery Print—a piece preserved using the face-mounting process.

“The typical lifetime for unprotected art is approximately 10 years,” he notes. “Face mounting maintains it in pristine condition for well over 100 years. The photograph is printed on very thin metallic paper and coated with a gallery-quality acrylic. It’s a very difficult process employed by only a handful of folks in the country.”

The process encapsulates the image, providing protection from dust, moisture and 97% of UV rays; it also prevents the shifting of colors, enabling a display true to the image’s original brilliance and beauty over time.

“I wouldn’t do this unless I could guarantee it would last a lifetime,” says Whalen. “And you can’t compete with the color saturation and clarity.”

Whalen points out that face mounting is just one facet of his craft. It’s important to him that collectors understand his overarching process.

“I take the picture, I print the picture, I do the face mounting,” he says. “Nothing goes to the customer that isn’t touched by me. I do it all myself. I don’t oversaturate my work, nothing is added or taken away. My pictures are honest—what you see is what I saw.”

Whalen feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with some of the profession’s best photographic equipment— brands such as Leica, Hasselblad, Pentax, Arca-Swiss, Zeiss and Schneider.

“I’ve had great lenses and great cameras,” he says. “But after all these years, I realized that, honestly, a great shot or great image comes down to content. Content is king.”

And his film of choice is large-format, which produces images

with very high resolution that in turn can be blown up to create a stronger impact.

Whalen personalizes each print with a note card, describing his thought process as he seeks and frames his content. Here is a sample of his musing from a piece titled Old Man River: “I took this image at Caddo Lake in Texas. Boating through this incredible place takes your imagination back to the time of the dinosaurs. Hearing your paddle swishing through the water with only the sight of these magnificent, moss-covered cypress trees is like time travel. Caddo Lake is stunning, especially in the fall when the cypress trees turn a reddish-brown color.”

“I like to share what was on my mind while I was taking the picture, to help people connect,” he concludes. *

Wendy Swat Snyder is a Charleston-based freelance writer (sweetgrassandgrits.com). GD

Edenton Sunset Tree

Photo by Holger Obenaus

HOME AS A SANCTUARY

Vicki P. Maguire’s art brings healing and peace to a chaotic world

by ROBIN HOWARD

e live in a chaotic world , but when you’re home, you’re safe,” artist Vicki P. Maguire tells her sons. I feel like her mantra should be broadcast from Jumbotrons right now.  By design, Maguire’s peaceful, ethereal oil and acrylic paintings make people feel good. She humbly says her goal is to “take the beauty of the outdoors and bring it indoors.” Her work does

Lucy's Tulips , oil on linen, 8" x 8"

more than that because her intentions are more than that. She is a devoted creative professional, reassuring teacher and advocate.

Maguire began her painting career as a plein air artist. She has been blessed to live all over this beautiful country— giving her many perspectives. When she was designing the interiors of her Mount Pleasant home after living out West, she planned a space over the mantel in the family room specifically for art. Although she and her husband were already collecting fine art, they wanted something different and contemporary. At the time, the inventory of contemporary art was limited in Charleston, but the couple finally found a piece from New Mexico. “We bought it, and we loved it. It spoke to me,” Maguire says. That’s when she decided she was going to learn to paint high-end abstracts. “I pursued teachers that painted in a way I liked,” she says. “I expanded my abstract expressions to a more intuitive style using so many new tools: rollers, my fingers, scrapers, sponges, texture and graphite tools. It’s not like painting in the old days!” As time permits, she has small workshops on color theory (another passion) and mixing oils while using palette knives.

Maguire is one of those people for whom creating art almost seems like a by-product of a larger and higher calling. She is an accomplished artist, but she is also powerfully intuitive, remarkably sincere and generously empathetic. Her good intentions for the world convey on a quantum level. She was invited to be a juried member of The Healing Power of Art and Artists (HPAA), operated by Manhattan Arts International.

Martha Manco

Keith Wilkie

Maura Kenny

Sharon Lampke

Cathy Turner

Janelle Feeney

Cindy Silvers

Sharon Bogan

Maguire says she first connected art with health and healing as she began working with her son, who was an auditorydelayed learner. “There was no program in Charleston that was a good fit for him. He wasn’t special needs enough for a specialneeds school, but he needed more than public school,” Maguire says.

She decided to teach him herself. “I found the best way to teach him was to do things tactilely,” Maguire says. “Then, to break up our lessons, I set up an art station for him and one for me in the same space. He had his own materials and would do quick draw contests. That would wake him up and use the other side of his brain. Over time, it made a big difference in our time together and in his willingness and ability to learn. By the third year, when he was about 7, he was able to go to first grade. He’s thrived and graduated with scholarships from college. He was using a different part of the brain, and that’s what art does.”

A breast cancer survivor, Maguire has donated work to MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. Her work can also be seen at Atrium Health Cancer Care in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has also won several national awards, including South Carolina Artist of the Year in 2016 from the fine arts organization Twin Cities Tosca. She paints for Blink Fine Art in Cincinnati and works with designers and clients. Her work hangs in several corporate collections and was even featured on the promotional poster for the Bruce Willis movie Glass She’s honored by the recognition, but it’s not what drives her.

“Why do I paint?” she asks. “I paint for myself. I paint for others. And I paint for healing. The world is very chaotic; there will always be struggles, but home is a sanctuary space. I want to create paintings that make people happy!”

Aside from her website, Maguire’s artwork is available at adcfineart.com and manhattanarts.com. *

Robin Howard is a full-time freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com.

A JOURNEY OF FINE ART

Reinert Fine Art serves as the road map to oil paintings and sculpture

by CHRISTIANA LILLY / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

This spring , all eyes from the art world were on Charleston—or, more specifically, Reinert Fine Art.

The King Street art gallery was chosen as the host gallery for the Oil Painters of America’s 2023 Annual Exhibition & Convention, which ran from March 31 to April 30.

“It’s one of the most prestigious art exhibits in the nation, so it’s certainly an honor to be selected,” says gallery director Jason Stone.

The Oil Painters of America (OPA) chose the gallery because of the type of art represented, the credentials of its artists and the size of the gallery. During the exhibition, work from about 240 artists was on display. Headquartered in Chicago, the lauded organization represents more than 3,500 artists from throughout North America and works to preserve and promote representational fine art.

It’s a great honor for the gallery, which has also hosted exhibits for the American Impressionist Society and the Plein Air Painters of the Southeast. The gallery is helmed by husband-and-wife team Rick and Ann Reinert and team members Stone, Diana May-McAllan, Megan Garner and Roger Evans. A contemporary impressionist painter and an art collector, respectively, the Reinerts opened the space on 179 King St. in bustling Downtown Charleston in 2011. An outdoor sculpture garden was added in 2015, then in 2019, Reinert Fine Art expanded to include the neighboring unit at 181 King St.

“Connecting the two spaces with our outside setting does create a magical experience,” Stone says of the courtyard that glues together the two galleries. “You can experience a journey of fine art through both spaces.”

Today, Reinert Fine Art represents more than 60 artists from around the country and the world, with a focus on oil paintings and sculpture.

“Oil paintings are the most archival medium, known to last for centuries, and we like the richer color tones that oil paintings provide,” Stone explains. “Because our outdoor courtyard is such an inviting space, we decided to add sculpture—primarily bronze sculpture—to create the outdoor sculpture garden.”

top: Ann Goble, Caught in the Splendor , oil on cradled board, 40" x 30" bottom: Stephanie Marzella, Harvest Moon , oil on linen, 30" x 40"

Within the walls of Reinert Fine Art, visitors can view works by Zhiwei Tu—the gallery is the only one in the United States representing the Chinese American artist and OPA master. He has created some of the world’s largest paintings, and a threestory museum in China houses more than 700 of his works. Reinert Fine Art has sold more than 40 of the artist’s paintings.

Local artists also draw the admiration of art lovers. Johns Island landscape artist Stephanie Marzella is among the gallery’s fastest-selling artists in her category, and Laura Lloyd Fontaine’s serene marsh scenes from James Island also attract many landscape collectors. Peggy Ellis, the daughter of artist Ray Ellis, lives just a few blocks from the gallery and has carried on the Ellis tradition of oil painting through her seascapes and still life works. Another nearby artist, James Pratt, offers dynamic nautical scenes created by palette knife only. Johns Island artist Angela Trotta Thomas, with 40 years of experience, beautifully portrays the restaurant and bar scenes of Charleston’s most beloved establishments. Dr. Jim Spann and Lynne Fraser are also proudly represented Charleston artists.

Of course, Rick Reinert’s own works grace the walls of the gallery as well. The prolific artist’s paintings hang in both public, corporate and private collections throughout the United States and Europe.

“We look for both the rising stars and the highly acclaimed. We feel our artists offer a very compelling price point,” Stone says.

Reinert Fine Art hosts special events once or twice a month to celebrate its artists, and visitors can enjoy a glass of wine as they walk the gallery and enjoy the sculptures alfresco in the courtyard. Each month, the gallery also participates in the First Friday Art Walks and Second Sunday on King Street revelry.

“Our guests are most likely to remember us from all of their activities around Charleston,” says Stone. “The goal is having an appeal to both the fine art connoisseur and the first-time collector and create a memorable experience.” *

Christiana Lilly is a freelance journalist in Pompano Beach, Florida. See more of her work spanning the arts, community news and social justice at christianalilly.com.

REINERT FINE ART

179 AND 181 KING ST. CHARLESTON, SC 29401 843.694.2445

REINERTFINEART.COM

Rick Reinert, View of St. Michaels , oil on linen, 36" x 48"

THE COLOR OF WORDS

Through therapy, painter and poet Jenan McClain unlocked her inner artist

by CHRISTIANA LILLY

It was a milestone birthday , and Jenan McClain was celebrating in style. She invited two dozen friends to her home to welcome a new chapter in her life—sage was burned, the house was cleansed, and an oracle reader was on hand to provide insight to her guests’ lives. A “poetic painter,” McClain marries her love of poetry with acrylic and oil paintings. During the fete, she chatted with a high school friend about how healing her newfound creativity was for her soul.

The Elation , French acrylics on canvas, 8" x 8"; PHOTO BY HOLGER OBENAUS

Well, she thought it was a new endeavor. The friend reminded her that as a teen, McClain had gifted her a book from a photography project, where her photos were paired with short poems.

“You’ve been writing poetry,” her friend told her. “It’s been in there all this time.”

Today, the Mount Pleasant artist is working on her fourth book of paintings and poetry, part of an anthology chronicling grief, healing and rebirth. It was after her daughter experienced a health crisis six years ago—she’s fully recovered now—that McClain had to face her past traumas. Through therapy, meditation, breathwork and journaling, she found a way to bring together her creative outlets in a way that has been helping not just her, but others.

“None of the art, none of the writing was ever with the idea or intention of sharing or selling,” McClain says. “It was truly a way to process a really difficult time I just started exploring and became more curious.”

McClain attended art school in her youth, where she learned the rules of perspective, shadows and light. As an adult, she says, she spends her time at the canvas “breaking all those traditional rules.” Four years ago, she left behind a career in real estate to pursue art full time. Her works are layered with paint, mimicking a pile of flower petals, sunlight bouncing off the ocean or the background for an abstract dancer.

“A lot of my art and poetry go hand in hand in that they’re intuitively based and drawn from emotional experiences,” McClain says. “Repeatedly, I’ve had women say, ‘I feel your words, your art.’”

It was 10 years ago that McClain made her way to Mount Pleasant, after years of living in the Caribbean, working in real estate. She still traveled back and forth, but during the pandemic, she had more time to devote to her artwork, discovering her style and aesthetic.

She started collecting her poetry and self-published her first book, Peace by Piece Then every six to eight months she would release another book: Set Her Free, Love Me Anyway and a currently unnamed fourth is in the works. She shares that the book is centered around finding power, freedom and your inner voice. McClain is also working with a graphic designer to find more ways to share her work at a lower price point: notebooks, posters, candles, cocktail napkins and other small pieces that can encourage healing and growth.

In the art studio she built behind her house, the floor-to-ceiling windows allow the sun to pour in. When she’s writing, she cozies up on her back porch to let the words spill onto paper. But with so much planned in 2023, she’s spent most of her days in the studio, preparing for exhibits and completing commissions. In May, McClain will host a poetry reading and painting workshop at the Emeline hotel. In August, she’s scheduled to host a three-day

Symphonic String , French acrylics on canvas, 25.5" x 37.5";

PHOTO BY HOLGER OBENAUS

Heyward’s on Shem Creek JAN DENNIS

Rainbow Row SUSAN RHODES

Happy Hour Oysters III CYNDI SCHICK

Party of Four

RUTHIE BEBERMAN SUMPTER

Sparkle Creek FRAN J. DAVIES

Gossamer CHRISTINE BLYTH

poetry reading and gallery exhibit at the Montage Palmetto Bluff.

“My dream one day is to travel around and do public speaking and poetry readings across the country; that’s the bigger vision,” she says.

Whether it’s her larger-than-life canvases, coffee table books or whatever else she has in the works, McClain has learned that this is something she’s always had within her. It just took a little work—a little therapy, a little meditation, a little time at the easel—to find it.

“I think it was always within me, but I never really expressed it fully until a few years ago,” she says. “When somebody says that something I did helped them feel more whole or heal in some way, it’s the biggest blessing.” *

Christiana Lilly is a freelance journalist in Pompano Beach, Florida. See more of her work spanning the arts, community news and social justice at christianalilly.com. JENAN

THE PURE JOY OF SELF-EXPRESSION

Overcoming her fears and doubt, painter Susan Klavohn Bryant has found a voice and audience for her art

by LIESEL SCHMIDT / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

The portrait of carl sandburg that susan Klavohn Bryant painted at the request of her high school English teacher, as amateur as it might have been at the time, was the first of many paintings that have hung in pride of place. And, since she became a professional artist in 2017, those paintings have continuously shown the talent that was burgeoning all the way back in her high school days.

“I always loved drawing and painting portraits, so it was exciting to be the one chosen to do the artwork,” Bryant recalls of the painting of the famed poet and journalist, which hung in her teacher’s classroom for years. “I was artistic as a young child and was fortunate enough to receive some instruction from my grandmother, who was an artist, to guide me and sharpen my skills. When I started college at UNC-Greensboro as a science major, it wasn’t long before I switched my major to art education—my mother was insistent on it being art education rather than simply being an art major. I didn’t really want to teach art at the time.”

Still, even with her degree in art education, Bryant did not pursue a career in art. Instead, she became a Realtor and spent

many years in the real estate industry, satisfying her need to be creative by capturing homes, landscapes, wildlife and other subjects through photography with hopes of eventually returning to painting. Now, she balances a career in real estate with her pursuit of art, creating paintings that capture the scenery and people of the Charleston area with energy, color and expressive qualities that make her work captivating and unique.

“I finally started painting again in 2016 and now paint almost every day,” she says. “It wasn’t easy overcoming my doubts and fears enough to join art guilds and start showing my work in art shows and galleries, but when my work immediately started selling, overcoming all that trepidation proved to be worthwhile.”

Through acrylics, oils and mixed media, Bryant paints a range of subjects that include landscapes, still life, expressive portraiture and abstracts in a style self-described as “more expressionistic than realistic.” Seven years after she returned to painting, Bryant is still relatively new to the artist community, but her undeniable ability has given her distinction. Her talent, coupled with her background in art education, places her in a unique position to help others learn to paint and inspire established artists to try new techniques or subjects.

Photo by Peter Frank Edwards

Interior Design by Meyer Davis

“Life is a funny thing sometimes. My success as an artist is no doubt due to the fact that when I paint, I am painting for myself without regard to the restraints or rules that so many artists follow,” says Bryant, who paints in the studio she built behind her home in Mount Pleasant. “My work is expressive— and that expression is my reason for painting in the first place. I paint for the pure joy of creating and expressing myself, which seems to come through in my paintings. People see and feel that, and it makes them appreciate my paintings even more.

“Art is important to me—whether I’m looking at works by other artists or creating them myself—as a means of expression or a way to view the world around me through what is ultimately a shared experience. Because of that, I am inspired by color, nature, music, dance and pretty much everything around me. I paint for relaxation and my own joy, so there are no limitations regarding my exploration of art, and I enjoy teaching others to paint for fun and relaxation.”

Bryant has served as past president of the Mount Pleasant Artists Guild and is involved with the Charleston Artist Guild Pet Helpers project. She also assisted in the development of other area galleries, and she is currently a member of the Charleston Artist Guild as well as the Seacoast Artists Guild in Myrtle Beach. Her work is represented by the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery and is being shown at the Mount Pleasant Town Hall and Everything Home Charleston in Mount Pleasant. She recently opened a solo show, Abstract Expressions, at the new Serendipity Labs building in Summerville/Nexton that will hang for a year and is open to the public.

“Currently, my favorite piece is the large abstract titled Secret Garden that I painted for the abstract show at Serendipity Labs,” she notes. Measuring 36 by 48 inches, the acrylic on canvas painting reminds Bryant of the beautiful rose pergola at the house next to her grandmother’s home in Arkansas. “All the ladies in town had their photographs taken when the roses were in full bloom.” *

Liesel Schmidt lives in Navarre, Florida, and works as a freelance writer for local and regional magazines. She is also a web content writer and book editor. Follow her on Twitter at @laswrites or download her novels, Coming Home to You, The Secret of Us and Life Without You, at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

Gregory Blake Sams/Athalie Derse

Athalie Derse

Harding and

STOPPING TIME

Photographer Ivo Kerssemakers invites viewers to press pause with photos that capture perfect stillness

by LESLIE J. THOMPSON

In a world that is ever in motion , tranquility is a precious commodity. Cars whiz by on city streets. Shoppers fill sidewalks and retail stores, bantering enthusiastically about their finds. The hum of activity is present even along the Lowcountry coast, as birds traverse the skies and winds stir marsh grasses and streamers of Spanish moss hanging in tall oak trees. But Ivo Kerssemakers knows how to make the world stand still.

Using a long-exposure technique, the Dutch-born photographer quiets the dynamism of landscapes and cityscapes, bringing the constant motion to a gentle halt. His photographs capture an ethereal peace that soothes the soul in a world constantly abuzz.

“People should feel relaxed when they look at my work,” says Kerssemakers, who now calls Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, home. Ironically, the moving elements are what make the long exposure interesting, he notes, adding, “That can be water; that can be cloud movement.” Lighting also plays a key role, and Kerssemakers often shoots natural vistas in the early morning or just before sunset, giving the images a soft glow.

Using special lens filters and exposure times as long as four minutes likewise create a visual hush for cityscapes, which Kerssemakers prefers to shoot in black-and-white. “Cities are full of clutter, like people and traffic. With the long exposure, you can tune all those things out,” he says. Photographing historic buildings also takes the images outside of time, he notes. In the absence of visual cues, like people and cars, the picture may have been taken this year or a century ago.

His love of travel brought Kerssemakers from his native Netherlands to the United States in 1997, although he always had an affinity for American culture. “Instead of playing soccer as a kid, I played baseball. I always had an attraction to the United States,” says the fine art photographer.

He hopped the Atlantic at age 30, first landing in Tennessee, where he continued in his former profession as a software developer. A few years later, Kerssemakers made his way north to Upstate New York. “The winters were brutal. I don’t mind snow, but at some point, it needs to stop, and it seemed like it never stopped,” he quips. Fed up with freezing temperatures, he headed back down the East Coast, eventually settling in South Carolina. “I just drove south until I saw palm trees,” Kerssemakers says with a laugh.

The beauty of the shorelines surrounding Charleston provide continual inspiration for his fine art photography, a profession he chose to pursue full time in 2015. Since then, he has earned notoriety on both sides of the pond for his surrealist landscapes, which appear untouched by people.

“Some shots took me four hours to get the right four-minute

Folly Beach

Georgetown

space with nothing to interrupt the image,” Kerssemakers says. Although cityscapes are particularly tricky because a vehicle could make an unexpected stop center frame, he still enjoys frequent trips to London, Amsterdam and New York to photograph popular architectural attractions.

Closer to home, Kerssemakers recently captured a local landmark by photographing the University of South Carolina’s abandoned coastal research station on Pritchards Island before the building was leveled late last year. “I wanted to document that because it’s a piece of history,” the photographer says pensively. Like his other dreamlike landscapes, the images of the skeletal structure on an empty shoreline have a tranquil, otherworldly quality that invites the viewer into a place of quiet contemplation.

Kerssemakers’ fine art photography previously earned him first place at the Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival in Huntington Beach State Park and an emerging artist grant at the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition, where he will be exhibiting again this spring. To ensure his photographs stand the test of time, he produces archival images on canvas or pure fine art paper using

a large-format printer. Canvas photographs also are sprayed with a protective coating and stretched on warp-resistant hardwood frames.

To view Kerssemakers’ work, visit the Lowcountry Artists Gallery in Charleston, the MISC-Everything gallery in Murrells Inlet, the Gallery at Sweetgrass in Isle of Palms or browse the images on his website. *

Leslie J. Thompson is a Dallas-based freelance writer with a passion for interior design and international travel. Read more of her work at lesliejthompson.com.

843.424.6225

IVOKERSSEMAKERS.COM

ISLAND TIME

Architect Bill Huey creates a comfortable Kiawah Island retreat to accommodate the whole family

by ROBIN HOWARD

photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

A cooking island seats three at a raised bar. To the right, a marble mosaic mimics moving water. Floating shelves were designed with a unique knife-edge.

previous:

The home’s second living room is anchored by a cozy fireplace and the view. The fireplace’s vein-cut travertine slab surround sets the color palette for the room.

The house we ’ re going to see today is the third home architect Bill Huey designed for his clients on Kiawah Island. This time the clients wanted a forever home, a place that would be comfortable when it’s just the two of them but expansive to accommodate extended family They asked Huey for an open, communal design so everyone could be together, lots of porch space for outdoor living and activities, low-maintenance interiors and exteriors, and non-fussy comfort.

The home was designed by Huey and architect Nicole Putnam (also of Bill Huey + Associates), built by Jedd McLuen of Bennett-McLuen Homes, and has interiors by Rebekah Carter and her team at Red Element Design Studio Because the clients had worked with the architect and designer before, they gave them a lot of latitude. “The clients wanted the house to be beautiful without being precious,” Carter says. “There was a lot of trust, but this particular team shares an obsession for detail. When that’s a common goal, it pushes you much harder.”

The team worked in tandem from inception, and their passion and harmony are reflected in the results. The home is both cozy and expansive, functional and beautiful, simple and surprising, and extremely comfortable. The 7,171-square-foot house has seven bedrooms, seven and a half baths, an office, two primary living areas, two bunk rooms and four porches. It has direct ocean access via a 1,000-foot serpentine boardwalk, a shape reflected in many of the home’s subtle design details.

Because the clients wanted a low-maintenance home, exterior materials were chosen for their ability to stand up to salt spray, heat, wind, rain and all of the conditions that come with living by the ocean. “There’s virtually nothing on the exterior that needs maintenance,” McLuen says. “We used stone, PVC siding, French limestone, tabby stucco, aluminum powder-coated railings and copper details on the roof. It’s pretty bulletproof for an oceanfront home.”

The dining room is flanked by open shelving and clad in white shiplap. An oyster shell chandelier lends a subtle sense of place.

The main living area is open to the view of the pool deck and patios. To the left, a conversation area provides a quiet place to read as well as overflow seating for parties.

Huey reversed the floor plan to take advantage of the views, putting the living areas on a higher level. As an elevated house, the ground floor is garage space; the first floor is secondary and tertiary bedrooms; the second floor has common living areas and the client’s bedroom; and the top floor is home to bunk rooms, an office and a workout space

On the interior, Huey and Carter kept it simple. McLuen expertly executed Huey’s refined architectural details, and Carter ’s choice of fixtures and furnishings complement the backdrop. “It is an island home, but I didn’t want to knock people over the head with seashells everywhere,” she says. “We’re never going to get better than nature, so we complement it as much as possible. It’s all about texture and use of color; some rooms are soothing, and some are more playful.”

As we enter the first floor, a cozy common area directs traffic up the stairs to the living space. This shiplap-clad room begins to tell the story of the home with whimsical blown glass river stones on the ceiling and a water-evoking rug. As we ascend the stairs, pay close attention: The unusually spaced horizontal board-and-batten on the wall creates a rhythm that runs through the center of the house, connecting everything. “The spacing of the boardand-batten responds to the stair treads, so every second step, there’s a batten,” Huey says. “It’s a uniform element throughout the house that connects to the staircase.” Many details in the home, including the bookshelves on the first level outside the den, respond to the battens. “It was one of the most difficult elements to pull off,” McLuen says. “It was a lot of detail with no margin for error over three floors, and I’m proud we did it on the first try.”

At the top of the stairs, the home opens to the living areas, dining room and kitchen. The first thing you’ll notice is the ceiling. In the center of the room, a four-sided stained-glass window with pivoting windows rises through the upper floor. Huey designed the 12 sea glass-colored panels, so the wavy, flowing shapes make it feel like you’re underwater.

Because the clients had worked with the architect and designer before, they gave them a lot of latitude.

Beneath this dramatic element is a living area with a comfortable seating group centered around a wall-mounted TV and a built-in console. Behind the sofa, two chairs and an ottoman face each other in front of the expansive windows to create a quiet conversation area. “From the conversation alcove, you can see the exterior brackets,” Huey says. “It’s nice to have cozy spaces for two that can also help the house expand for parties. I love pause spaces where you can just read or have a conversation.”

A doorway at the back of the room leads to the second living area, affectionately known as the View Room, with more comfortable seating and expansive views over the landscape to the ocean. “What I love about this room is there’s a fireplace and bookshelves, and it’s just a quiet place to read or hang out together,” Huey says. The fireplace’s vein-cut travertine slab surround set the color palette for the room, and in a nod to one of the South’s oldest traditions, the raised ceiling has a blue wash.

The open kitchen has a large cooking island that seats three at a raised bar. An intricate blue-green and white marble mosaic to the right mimics moving water. Huey designed the floating shelves to have a knife-edge, an element he carries throughout the home. Behind the kitchen, a large scullery keeps the central kitchen tidy and provides ample storage for enough supplies and snacks to feed a large group.

To the left of the kitchen, an opening flanked by Huey’s signature floating knife-edge shelving leads to a dining room that seats 10. Walls are clad in white shiplap, and an oyster shell chandelier hangs from an architecturally detailed ceiling, giving the room a comforting visual weight.

Back in the first living room, a doorway leads to the client’s bedroom and bath. “We wanted this to be a serene escape,” Huey says. “The clients said they just wanted the bedroom for sleeping, so the view wasn’t important. It was helpful to know that, so we placed the bedroom on the street side and reserved the view rooms for public spaces.” The architect, designer and builder reserved the wow factor for the client’s bath.

From the bedroom, a sophisticated galley hallway features built-in wardrobes of book-matched walnut, a seating niche for putting on shoes and socks, and high windows for privacy. The clients have their own stacked washer and dryer through the door under the sconce.

At the end of the hall is a large glass-walled curbless shower with a hidden linear drain and brush-textured travertine tiles. “All of the tile and plumbing layouts were thoroughly planned and meticulously drawn by Red Element,” McLuen says. “This allowed us to perfectly execute these often-overlooked areas into purposeful, architecturally pleasing spaces.” To the right of the shower, the bathroom’s focal point is a freestanding wall wrapped in ombre sea glass-colored mosaic tiles.

Up the next flight of stairs are two bunk rooms, an office and a workout room. The bunk rooms each have a bathroom, four built-in twin XL beds, niches for charging phones and iPads, and a pullout light that snaps back into the wall. One of many clever details in the home, the stairs lift to reveal the doorway to attic storage.

In the entry, blown glass river rocks adorn the ceiling. Unusually spaced horizontal board-and-batten on the walls run through the center of the home.

A four-sided stained-glass window with pivoting windows rises through the upper floor’s living areas.

Architect Bill Huey designed the 12 sea glass-colored panels, so the wavy, flowing shapes make it feel like you’re underwater.

opposite:

The client’s bedroom is designed to be serene and functional. The room faces the street, saving the views for public spaces.

Serpentine curves run throughout the architecture and details of the home. The upper porch has an outdoor kitchen and comfortable seating for casual meals.

Outside, three porches wrap around the pool. The first, the pool bar, has a fireplace, television and a bar with an open serving window that’s perfect for entertaining. The bar room is a warm, cozy room with a presence all its own. White oak storage shelves and cabinets with louvered doors line the room, concealing two Sub-Zero refrigerators and wine storage. It’s a casually elegant space that feels like the pristine galley of a very nice yacht. On the other side of the fireplace, a walkway bridge leads to a pool bathroom that can serve as a second powder room for the first floor.

This porch also has a sitting area that faces the pool and a rain bar built into the trellis that cascades gentle drops of water into the pool. The rain bar creates a pleasing sound, but that’s not all. The porch’s center railing swings out so kids (and adults) can run through the rain and jump in the water. The third porch on this level, the cabana porch, provides shade to allow people to get out of the sun while still being part of the group.

There’s a fourth porch, the dining porch, on the second level with an outdoor sectional, a large round dining table and an outdoor kitchen. The arched ceiling has a serpentine curve that matches the front porch and echoes the curving lines of the boardwalk. “The serpentine curve is a theme throughout the house,” McLuen says. “You can see it in the glass and the trim details; it gives you an overall feeling of water and reminds you you’re at the beach even when you can’t see it.”

Even though the home was finished during COVID, the team encountered few challenges thanks to their shared vision and commitment to excellent communication. “Jedd always kept us up to speed,” Huey says. “He was never calling us with problems. I can’t remember working on a house this big or with this many details and not getting a bunch of calls. He’s a designer at heart, and he was always pre-thinking. He had it all figured out.”

Carter agrees. “Jedd is the only builder I’ve ever worked with who obsesses over details the way Bill and I do,” she says. “We all did our part, and we’ve gotten amazing feedback.”

For McLuen, executing the subtle details was part of the fulfillment. “The clients put a lot of trust in the team, and together we created an extraordinary home that we are all very proud of,” he says. *

Robin Howard is a freelance writer in Charleston. See more of her work at robinhowardwrites.com. »

AN ISLAND PARADISE

A dream team led by King & Society Construction collaborates to create an idyllic seaside home on the Isle of Palms

by JEANNE DE LATHOUDER / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

The living area exudes elegant beachfront living with a modern edge. Sleek lines, natural finishes and organic textures harmonize with the coastal setting. Plush, deep-seated furnishings provide softness in a calming neutral palette.

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Designed by Carl McCants III of Mc3 Designs and constructed by Trae Redmond and his team of builders at King & Society Construction, this elevated beachfront jewel sparkles along the coast of South Carolina’s blissful Isle of Palms.

esigned with classic coastal - style architecture mixed with touches of craftsman detailing, this exquisite two-story elevated home is a gleaming beachfront gem along the shores of South Carolina’s Isle of Palms. A charming barrier island nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, this seaside paradise is just minutes away from historic Charleston. Pristine beaches, championship golf, world-class eateries and sea turtles are just a few of the area attractions. Proudly poised amidst this scenic locale, the breezy 5,960-squarefoot home—a creative, collaborative effort between architect, builder and interior designer—radiates the same blissful coastal allure that characterizes this beloved isle.

“I describe the home’s design as edgy beach house style,” says Carl McCants III of Mc3 Designs, the architect for this project, which was completed in the fall of 2022. “I use the term edgy because of the structural design’s departure from the norm. I lean more toward a contemporary feel but reach back to timeless massing and forms to avoid trendy design.”

McCants also wanted the home to connect seamlessly with nature—to marry the interiors to the outdoors. But he wanted to do it in such a way that celebrates the controlled living spaces along with the uncontrolled exterior areas. “I wanted the owners of this house to feel that they are part of the beach and ocean as they enjoy all the comforts of modern life,” he adds.

“This is a beautiful beachfront property centrally located on Isle of Palms,” says builder Trae Redmond, director of construction at King & Society Construction in Mount Pleasant, who worked alongside the design team. One of the finest and most respected builders in the Charleston area, Redmond and his colleagues firmly believe that every new project begins and ends with a great team.

With more than 20 years of experience in both the residential and commercial industry, Redmond prides himself on not only building quality homes but also building lasting and meaningful relationships with every client. A Charleston native and former U.S. Army combat veteran, Redmond is a third-generation builder who followed in the footsteps of his father, a local industry expert. His success and community involvement have earned him the 40 under 40 award by the Charleston Regional

Aligned with the dwelling’s clean aesthetic, the open kitchen’s spacious proportions offer a bright and breezy heart of the home. The streamlined, modern interior scheme designed by Wendy Mauro of Wendy Mauro Design speaks to laid-back beach life and effortless indoor/ outdoor living.

Business Journal in 2014 and the General McArthur Leadership award in 2012. The company’s diverse portfolio ranges from historical renovations to high-end custom homes. Its team of professionals brings a sense of passion and steadfast commitment to superior quality and dedication to every home they build.

“The interior and architectural style for this Isle of Palms project is classic, coastal-contemporary design,” notes Redmond. “We wanted something different than your typical beach décor—a timeless design utilizing subtle but distinct color palettes, materials and clean lines.”

The well-centered design functions and flows around large, open common areas. The team also wanted to capture the outdoor living spaces and views with large side and rear porches and decks, a groundlevel pool with a spa partially nestled underneath the porch overhang, and a large, centrally located outdoor kitchen. The design includes a spiral staircase leading up to an observation roof deck where you can see endless miles of beach and gaze up at the stars at night.

The well-centered design functions and flows around large, open common areas.

“We went with neutral colors to highlight the beachfront views and natural colors of the landscape,” says interior designer Wendy Mauro of Wendy Mauro Design, who worked closely with Redmond. “Trae is great and gave me visual autonomy over decisions and selections. I would say, ‘This is what I want to do,’ and he would find ways for it to be done or the materials we could use. He allowed us to pick our selections and gave his opinion on quality or function when needed.”

The team selected textures and exterior framing such as shaker siding and board-and-batten as a tribute to the craftsman look. Since the dwelling was built as a spec home, they decided to incorporate a clean and contemporary aesthetic, the signature look of Wendy Mauro Design. “Our goal was to create a modern coastal vibe without being beachy,” says Mauro. “We infused the natural colors and textures in the tile, countertops and cabinetry, and added contemporary lighting to give it a more modern feel that emulates the style of the exterior.”

“With this home, I looked back to craftsman detailing but added an edgy twist,” says McCants. “It’s just enough to nudge the idea of craftsman architecture but still keep it eclectic. Wendy followed through with this nod to craftsman architecture with her interior detailing.”

For the foyer, the team created a modern-traditional grand entrance with white oak herringbone floors and a large black-paned front door. As with most houses, the kitchen is the true heart of the home. Its breezy, open floor plan provides a central focal point with splendid ocean views. The original plan included a double island, but Mauro felt it was too heavy for the space and did not highlight the views. A single island clad in white marble and a white-painted base offers a light and airy alternative that makes the space feel more open. Mauro also created an

Outfitted with blue cabinetry, the walk-in pantry and laundry area provides a spacious and efficient space for storage and housekeeping necessities. Matte black hardware lends a dramatic contrast to the cabinetry and natural wood floors.

A luxurious soaking tub lends a spa-like vibe to the primary bathroom. Topped with lustrous white marble, the vanity cabinetry is

embellished with polished nickel hardware.

The second-level balcony features an outdoor TV area perfect for alfresco movie nights at the beach. The lower level includes a sitting area with a fireplace, a separate dining area, and an inviting pool and spa.

inset range wall with a marble backsplash. She added a vertical white oak surround to the range wall and echoed the look in the adjoining living room’s bookcase. “We infused the same wood tones in the bathrooms,” she adds, “and complemented the aesthetic with tile and countertops in natural hues.”

The home also features a wonderfully spacious walk-in pantry and laundry area awash in blue cabinetry against natural wood floors. The room provides an abundance of storage space, including a wine tower, and creates a convenient prep area behind the scenes when the homeowners want to entertain.

Mauro also chose elevated classic styles in modern-traditional finishes and married the hardware styles of the plumbing and lighting fixtures throughout. She selected window treatments from The Shade Store to visually connect with the bathroom tile from Garden State Tile. Lustrous polished nickel and matte black plumbing fixtures from Gateway Plumbing coordinate with the dramatic lighting choices from Visual Comfort in the kitchen, foyer and bathrooms.

“We had a great working relationship with King & Society Construction,” says Mauro. “They allowed us to help select the interior and exterior materials, so we truly had complete autonomy over all the selections as long as we were within our budgetary allowances. We had weekly meetings on-site to review details, measurements and design, and we had a lot of fun planning and seeing each other every week. I remember discussing how we wanted to go to a party at the house when it was finished with the pool, outdoor kitchen and the beach right there. We really look forward to working with King & Society again.”

“Since this project originally started as a spec home, the overall look and style emanate a timeless but classic spin on your traditional beach house design,” says Redmond. “Wendy Mauro was able to take a subtle beach/nature-inspired palette and materials and turn it into something special. Our working relationship with Carl McCants, Wendy Mauro and the homeowners—who purchased the property midway through construction—was very fun and collaborative. We like to leverage each other’s strengths and creativity to generate the best ideas and deliver superior results.” *

Jeanne de Lathouder currently resides in Birmingham, Alabama, where she works as a freelance writer for books and publications across the country. A former writer and editor for Southern Accents magazine, her work appears regularly in Florida Design , Southern Home , Charleston Style & Design and Dallas Style & Design Contact her at jdelathouder@gmail.com.

» KING & SOCIETY CONSTRUCTION

1012 EWALL ST.

MOUNT PLEASANT, SC 29464

843.388.4674

KINGANDSOCIETYCONSTRUCTION.COM

MC3 DESIGNS

AWENDAW, SC 29429

843.906.1502

MC3DESIGNS.NET

WENDY MAURO DESIGN

CHARLESTON, SC 29464

202.441.8948

WENDYMAURODESIGN.COM

The timeless, classic aesthetic of this traditional beach home design blends seamlessly with its natural surroundings. Craftsman detailing accentuates the clean lines of the architecture.

COLORFUL CURATION

Designer Nicole Norris mixes new and collected furnishings with a Mexican-inspired color palette in a Daniel Island condo

by DANA W. TODD / photography by HOLGER OBENAUS

To-the-ceiling cabinetry and an expandable dining table allow the condo to live larger than its two-bedroom, two-bath footprint. Finishings such as the Kalco Broadway jewel-metallic pendant enliven the space.

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Interior designer Nicole Norris’ signature statement of bold color is on full display in the living room, where antique turquoise and gold artwork serves as the jumping-off point for the condo’s color palette.

Glance through the portfolio of interior designer Nicole Norris, and you’ll see plenty of colorful inspiration. Her signature work with strong colors is why many Lowcountry homeowners turn to her to enliven their spaces. The need for her expertise struck a little closer to home in this latest project—a luxury condo perched on the bank of the Wando River on Daniel Island owned by her parents, Mary and Tom Folse. They asked Norris to incorporate some of their furnishings and treasures collected over the years while traveling at the behest of the U.S. Air Force, while adding fresh, new pieces and their favorite bold color palette of turquoise, orange and chartreuse to their new waterfront condo.

Since they purchased the condo while it was still under construction, the Folses were not required to use the developer’s recommended in-house finish packages but instead could handpick materials with their own interior designer. “I have designed four homes over the last 30 years for them,” Norris says. “They trust my design sensibilities since I have worked with them on so many other projects.”

By changing the floor plan to suit her parents’ needs and adding their design preferences, the final result is a comfortable, eclectic and transitional condominium bursting with bright colors inspired by the Spanish-colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where the Folses own another home. “Charleston and the UNESCO city of San Miguel de Allende have a lot in common,” Norris says. “The cobblestone streets and affinity for food, shopping, architecture and art are important in both cities.” The Mexican city is a hub of American expatriates who enjoy the culture, similar to the recent influx of new residents to the Holy City, which makes sense as both locations have held the title of top city in the world.

The desire for color drove many design choices in the Folses’ condo. A treasured piece of turquoise and gold artwork printed on Parisian paper, which was purchased from Scott Antique Markets in Atlanta, serves as the inspiration for the home’s color palette. It is uniquely hung from a drapery rod in the living room over two swivel barrel

Uttermost cabinets read as built-ins on each side of the living room fireplace, while armchairs from Forty West Designs provide a cozy and elegant place to rest by the fire. All are anchored by a Turkish rug in a muted colorway from Textura.

chairs sourced from the family’s prior residence in a North Carolina mountain town. “Mom thought she had lost this unique piece of artwork when they moved to the house in Mexico but found it as they moved to Daniel Island,” Norris says. “I was disappointed at the time because I was going to use it in the Mexico house, but it worked out much better as a focal point in this condo.”

Norris carried turquoise and other key colors into every room through the addition of newly purchased artwork and accessories. In the living room, a muted Turkish Oushak rug just steps away from the Parisian focal artwork continues the theme without being overbearing. Down the hall in the study, a Bernhardt sleeper sofa transforms the room into guest quarters when needed, while orange tones on a vibrant rug and throw pillows brighten the mood and hint at the Mexican aesthetic.

The desire for color drove manychoicesdesign in the condo.

Only in the primary suite did Norris stray from bold colors, opting instead for cozy, textural neutrals for a calming effect. “The bedroom is small, but I was able to work in a king-size bed they already owned and used taupe and aqua to soften the room and make it feel restful and tranquil,” she says. A combination of honed Mediterranea Marmol porcelain tile and Calacatta Borghini quartz in the bathroom are classic and durable and remain in keeping with the soothing theme of the primary suite.

While color was important to the Folses, just as important was the need for storage. Since Norris was able to meet with the developer while construction was ongoing, she could alter the floor plan and furnishings to maximize storage capability. “The first thing I noticed when I walked into the entrance was that I looked straight into a set of double doors,” she says. “The home had no sense of arrival.” Since that set of double doors housed a closet and storage was top of mind, Norris knew she had to replace it with an even better solution. She custom designed a built-in cabinet with a decorative, mirrored front that became a welcoming piece in the entryway while providing space for hanging coats and drawers for essentials like dog leashes and car keys. “Everything you need before you walk out the door can be housed in that cabinet,” she says.

Since the entranceway built-in mimics the design of the Uttermost cabinets Norris chose to flank the fireplace in

A sleeper sofa in the study quickly converts the room into guest quarters when needed. Mexican-inspired colors continue in this room; the vibrant throw pillows, rug and artwork were sourced by Norris.

left:

Custom-designed entryway built-ins echo the living room cabinets, so they all appear as a cohesive statement. They provide coveted storage while setting the tone for what’s around the corner.

left: A neutral palette in the primary bathroom provides a welcome feeling of respite.

The homeowners had complete trust in designer Nicole Norris. She is not only their daughter, but she has also successfully designed four previous homes for them. Here she stands beside the primary bedroom’s focal point, a nook she created by repositioning a closet door.

In this peaceful bedroom, the colors are toned down to a soothing aqua and combined with textural layers of taupe and white. Embroidered pillows from Tourmaline Home and art by Mexican artist Lola Picó underscore the connection with Mexico.

A large balcony provides enough room for an impromptu gathering. A dining table and built-in grill are just out of sight on the far side of the space.

the living room down the hall, they look as if they were made to reside together. The footprint of the two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo is modest, so it was important to make storage aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. “I wanted to utilize every inch for storage without having closet after closet,” Norris says. “I repositioned the door to a closet in the entrance of the primary bedroom because it could be seen from the living room, replacing it instead with a treasured piece of furniture, family mementos and decorative touches to make the focal point more visibly pleasing.”

With an eye toward this goal, Norris reconfigured the kitchen cabinets to go all the way to the 10-foot ceiling, adding an extra level of cabinets for infrequently used items. “It’s not a large kitchen but a shotgun space,” Norris says. “As their main U.S. home, they really needed this extra bit of space.” She added an island for two, where the couple sits for breakfast each morning, after construction was complete. Its warm wood base helps to balance the modern vibe of stainless steel appliances and flat-front, Europeanstyle cabinetry painted ‘Cadet Grey’ by Farrow & Ball.

Open concept living between the kitchen, dining and living spaces extends to the large outdoor patio accessed through glass French doors off the main living room. “The patio overlooks the pool and is larger than the surrounding condos’ outdoor spaces,” Norris says. A built-in grill, large dining area complete with dining table and chairs, and a separate lounging space with comfortable furnishings brought from a previous house greatly increase the everyday living and entertainment capacity of the home. “The outdoor living space faces west, so you can see beautiful sunsets in the evening,” she adds. “They hosted a Christmas party there, and it was the best flow I’ve ever seen between indoor and outdoor entertaining spaces.”

With all the features the home has going for it, Norris added even more aging-in-place functionality by specifying grab bars in the bathroom to increase accessibility if needed by her parents in the future. “They moved here from another location on Daniel Island and decided against a two-level condo and instead chose this one where they could get in on the ground floor of the construction process and customize it for themselves,” she says. “This condo makes living easy. They love that The Kingstide restaurant is next door and they can hop the ferry to Mount Pleasant. There is no maintenance, and they can simply lock the door when they are ready to leave to spend some time in Mexico.” *

1600

MOUNT

803.773.8083

NICOLENORRISDESIGN.COM

Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and art.

JUDY WALTERS FINE ART

JUDY Walters’ impressionistic oil paintings illuminate her highly developed sense of place, light and scale. With a tendency to think big, her paintings of majestic skies, endless marshes and sparkling beaches speak to her creative sensibilities. As demand for her works have grown, so have her canvases. Her recent large-scale paintings range from 4-by-6 feet to 8-by-9 feet.

With a home studio on Daniel Island, Walters often paints en plein air from her open-air studio situated aboard her boat. She and her husband, Jack, spend much time cruising the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico. She takes inspiration and reference photos from the coastlines and marshes she explores along the way.

Although her expansive ambitions in art and life sprang from childhood, her upbringing occurred in a much more intimate scale—as a coal miner’s daughter from Pikeville, Kentucky. Walters and her siblings were raised on a working farm with loving parents. There she learned the value of family togetherness and appreciation for every small blessing and beautiful treasure from the land.

Today, Walters applies her fond memories to her artistic achievement. “In my art career, I am reminded about what I learned from my mother, that something lovely can always be created simply and with humble hands. As an artist, all I need

JUDY WALTERS FINE ART

is paint and my deep love of a subject,” she says.

The common thread between her childhood and her career is a deep love of art making.

Walters studied at the Florence Academy of Art and refined her skills through workshops with national and international artists. Her travels through countries in Asia, Europe and Africa honed her eye for picturesque landscapes. Those travels— specifically in Greece, France and Italy—remain her favorite art adventures. She is particularly drawn to impressionism, capturing everyday rural life and landscapes, such as those found in the works of Millet and Corot.

Walters’ artistic style is characterized by vibrant hues applied with loose, expressive brushstrokes. Her paintings mostly tell stories about nature’s ever-changing light patterns and the lovely ways atmospheric light gives form to land and water. Her paintings also celebrate the Lowcountry, where she captures subjects whose lives are shaped by both nature and historic roots.

Walters is a sought-after gallery and commissions artist. Viewing art making as a collaborative process, she works with collectors on subject, palette colors and eventual placement of the artwork. Walters shows her work at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery in Charleston and Perspective Gallery in Mount Pleasant.

JUDY WALTERS FINE ART

606.477.0877

JUDYWALTERSFINEART.COM

RANA JORDAHL FINE ART

GROWING up in a family of women where creativity was always encouraged, Rana Jordahl’s path to becoming a professional artist seemed almost laid out from childhood. After beginning her career in advertising and graphic design, she transitioned to fine art upon moving to Charleston in 2002 and has built on her inherent talent using the principles she learned in graphic design. “Graphic design has aided me well in terms of conception, design, composition, drawing and color harmony,” she says, noting that she has honed her painting skills by taking many painting workshops and studying locally under the tutelage of Elizabeth Bronson in McClellanville for years.

Jordahl became part owner of Lowcountry Artists Gallery in 2007 and has since been a full-time professional painter. She describes her style as contemporary impressionism and loves to capture her subjects in a mixture of abstraction and representative form, using thick, expressive brushstrokes. She keeps a multitude of tools in her kit, from brushes and palette knives to paint shapers and brayers. “I have a love for painting the animals that I grew up around from my Midwest upbringing as well as from the Lowcountry, including herons, egrets, pelicans and other shorebirds, cows and chickens,” she says. “I also enjoy the creative process and flexibility of setting up still life arrangements.

RANA JORDAHL FINE ART

Throw in a pinch of landscape, and those are my favorite muses.

“I love art for its infinite possibilities and how many ways I can choose to express a subject and its form. A bird’s wings in flight, the cast light of an object onto another in a still life, the motion of water and the sparkling light on its surface. There is so much inspiration to be found in the world around us, from natural beauty in our landscape to ordinary, everyday objects that are suddenly elevated when arranged perfectly together in still life. Whatever I want to convey about those subjects—softness, drama, light and shadow, energy, color— it is endless, and it inspires me to paint every day.”

The artist keeps a dedicated studio space at her home on Daniel Island and is a member of Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society and the Charleston Artist Guild. Her work is represented at Lowcountry Artists Gallery, and Jordahl shows annually at the Southeastern Wildlife Expo (SEWE) and the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition.

You can see more of Jordahl's work on her Instagram page @ranajordahl_fineart.

843.270.4896

RANAJORDAHL.COM

CHARLESTON GALLERY AS SOCIATION

ART has long been a part of Charleston, ingrained into its fabric like the sunsets over the marshes. It’s a way its people express life and culture, a connection to the city that defies all rules and simply relies on feeling, passion and the urge to create. With many of the art galleries located within a four-block walking radius in historic Downtown Charleston, it’s no wonder the area has been recognized by Artnet as the number one art destination for art lovers in the United States.

Created as the French Quarter Gallery Association (FQGA) approximately 30 years ago to bring the galleries in Charleston’s downtown French Quarter together, the organization was restructured and rebranded in 2015 as Charleston Gallery Association (CGA) by Julie Dunn, former FQGA and CGA president, and her team.

“We had many new galleries outside the French Quarter district, including King Street and greater Charleston. So, we changed the name, invited other art galleries to join, rebranded and brought everyone together as one art group, going from 28 galleries to more than 40,” says Dunn. “This has brought excitement and has created a new brand as ‘Charleston—An Art Destination.’”

The breadth of the CGA’s represented art is vast, offering paintings, sculpture, jewelry, glass works and artwork, from Lowcountry landscapes to realism, abstraction, contemporary, photography, mixed media and more “There’s something for everyone in our galleries; in

CHARLESTON GALLERY AS SOCIATION

addition to the abundance of local artists, our galleries have all created strong rosters that include national and international artists,” says Griffith Britton, vice president of the CGA.

The CGA is thriving. The organization’s First Friday Art Walks are held monthly from 5 to 8 p.m. and feature new works by the artists. In an effort to support the galleries within the area, the CGA publishes gallery maps with routes to each location; the maps are available online and at CGA galleries. The CGA website also provides information on each gallery, current exhibits, a link to each gallery’s website and an events page.

“The Charleston Gallery Association is here to bridge the collector to the gallery that brings them joy, fits their taste and helps them find their favorite art piece. Each gallery has a unique flavor that graces the Charleston art scene, which we are so grateful to be part of,” says Jennie Fili, CGA’s president.

The artwork represented on these pages can be found at our member galleries. From left page, top: Mitchell Hill, Charleston Artist Guild Gallery, Meyer Vogl Gallery, The Miller Gallery and Atrium Art Gallery. Right page, top: Anglin Smith Fine Art, Hagan Fine Art, Mary Martin Gallery, Corrigan Gallery and Sandpiper Gallery.

ELEANOR PARKER FINE ART

THERE’S a subdued quality to Eleanor Parker’s paintings of the Lowcountry landscape and its marshes, a hushed sense of tonality and moodiness that does not rely on bold color to create an effect. “I am drawn to how the light changes everything around it,” says Parker, who grew up spending time with her grandparents in Mount Pleasant, where she has lived with her husband on Shem Creek for 30 years. “I love to paint skies. Early morning or evening light is my favorite and capturing that in a tonal painting is a means of expressing the quietness of the atmosphere and the calmness that settles over everything. Through that softness, I am bringing the viewer many emotions and evoking memories—a sunset they have seen or an early morning boat ride they have taken. That is the gift of being an artist.”

While she has painted for 20 years, Parker became a professional artist less than a decade ago and has, over the past few years, become more serious about perfecting her skills. To that end, she has taken many workshops with such renowned artists as Scott Christensen, Roger Dale Brown and Larry Moore. As she paints, Parker finds inspiration in the effect of light on the Lowcountry waters and marshlands. As a result, her body of work seems a collection of days spent on the water and along the

ELEANOR PARKER FINE ART

marshes, staring up at the sky and absorbing the light to have it spill out onto the canvas and leave the viewer at peace. “I love how nobody sees art the same way,” she says. “There is no right or wrong. I love how it changes a room and how every time you look at a painting you see something different.”

Parker is a member of the Charleston Artist Guild and has shown at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE) for three years. Her work can be seen online at sewe.com. “I have enjoyed being an exhibiting artist with SEWE,” she says. “I get to meet so many wonderful people at the exhibition, both artists and collectors. It is wonderful to be a part of such an important event for Charleston, where my work—and that of so many other talented artists from all over—is brought out to celebrate the beauty of nature. Living here, I have such rich inspiration all around me, from the marshes to the coast. I look forward to this event and all it brings every year.”

ELEANOR PARKER FINE ART

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COLOMBIAN-born artist

Liliana Maya began her love for painting decades ago, but it wasn’t until her three daughters were grown that she steadily turned what had so long been a hobby into a career as an international artist. “Early on in my professional journey, I studied art under an instructor in Colombia,” says the largely selftaught artist. “In those sessions, I learned the importance of using shadows and light to create movement, breakage and dimension in my artwork.”

Now, she paints from her home studio in Summerville, South Carolina, where she creates pieces that are incredibly colorful and expressive—almost whimsical in their composition.

“My style is free-flowing,” notes Maya, whose work is filled with thick brushstrokes and paint splatters rather than precise technique “I like to take the beauty of nature and create an abstract image that is based on boundless, fluid and layered brushstrokes guided by my imagination. I feel so connected to nature. The landscapes I observe imprint in my head, and I simply reflect it through art.”

That interpretation—or, as she calls it, a reflection—is her signature, as are the layering and textures in her paintings. “I have always expressed myself through art, as that is when I feel the freest,” she says. “Paintbrushes are the wings that give me the freedom to express my thoughts and emotions, and because of that, there is a lot of spirit and depth behind each piece.”

LILIANA MAYA

LILIANA MAYA

Maya paints in acrylic on canvas, producing what is, essentially, a deep insight into herself and a connection to the world and the people around her. “What I love most about art is that, in its most fundamental form, it is a means of communication that extends beyond language, lifestyle and geography,” she says. “It is a universal means of communication that serves as a gift and reaches those who seek to interpret its unique and boundless message. I make each piece with deep profundity, capturing a lot of spirit behind them.”

Maya’s work is displayed across the Charleston area in Revealed Art Gallery as well as Accent and Wine. Her daughter, Camila Romero Maya, represents her as she fulfills her lifelong dream. “I am so inspired by the buyers who hang my art in the intimate and joyous spaces that are their homes and businesses,” says Maya. “They give me the assurance to continue my passion and share it as a gift to others.”

STEPHEN MOSCOWITZ

FROM as early as he can remember, Stephen Moscowitz has been artistic. The son of a father who was a furrier by day and a pastel artist by night, he was given broken chalks and paper and pieces of cardboard from the launderette to use for his own masterpieces as a child. In school, his talent was noticed by teachers who encouraged him to help other students during art—though his oversight didn’t always win him fans among his peers.

As he grew older, honing his natural talent became more of a priority. By high school, he was taking two art classes a day instead of French, algebra and science, learning the techniques and mediums of both fine art as well as commercial art. Moscowitz’s proclivity toward commercial art won him scholastic art awards throughout his high school career, culminating with a scholarship to Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Art & Design.

By college, Moscowitz lost patience with the finer points of fine art and focused on what had always been his strongest point: commercial art. After graduating from RIT, he went to work for a retail furniture company, creating ads. This opened the door to a career in commercial art, taking him to New York, where he later became an art director for the advertising company where he worked.

STEPHEN MOSCOWITZ

Still, Moscowitz had an insatiable need to keep learning. He took part-time courses at local art schools, where he was introduced to the wonders of illustration—and the success that could come from it. After getting an agent, he began taking assignments with ad agencies and publishers, eventually becoming known on a worldwide scale for his work.

The advent of computer illustrations was, unfortunately, the end of Moscowitz’s boom, but serendipity intervened and brought him a new medium: motorcycles. Beginning with his son’s motorcycle, the paintings he created on the bike’s gas tanks were a rolling advertisement for his work. Since then, he has painted hundreds of motorcycles, many of which have won awards at bike shows.

What the motorcycles proved to Moscowitz was that he could paint. And paint, he did, creating fine art pieces that depict the Lowcountry scenery and wildlife that he has fallen in love with since moving to the area. “Life is the inspiration for my work,” he says. “Something is happening, and I want to create the image.”

Moscowitz is represented by the Perspective Gallery in Mount Pleasant.

STEPHEN

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THERE’S a poetry to the paintings that Jenan McClain creates, a fluidity and abstraction akin to the lines of a poem. She lets her emotions and soul guide the brush and follows the dictates of the words on her heart, both written and unwritten. And that is why her work speaks as powerfully as it does to the viewer, drawing out emotions and stories that create a personal connection to the work on the canvas.

“I realized that there is some emotional undertone in my paintings that resonates on another level with people,” says McClain. “It became apparent that my purpose is to translate healing, joy, light and hope, and that emotion has been felt by people—especially women— across the country who see my work.”

Knowing McClain’s back story and how her art evolved as the result of a period of grief and struggle during her daughter’s health crisis as a child, one can understand how her work would hold such force. Her art comes from that place of pain and fear over the unknown, that place where struggle gives way to surrender and spirituality. Having come through that dark time, there is a depth in her work that conveys so much—all without words.

Words are important to McClain, however, as she expresses herself through poetry just as she does through paint. And the two frequently go hand in hand. “Poetry is a big part of

JENAN MCCLAIN

JENAN MCCLAIN

my life and my work,” she says. Oftentimes, her paintings are named from the poetry she has written, as one inspires the other.

A relatively new artist to the professional scene, McClain studied art in school at the Fine Art Center in Greenville, South Carolina, but did not pursue it professionally. Rather, she followed a path that led her first to banking and then to luxury real estate in the Caribbean. It wasn’t until 2020 that she decided to finish her work in the Caribbean and focus her efforts completely on painting.

A self-described “intuitive” painter, McClain’s style is abstract impressionism, focused on subjects in nature that she views as abstractly maternal: florals, waterscapes and landscapes. Painting from her home studio in Mount Pleasant, she paints her poetry in both large and small scale and accepts commissions. Her work can be found at The Vendue and the Miller Gallery in Charleston, as well as at the Grand Bohemian in Greenville, South Carolina, and AnArte Gallery in San Antonio, Texas.

ART ON THE SQUARE FINE ART GALLERY

OPEN since November

2019, Art on the Square Fine Art Gallery is the Charleston area’s newest art hub, representing more than 40 award-winning local artists to offer a wide variety of paintings, photography, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, artisanal woodwork and stained glass.

Located in Nexton Square in Summerville, South Carolina, the 2,000-square-foot gallery holds a rich abundance of pieces—all of which are incredibly unique displays of local talent.

With a collection of artists whose work offers great appeal to clients with a wide variety of interests, the pieces represent various painting styles and explore different mediums, offering the best of realism, impressionism and contemporary abstraction. The gallery’s vast assortment of art is inspiring to behold, and it’s the perfect place to find a piece that will become a cherished treasure.

Current artists include Robert Maniscalco, whose beautiful portrait of a family features realism at its best. Co-owner Renee Bruce’s Window Series V has a whimsical and colorful expression that captivates the

ART ON THE SQUARE FINE ART GALLERY

viewer. Alexandra Kassing’s Marsh Kaleidoscope is an impressionistic landscape that captures spring colors that literally sing. And Angel Oak Shine by Rachel DuBose King depicts a famous Lowcountry landmark of one of the oldest trees found in the southeast.

Artists represented at Art on the Square are brought in through a juried process that the artist participates in after applying to join the gallery as an art associate.

PATRICIA RENO HUFF GALLERY & ART STUDIO

UTILIZING the strengths she gained teaching high school, Patricia Huff has created a name for herself as an art teacher in Kiawah Island, and her gallery has become a showroom for the burgeoning talents of her students.

A painter herself, Huff was artistic as a child and was encouraged by her mother, who made sure to keep her well equipped with art supplies. As creative as she was, however, Huff lost confidence in herself during her teenaged years until she met a fellow student at Georgia State University who, despite his severe cerebral palsy, was pursuing painting. After that, Huff’s desire to paint was reignited, and she began taking workshops and even studied abroad in Italy. Inspired by the Greek and Roman art and architecture that surrounded her, Huff’s passion for painting intensified even more, and she began a tireless quest to learn and refine her techniques. “You never stop learning as an artist,” says Huff. “It’s a constant process of learning new things, growing and changing.”

Professionally, Huff did not pursue art as a career until later in life, after seven years of teaching economics, history and political science to high school students and working in the real estate industry. The Atlanta native was also highly active with volunteering, serving on the board of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Designer Showhouse for a number of years in addition to filling the role of chairman for

PATRICIA RENO HUFF GALLERY & ART STUDIO

one year, as well as working with many other organizations and earning the Leadership Sandy Springs award. After retiring, she established her own gallery in 2015, where she began offering art classes. Moving to Freshfield Village in Kiawah Island in 2020, Patricia Reno Huff Gallery & Art Studio continued to be a learning center for those who aspired to become artists, giving them both a place to hone their abilities as well as an entry into the public arena. “It’s intimidating to expose yourself to the public eye,” Huff says. “The work my students create and then choose to display is a very personal thing for them. I love being part of that and seeing them learn and find their style as painters.”

As an art instructor, Huff has had to become adept at many different styles and techniques, as her students all have individual styles and very unique personalities. “I need to be adaptive to their needs so that I can give them the tools they need to develop—including the fundamental background in drawing and composition,” says Huff. “I love exploring different styles in my own work, as well.”

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AWARD-WINNING

photographer Ivo Kerssemakers took an unexpected path. He was born in the Netherlands and raised in Amsterdam, where he started his own software business. In 1997, he moved to the United States and continued to work as a software developer throughout the country before settling in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

In 2015, he began pursuing his passion for photography professionally. His signature work consists of long-exposure photography, with an emphasis on clean, surrealistic, minimalisttype imagery. The long-exposure technique means he uses neutral density filters up to 16 stops to achieve exposure times of more than four minutes in bright daylight. Kerssemakers pays careful attention to the way landscapes change in different lighting and weather conditions and will revisit locations to see how they change. He is currently focusing on the Charleston area, in particular Botany Bay, as well as working on an architectural series in London and Amsterdam.

Kerssemakers prioritizes using the highest-quality sustainable materials for printing and framing, and he specializes in large-scale works. Venues in South Carolina where his work can be seen include Lowcountry Artists Gallery in Charleston, MISC-Everything Murrells Inlet Gallery and The Gallery at Sweetgrass in Isle of Palm.

IVO KERSSEMAKERS

843.424.6225

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IVO KERSSEMAKERS

HAGAN FINE ART GALLERY

AS an artist, Karen Hewitt

Hagan sees change both as a fact of life and inspiration for creativity. She views it—and the art she curates for Hagan

Fine Art Gallery (HFA)—almost intuitively And as she welcomes change yet again with the gallery’s move to a new location at 125 Church St., just a block from the Dock Street Theatre, that sense of intuition is mirrored on the canvases of Amy Dixon’s work, presented in a show aptly called Intuitions during HFA’s Grand Opening Exhibition on May 5, 2023.

As someone who does not ascribe—or limit—herself to one specific style, Dixon explores and experiments with abstract and loose representational painting. She describes her work as “intuitive, curious, never stagnant, eccentric, energetic and saturated with color. Layering color and glazes offers depth to the canvas surface that is spontaneous and intentional. This holds not only my own interest but the interest of the viewer.”

Hagan would agree. “Amy’s work embodies soul, color and energy,” says the gallery owner. “It’s filled with tension and relief and rife with emotion. It makes you feel so alive and happy. Much like her paintings, Amy is a joyous artist to work with and a bundle of energy. As she works through her varied inspirations, she is always pushing the boundary of what’s new and innovative in today’s art.”

HAGAN FINE ART GALLERY

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PERSPECTIVE GALLERY

ART is a wonderful escape from everyday life, and as East Cooper ’s largest and most diverse gallery, Perspective Gallery is a wonderland of beauty and color. Tucked into the corner of Crickentree Village Plaza, its humble facade may seem unremarkable but its assemblage of paintings in every style and technique are proof that one should never judge appearances.

Open from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., the gallery is a popular place to discover new finds or add to a collection, but note that parking can be a challenge at lunchtime. The works displayed are a feast for the senses and depict a wide variety of subjects all created by Lowcountry locals. As the gallery exhibition venue for the Mount Pleasant Artists Guild, Perspective requires potential exhibiting artists to go through a jurying process in order to maintain a diverse selection of work from the most skilled Guild members—many of whom have received awards and accolades for their work.

Displaying the works of more than 35 artists, the gallery supports locals, and a portion of every sale is given to the Mount Pleasant Artists Guild annual college scholarship fund. Perspective also offers a variety of open workshops taught by exhibiting artists as well as regionally and nationally known instructors.

PERSPECTIVE GALLERY

843.800.5025

SUSAN KLAVOHN BRYANT

THOUGH Susan Klavohn

Bryant has been an artist in some respect for all of her life and majored in art education in college, it wasn’t until 2017 that she became one professionally. Previously, she had been capturing homes, landscapes, wildlife and other subjects through photography, with hopes of eventually returning to painting. Now, she balances a career in real estate with her pursuit of art, creating paintings that capture the scenery and people of the Charleston area with energy, color and emotional qualities that make her work unique.

Through the use of acrylics, oil and mixed media, Bryant paints a variety of subjects, including landscapes, still life, expressive portraiture and abstracts.

Though she is still relatively new to the artist community, her undeniable talent has made her stand out, placing her in a position to help others learn to paint and inspire established artists to try new techniques or subjects. She has served as past president of the Mount Pleasant Artists Guild and is involved with the Charleston Artist Guild Pet Helpers project. She also assisted in the development of other area galleries. Her work is represented by the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery.

In early 2023, Bryant will have an abstract show at Serendipty Labs in Summerville, South Carolina.

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ELLA W. RICHARDSON FINE ART

ELLA W. Richardson Fine Art offers exceptional artwork from American and international established and emerging artists. The range in its catalogue includes a variety of art, from impressionist oil paintings and contemporary abstracts to black-and-white photography, as well as bronzes by the late American sculptor Glenna

Goodacre

Featured here are new works by Donald Weber. His art education began with a study of architecture, evidenced in his sure strokes delineating the streets and skylines of Charleston. Soaring steeples and narrow streets bounded by the reach of sun or a blanket of dusk, palms and planters, stucco and brick, these are the elements that beckon exploration and, for Weber, expression.

An American artist, Weber paints in a contemporary impressionist style. His mediums include oil, oil pastel and pastel. He draws daily with graphite and charcoal. “I love to paint!” he exclaims. “I love the work of it. It is a very real, physical activity for me and connected to me through my senses. I love the feel of the materials in my hands, the smell of the paint, the light in the studio and the tremendous satisfaction from painting outside and from life.”

ELLA W. RICHARDSON FINE ART

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SANDRA W. ROPER

SOUTH Carolina artist

Sandra W. Roper was an art major at the University of South Carolina before her path led her to a career in advertising. But nearly 20 years ago, the Greenville native left the corporate world to stay at home with her two boys. “I wanted to go to all of their ball games,” she says. “Then I started painting again, and things just evolved from there—and I never missed any ball games.”

Painting in watercolors, Roper finds inspiration in the creativity and brilliance of Charleston’s eclectic styles of architecture and from the passion, perseverance and dedication people have for their work and traditions. The artist is currently working on a series of paintings that seek to preserve Lowcountry ways of life and the traditions that trace back several generations. Finding the ordinary to be extraordinary, Roper believes that sharing stories through her paintings is a way to honor the shrimpers, oyster shuckers, Gullah basket makers and other craftspeople and tradespeople that give the South such richness.

Roper is part owner of Lowcountry Artists Gallery in Charleston. New releases and giclée prints can be found on her website.

SANDRA W. ROPER

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HUYLER HOUSE GALLERY

AS small as the private barrier island of Dewees Island may be, it is massively supportive of art and boasts an incredible gallery at the Huyler House community center, which first debuted a Featured Artist Series in October 1998. Over the past 25 years, the series has featured various artists whose work ranges from photography to performance art.

During the summer of 2023, the Huyler House Gallery will present exhibits from featured artists including Adam D. Cohen, Jim Darlington and Rebecca Herold.

Cohen, a Raleigh, North Carolina-based visual artist, primarily creates figurative work. “I paint interiors,” he says, “human interiors. I turn figures inside out, revealing their spirit as well as mine, and—hopefully, when you look at them—yours.”

Darlington lives on Sullivan’s Island, where he paints landscapes as well as portraits. “The faces of the Lowcountry have a special character, even more fascinating than the landscapes,” he says.

Herold is both an artist and the founder of Green Door Studio, known for her oil paintings of landscapes and botanical drawings. “I use art as a means of maintaining a balance between the peace found in nature and a naturally chaotic world,” she says

The artwork represented on this page includes Adam Cohen (top), Rebecca Herold (middle) and Jim Darlington (bottom).

HUYLER HOUSE GALLERYT 701.641.1405

GINNY VERSTEEGEN FINE ART

FORMALLY trained in art education, Ginny Versteegen spent her entire professional life immersed in art, teaching its history and techniques to students of all ages. A lover of all things creative since childhood, she was selected for pre-college art classes at Carnegie-Mellon University and went on to get her degree at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, majoring in painting and minoring in art history. As she both lived and traveled around the world, her love of that history deepened. Looking at the body of her works, it is clear that the many renowned artists she had the good fortune to meet and work with influenced her technique.

Now settled in Charleston, Versteegen largely paints in oil but has recently begun experimenting in mixed mediums, finding freedom in the use of cold wax mixed with oil paints. The effect is a more atmospheric look that translates well in her landscapes and seascapes, giving them an ethereal air. Her style displays a sense of place, and whether the painting captures the beauty of some far-off place or evokes the Lowcountry charm of South Carolina, her heart is clearly visible in each piece. Versteegen is represented by Charleston Artist Guild Gallery. Visit her website to purchase her paintings or contact her to schedule a viewing.

WHILE he may have followed a more traditional path with his career as a landscape architect, Dennis Fulbright never abandoned his love of art or his desire to paint. In his professional life, he used his artistic skill to bring vivacity and color to the renderings of his projects, painting landscapes and architecture with technique and attention to detail. After retiring in 2015, he turned a greater focus to transparent watercolor and entered many juried shows in South Carolina and Georgia for which he won awards. He has been featured at the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition twice and will be at the 2023 event.

With a style that seems to blur the line between impressionism and realism, Fulbright depicts landscapes and seascapes with manmade objects incorporated to “help develop scale and mood.” His medium of choice, transparent watercolor, is one that creates a much different effect than oils or acrylics. “Transparent watercolor is the application of layers or glazes of watercolor pigments onto paper in a manner that allows light to penetrate through these layers and reflect back through the pigments, giving the color brilliance and luminosity.”

Fulbright works from his home studios in Charleston and Cleveland, South Carolina, and his work may be found online on his website.

DENNIS FULBRIGHT

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DENNIS FULBRIGHT

VICKI P. MAGUIRE

DURING her childhood in rural Massachusetts, Vicki Maguire discovered her first art classroom where the woods ran deep and ponds of fish were abundant. Nature was an inherent passion explored in her poetry, drawings and songs, and all of God’s creation was her inspiration.

After graduating from New Mexico State University, her career in technical writing took her to the Bay Area—and yet another classroom with an abundance of coastal landscapes. During an exploration of the beauty of Carmel, she realized her desire to paint. Her many and far-reaching travels, including plein air painting in rural France, as well as her 23 years residing in Charleston, add to her depth as a coastal artist.

Painting largely in an impressionistic style, Maguire prefers oil on linen applied with a palette knife for a thicker look and multidimensional feel. “Painting is a diary of the beauty seen and felt on canvas,” she says. Maguire’s work can be found online and in the Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and Atrium Health’s Breast Cancer Lobby in Pineville, North Carolina, in addition to fine art galleries and private collections around the country.

CHARLESTON ARTIST GUILD

THE Charleston Artist Guild (CAG) was founded in 1953 by a small group of local artists, including Anne Worsham Richardson, Alfred Heber Hutty and Elizabeth O’Neill Verner—all of whom sought a way to display their works, network with other artists and become more involved in the community.

More than 70 years later, CAG has approximately 700 members and operates the CAG Gallery, where more than 70 of the Lowcountry’s most well-respected artists display and sell their work. In 2022, the gallery was again voted the Lowcountry’s Best Art Gallery, boosting its reputation as Charleston’s premier gallery for high-quality, diverse local art that represents a wide range of mediums and styles.

A nonprofit organization, CAG fulfills the vision of its founders and members by hosting annual community outreach programs for youth, residents of area Alzheimer’s care facilities and other partner organizations. It has also become a family to its members, giving them a place of support and learning.

New artists are juried into the gallery twice annually, and educational programs, critiques and other artistic development opportunities are held throughout the year. The gallery is open daily at 160 East Bay St., from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

CHARLESTON ARTIST GUILD

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HELLI LUCK FINE ART

WHEN Londoner Helli Luck picked up her first paintbrush at 5 years old, she knew that she wanted to be an artist—and that dream carried her through to making it a reality. Winning her first award at 12, she went on to have her work displayed in the Mall Galleries in London and did a campaign with Pall Mall before traveling to Europe.

AfterAuck went on to work as an art director with Saatchi and Saatchi, a job that took Aher all over the world, giving her a unique opportunity to see new cultures and artistic expression in a more global way.

Luck’s travels have provided her with a range of captivating subjects, inspiring her to paint her surroundings. She also has the desire to capture the passage of light through a scene and conjure the feeling it created in that moment. “I love to try and evoke an impression, leaving room for the viewer to feel the emotion,” Luck says.

The artist is drawn to the rich texture of oils, starting with a loose, thin sketch that resembles watercolor before building up to thicker paint. Now living in Pawleys Island, she paints the local scenery and wildlife.

Luck’s work is represented at Perspective Gallery in Mount Pleasant, Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, Wynsum Antiques & Interiors in Charleston and Stellers Gallery in Jacksonville, Florida.

DEBRA PAYSINGER

DEBRA Paysinger’s master’s degree in biology has informed her subject matter, as she primarily paints birds, lures, sea life and rabbits—or the raddits, as she endearingly refers to them. She owns the registered trademark for the term “the raddit” and each whimsical creation is uniquely numbered within the painting.

Paysinger assigns a not-to-berepeated human name to each expressive bird she paints. These names are found on the back of each work. These striking animal portraits stand on their own yet have a grounded familiarity with the others. It’s as if Paysinger knows the personality of every raddit and bird and finds a way to let that personality shine through.

You can find Paysinger’s art in Studio 151 Fine Arts Gallery on Church Street in Charleston.

FLOYD FINE ARTS

FLOYD Fine Arts, formerly known as Cheryl Newby Gallery, is the Grand Strand’s premier fine art gallery, representing renowned artists from around the country. Celebrating 40 years of business in 2023, the gallery has maintained its reputation for the highest quality fine art. Located in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, the gallery currently represents professional painters and sculptors whose works vary in style, and range from purely abstract to representational. One-person and group exhibitions are presented each quarter, with smaller “pop-up” shows throughout the year.

Among the well-known artists represented are the late Ray Ellis (Massachusetts), Mike Williams (South Carolina), Laura Edwards (Virginia), Lisa Gleim (Georgia), Paula Holtzclaw (North Carolina), Martha dePoo (Florida), the late Quita Brodhead (Pennsylvania), Ellen Negley (Florida), Cathryne Trachok (California) and international artist, Brittney Tough (Canada). Six nationally known sculptors, Sandy Scott, FNSS (Wyoming); Gwen Marcus, FNSS (New York); Amy Kann, FNSS (Pennsylvania); Catherine K. Ferrell (Florida); Susan Wakeen (Connecticut); and Jeremiah Welsh (Colorado) also show their work in the gallery, as does ceramics artists, Glenda Taylor (Florida) and Elizabeth Borowski (South Carolina).

While the gallery has acquired many loyal patrons, both private and corporate, the knowledgeable team continuously makes welcome and enjoys assisting the novice collector. Follow on Instagram and Facebook @floydfinearts.

843.979.0149

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LOWCOUNTRY ARTISTS GALLERY

LOCATED in the heart of the historic French Quarter, Lowcountry Artists Gallery is the oldest artist-owned and -operated gallery in Charleston. One of the nine artist-owners is always on hand to answer questions, consult and discuss commissions with clients.

The gallery represents more than 30 guest artists in a wide variety of mediums and styles, including painting, photography, sculpture, mixed-media, pottery, glass, wood and custom jewelry. The award-winning work has a long history of attracting local, national and international collectors. Probably the most popular and most photographed sculptures in the French Quarter are the life-size copper frogs, fish and turtles created by sculptors Charles and Zan Smith. One can usually be found on the bench outside the gallery.

“We’re really proud of the artists we represent and the high quality of the work our gallery offers,” says artist-owner Rana Jordahl. “The art we exhibit epitomizes the lifestyle and beauty of the Lowcountry in an amazing variety of styles, offering contemporary, representational and threedimensional choices for our clients around the country.”

Jordahl shares ownership of the gallery with artists Norma Morris Cable, Fran J. Davies, Lynne Hardwick, Kellie Jacobs, Ivo Kerssemakers, Gaston Locklear, Nicole Robinson and Sandra Roper.

LOWCOUNTRY ARTISTS GALLERY

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GD WHALEN PHOTOGRAPHY

AS a child, Gary Whalen fell in love with photography, taking photos with his Kodak Instamatic camera and finding magic through the lens. In college, he took photography classes and had a darkroom in his bathroom.

Despite his passion for the craft, he did not pursue it professionally but instead followed his athletic acumen onto the professional tennis circuit and owned a tennis club in Florida. It was not until his later years that Whalen turned his focus to photography, working in various formats, including largeformat film, medium-format film, 35mm film, medium-format digital and FF digital.

Utilizing light and shadow much the way Rembrandt did in his paintings, Whalen tends to be very classical in his style, capturing sharp images and employing little, if any, Photoshop work with his animals and landscapes. “I used to do a lot of portrait and fashion work,” he says.

Whalen utilizes the lighting skills he learned as a fashion and portrait photographer in his landscape and animal work. His work leaves viewers with a sense that they are seeing something unfold, candidly part of a moment that they might not otherwise experience. “I shoot my nature work as if I am taking a portrait of whatever the subject is,” he says.

Whalen is a member of NANPA and PPA as well as a Nikon NPS member. He is presently participating in art festivals all over the South and has a complete online store on his website.

828.301.3844

GDWHALENPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

STONO GALLERY

A newcomer to the gallery scene, Stono Gallery opened in March 2023 to the art lovers of Johns Island when owner Simon Schatmeyer capitalized on his love of collecting abstract art and created a place where his passion would find its light.

“I hail from a family of artists,” he says. “My grandfather, mother, brother, sister and now my daughter are all gifted artists in some way, so I’ve literally been surrounded by art all my life. I’ve sold many works in other galleries and online, but this year I decided that I would open my own gallery and exhibit and sell my unique collection alongside some very talented local artists.” The fledgling gallery currently represents many local artists, and Schatmeyer is also working with many more since the opening.

“My gallery is different because of the unique and eclectic collection,” he says. “I am drawn to the bold and liberal use of vibrant color. I love the inherent complexity of abstract art, and what hangs on my walls is beautiful and sometimes unconventional. These are truly original, one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect the artists’ deepest musings.”

STONO GALLERY

843.697.7347

STONOGALLERY.COM

FALLON FINE ART

ARTIST Fallon has been painting professionally since 2017 but, as she tells it, the signs of her creativity began showing before she could speak. “My artistic creations began in my crib when I decided to explore the contents of my diaper on the wall!” Fallon says with a laugh. “From there, I explored my creativity at summer art camps and in gifted art/AP art programs in middle and high school.”

Fallon did not immediately follow that path and instead became a first grade teacher. Today, she spends her days painting, using oils to create landscapes from the marshes of the Lowcountry and the beaches, preferring to work en plein air.

An artist who uses intentional, “juicy” brushwork, Fallon’s paintings are filled with vibrant, happy colors that make her impressionistic pieces dynamic. She has taken workshops from many impressionist artists who inspire her, including Anne Blair Brown of Franklin, Tennessee, the Smith twins of Anglin Smith Fine Art in Charleston and Richard Oversmith of Asheville, North Carolina.

Fallon is a member of the American Impressionists Society, as well as American Women Artists, the Charleston Artist Guild and Mount Pleasant Artists Guild. Her work is represented by the Gallery at Sweetgrass on Isle of Palms and Stellers Gallery in Jacksonville, Florida. She is also the founder of Field and Flow, A Plein Air Painting Retreat.

JEANNE MOORE O'NEAL FINE ART

AS someone who has always been creative and passionate about art, Jeanne O’Neal’s career naturally followed a path that would allow her to explore creativity. During her time as a teacher, she taught art and early childhood education while taking oil classes and workshops herself. Now she has completely owned the role of professional artist, creating what she pictures in her mind.

The former Navy brat lives in Georgetown, South Carolina, with her husband and two teenage daughters. She loves painting the different landscapes of the Lowcountry, from the Southern oaks and Spanish moss to the stunning sunsets over the marshes and the incredible clouds. “It’s in my soul,” says O’Neal, who has recently begun painting en plein air with a group of professional artists. “It is so much fun. The wind, sun and sand make it more challenging, and your paintings reflect your heightened senses while being outdoors.”

Her smaller works can be purchased at various boutiques in Greenville and Pawleys Island, South Carolina. She has also moved into painting in a much larger format—48 by 60 inches. These larger works are represented at the following South Carolina galleries: Perspective Gallery in Mount Pleasant, Art Harbor and Georgetown Art Gallery in Georgetown and Gray Man Gallery in Pawleys Island.

JEANNE MOORE O’NEAL FINE ART

864.421.3504

JEANNEONEAL.FASO.COM

WHILE Richard “Marlowe” Schneider may not be an artist in the sense that he paints or draws, the work that he does is very much art—albeit of the kind that takes the idea of subtlety and throws it out the window with no small measure of glee.

A self-proclaimed “assembler,” Marlowe uses ephemera images from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s as the main focus for his pieces. From there, he builds backgrounds using handmade paper. He is, in the strictest sense of the phrase, a pulp artist.

A former creative director in the advertising industry, Marlowe has clearly been in touch with his creative side for a long time, though he was somewhat stifled by the restrictions of working with clients. Doing art for himself freed Marlowe to try combinations of different styles, and he ultimately landed on mixed media. A great lover of texture, dimension, shadow and saturated color, he creates his pieces to be the sort that “grabs you by the lapels.” Arguably, those are the very qualities that make his work so popular, giving his quirky art an appeal that is almost hard to pin down.

Marlowe’s work is represented at Artistic Transfer in Dallas and New Elements Gallery in Wilmington, North Carolina.

CYNTHIA HUSTON FINE ART

CYNTHIA Huston was artistic as a child, but it wasn’t until adulthood that she began to learn techniques and develop a style. After leaving the conventional workforce, she began to focus completely on becoming an artist and teaching children’s art from her home studio Five years into her career as a full-time painter, Huston has become known for her bold brushstrokes, creating work that is impressionistic and driven by color

Over the past year, Huston has begun to focus more of her time on commissions. “I am so appreciative of my commissions and have been recently humbled and honored to paint portraits for several celebrities,” says Huston. “I find great joy in working with my clients, and I work very closely with them during the process. I like to call it a collaboration instead of a commission.”

Huston is a juried artist at the annual Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition and will release a new collection at this year's festival, which will be held in Marion Square May 26-June 10. Huston has been juried into local and national shows, including the American Impressionist Society and National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society. Her work can be found at the Christenberry Collection in Columbia, South Carolina, and the Carolina Fine Art Gallery in Charlotte, North Carolina.

CYNTHIA HUSTON FINE ART

843.323.8699

CYNTHIAHUSTON.COM

WILLIAM R. BEEBE

FOR more than 30 years, William R. Beebe has painted professionally. He and his wife moved to Mount Pleasant five years ago because of their love for Charleston and the inspiration it offered the artist. With camera in hand, Beebe can be spotted around town photographing churches, historic homes and horsedrawn carriages. You may also have seen him at Shem Creek photographing Brown Pelicans or at the Audubon Swamp photographing Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets. His lifelike but painterly portraits of wading birds and shorebirds are all created from magical moments Beebe’s had in the field birding, working from his own photographs and enhanced by the strong impressions each moment created.

Beebe calls the colorful, charming, historic architecture of Charleston and the abundant birdlife of the Lowcountry his two muses. “Inspiration is what all artists seek, and I’ve found it here in the Lowcountry,” he says.

WILLIAM R. BEEBE

757.897.2990

WILLIAMRBEEBE.COM

CHARLESTON STYLE & DESIGN

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