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The Paintings
THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST is quite a special place. My artwork represents my southern heritage with a wide range of images from coastal to rural Americana scenes. Recently I have refocused on capturing the timeless beauty of our state's coastal areas and South Carolina's state tree in particular. The palmetto tree is an image that is very much a part of our state's past, present, and future, and it represents not only the beauty but also the strength of our state and its people.
Three Palmettos in the Sand
Big Palmetto
WATER PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART in most people's lives, and we all seem to be drawn to it, whether it is in the form of a pond, a river, a lake, or an ocean. Being a lowcountry resident, I have always been particularly drawn to the marshes and the ocean. Painting these landscapes helps me express the love that I have for South Carolina, and most all of the subjects I paint can be found in the Palmetto State.
Palmettos in Marsh
THE COASTAL AREA is a magnificent learning ground for artists. Seeing the line of the horizon and the ocean, one becomes aware of the depth and distance that the human eye can see. To paint that distance with the illusion of miles between the foreground of trees and the beach stretching on to the horizon is no easy task. It was in a similar setting that I first began to understand the power of color and linear perspective.
Beach and Palmettos
I WORKED ONE SUMMER COACHING at a camp located right at the edge of the ocean with the marsh at our back. A hundred yards east were the sand dunes, and a hundred yards west was the edge of the salt marsh. There was a maintenance man who had worked nearby all his life, and I was impressed with his ability to predict the weather based on what he saw in the sky. By relying on such simple sayings as “Red sky at night, sailor's delight, but red sky in the morning, a sailor's fair warning,” counting the number of times a cricket chirped, or watching the way ants moved, the old gentleman was pretty accurate with his weather predictions. I learned new ways to look at those ever-changing skies.
Dark Day on the Marsh
A STORM BREWING over the marsh is a pretty magnificent, yet daunting, thing to witness. The colorful sky, the rough water, and the powerful wind remind us that we are not in control of nature.
Stormy Palmetto
I HAVE ALWAYS HAD a hankering to go where one cannot or should not go. For example, I love the setting of the small hammock islands located in marshes, but I fear the reptiles that make their homes there. However, when I see a beautiful sunrise over the marshlands, I just can't resist getting as close to the islands and trees as my comfort zone will allow.
Overleaf: Marsh
Palmetto Sunrise
Marsh Creek
ON MANY A MORNING I have risen before the sun in order to see the light break through the low-lying clouds over the ocean's horizon. These ventures reward me with a myriad of colors that change by the second as the sunlight flits its way through the clouds to the earth below. The glistening water, sand, and palmetto trees provide a sight beyond compare.
Palmetto and Sunrise
SUNSETS PROVIDE US with some of the most dramatic views of the sky, but the hues are constantly shifting. In my research I have hundreds of photographs, quick sketches, and notes for reference that enable me to try and paint the richness of the sun going down.
Orange and Brown Sunset
I ONCE WROTE FROM THE EDGE OF THE MARSH: “Sunsets do not shine, they leave a warm glow as they dance their way across and through trees and grass.” At the horizon the sun's rays travel throu...
