The Palmetto and Its South Carolina Home

Jim Harrison

• Editorial: University of South Carolina Press
• Año: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781611171952
• Categoría: Art
• Categoría: Artist Monographs

With its fanlike evergreen fronds, soft trunk, and strong root system, the palmetto is a wind-adapted palm that can bend with strong sea breezes without breaking or being uprooted. Emblematic of survival against opposition, the palmetto tree has captured the imaginations of South Carolinians for generations, appearing on the state seal since the American Revolution and on the state flag since 1861. The palmetto was named South Carolina's official state tree by Governor Burnet R. Maybank in 1939, and in 1974 Governor John C. West commissioned acclaimed South Carolina artist Jim Harrison to paint the official palmetto tree portrait for the State of South Carolina, an image that adorns the State House to this day. The Palmetto and Its South Carolina Home showcases the timeless, natural beauty of the state tree in marshland and coastal landscapes in the popular Harrison style.

Appearing on glassware, stationery, jewelry, and many other decorative and functional objects, the palmetto tree is an omnipresent symbol in South Carolina culture. For Harrison, the palmetto remains foremost an icon of the wondrous Carolina coastal habitats. Sweeping images of the coast have been part of Harrison's art since the beginning of his career, and he continues to illustrate his love of the South Carolina coast by capturing the beauty of the state tree amid the many stunning and enchanting scenes included here.

The Palmetto and Its South Carolina Home also explores the historical background of the tree and its many ties to South Carolina's heritage as a symbol of strength and beauty worthy of this artistic celebration.

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...