Be on the Lookout for A Painting in a Tree – Artist West Fraser Will Hang 3 Paintings in a Tree This Holiday Season

In the spirit of Christmas, gift giving and trimming the tree, renowned Southern representational painter West Fraser has announced that this December he has placed three paintings in a tree. Fraser’s PAINTING IN A TREE project begun earlier in 2009 when he placed his first paintings in trees on Cumberland Island, GA.

Mr. Fraser’s has said of his PAINTING IN A TREE project:

“I give to a finder of a painting hanging in a tree, it though happens to have strings attached, literally. I ask you, the recipient, to give to a favorite charity, perhaps your local High school art program, artist organization, local museum or a talented artist in need. I hope that with my gift found, the discoverer will give as well, and perhaps encourage others to make random acts of giving and kindness.  As a catalyst to perpetuate gift giving in the community I hope that my PAINTING IN A TREE project can make a difference.”

The first painting, a 6 x 8 inch oil on panel titled Dungeness Ruins, Cumberland Island, was recovered on Cumberland Island by Canadian sailors Mike and Barb Turney who were heading home to Nova Scotia from their summer sojourn in the Keys. The painting, now mounted on the bulkhead of their 42’ Ketch, Nelleke, prompted the couple to donate to the Cancer Society and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in their home town Halifax. The couple also passed through Charleston after making contact with the artist and met to share their story.

Mr. Fraser has placed these “little jewel” paintings in public locations in three regions that are meaningful to him. Charleston’s French Quarter has been his home for 25 years and is where his wife Helena has her gallery Helena Fox Fine Art. Palmetto Bluff’s Wilson Village (Bluffton, SC) is a new town located on the banks of the May River overlooking the waterways explored in his youth, which remains a place of inspiration for the artist. And lastly Cumberland Island, GA which has been a part of Mr. Fraser’s life since youth and still represents a place of inspiration and personal connection.

Be on the lookout for a PAINTING IN A TREE  in these three locations. On the back of the painting there will be a personal message from the artist. Be ready to receive and to give this holiday season!

Margaret Peery’s View of Charleston Opens at Carolina Galleries in December

Margaret Peery

This December, Carolina Galleries presents an exhibit of Margaret Peery’s newest watercolors titled Views of Charleston. The opening reception is on December 4th, from 5 to 8 p.m. The most recent series features the rooftops and skyline of Charleston from some of the city’s most private homes. Midge has been welcomed into the homes of Charlestonians to paint the view from their rooftops and verandas, sharing with her audience a sight that very few are privileged to see.

Margaret Peery was born in Jackson, North Carolina in 1941. In the 50’s she became a boarding student at Ashley Hall, in Charleston, South Carolina where she studied art with Edith de May Smith. She graduated from Hollins College and earned a MA in mathematics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Inspired by the beauty of the Lowcountry, Peery started painting in 1981. Initially she participated in workshops with many artists including Janet Walsh, Frank Webb, Miles Batt, and West Fraser. Using information learned in these classes, she developed her own style involving layering washes. Peery loves color and enjoys painting atmosphere. Her pieces often have “big” skies anchored by small strips of land.

Peery is a signature member of the Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Southern Watercolor Societies. She has recently had paintings accepted in the Allied Artists of America 94th Juried Exhibition, the Georgia Watercolor Society 29th National Exhibition, The Southern Watercolor Society 31st Annual Exhibition, and the Louisiana Watercolor Society 38th International Exhibition.

Her work can be found in the collections of the Bank of America, Carolina First, Federal Reserve Bank, Roper Hospital, the Gibbes Museum of Art and many private collections.

 

Discover “Different Strokes” at Robert Lange Studios this December

Robert Lange and Nathan Durfee

Opening on Friday, December 4 from 5 – 8 pm at Robert Lange Studios located at 2 Queen Street in downtown Charleston, SC is a wonderful collaborative show entitled “Different Strokes.”

This show will consist of 10 works, each 16″ x 20,” five started by Robert Lange and finished by Nathan Durfee and five started by Nathan and finished by Robert. The show is both an investigation into the collision of two unique styles, and an exercise in relinquishing control over the finished piece. The show is anchored by a black walnut console table built by woodworker Michael Moran; mounted to the table is a tiny door that opens to the painted worlds of Lange and Durfee.

Ella W. Richardson Fine Art Features New Work by Lindsay Goodwin in December

Ella W. Richardson Fine Art features new work by Lindsay Goodwin with a reception on December 4th from 5-8 p.m. Goodwin has soared to the top as one of the brightest stars at the tender age of 27. The gallery is pleased to present her newest collection, which focuses primarily on interior scenes. Lindsay has been written up in every national art publication and has won numerous awards. Her shows are sell outs and her collectors have grown both nationally and internationally.

La Salle Empire, Monte Carlo by Lindsay Goodwin, oil on canvas 14" x 18"

On July 4th she was married in France and in her typical artists mode she acquired new reference works for her show here in December. She is completely devoted to her career and often works 12 to 16 hours a day trying to keep up with the demand for her work. Fortunately she is young and has both the passion and energy to work at this pace.

Born and raised in Topanga, California, a small town outside of Los Angeles, Lindsay had her initial taste of fine art training at O’Neills Fine Arts in Malibu. Following instruction under Katie O’Neill, Lindsay enrolled at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

A passionate devotee of capturing spontaneous romanticism, Lindsay Goodwin is a treasured discovery among the next generation of fine artists. In the past year, Lindsay digs deep into her visual imagination to fuse historical interior visions with modern-day remnants. Her canvas is where the two worlds meet, infused with Lindsay’s unique artistic interpretation and fluid additions. Lindsay creates gradations of tonal balance on her canvases, equilibriums evident when the viewer recognizes the artful juxtapositions of warms and cools. Her fascination for capturing the historical moment of interiors from Paris to Charleston reflects our own human desire for romanticism in our lives, for bringing the elegance of historical splendor into our homes.

Martin Gallery Shows Incredible Photography by Ben Ham in December

Join Martin Gallery in Charleston, SC for an incredible evening, dedicated to the incredible photography of Benjamin Ham, as they celebrate the release of his first book, VANISHING LIGHT.  The artist’s reception and book signing will take place on Friday, December 11, 2009, 5:00-8:00pm at the gallery located at 18 Broad Street.  This will be an amazing opportunity for fine art enthusiasts to meet the photographer, see his entire portfolio on display, purchase work from any of his collections, or even get a personalized and signed copy of his new book, just in time for the holidays. The show will open on December 4 for the December Art Walk.

“There is something magical about working with an 8×10.  It’s almost like looking out a window with that large ground glass on the back,” says Benjamin Ham. “One of the great side effects of photography is the way it opens your vision to the vast quality of light.  It seems to enhance the way one sees the world.  I am often aware of the light as the day passes.”

The photography of Ben Ham is strong in craft and rich in detail. Often described as hauntingly peaceful, his art possesses a presence and potency of place that causes a shift in consciousness. You feel as if you could step into the world created by a Ben Ham photograph.

“Ben Ham makes his way over a craggy landscape wielding a huge bellowed camera and an equally impressive tripod.  It’s a 19th century scenario made new in the 21st century.  He’s looking for just that right angle and light that separates art from documentation,” says photographer, Mark Edward Harris.  “It is not only refreshing but vital to step back and observe what no man create.  The beauty of nature painted by light.  Ben Ham is able to capture and preserve that ethereal beauty.”

Although primarily known for his arresting images of the Lowcountry of South Carolina, Ben Ham has four unique collections, which will be shown in Charleston for the first time in his upcoming show at Martin Gallery. VANISHING LIGHT will showcase work from all four of his collections…The Lowcountry of South Carolina, The Deserts of the Southwest, The Mountains of Colorado, and The Wine Country of California.

Gallery Director, Kit Coleman, says the collection represents “beautiful and nostalgic moments in time.  Each image can be a place you have visited, or even just dreamed about.  Standing in front of a large-scale Ben Ham photograph, you are overcome by a hauntingly familiar feeling and suddenly the photograph is not just any place, but your place.  When the nostalgia seeps in you do not have to wonder if that place exists…it does, and it is yours.”

Martin Gallery strives to bring some of the finest artists in a variety of fields together under one roof. Upon entering the historic Grand Salon of Martin Gallery, one experiences a soaring space filled with the exquisite color and texture of oils, acrylics, bronzes, marbles, terra-cottas and richly hued glass. Martin Gallery features contemporary art, representing more than thirty nationally and internationally renowned artists.

Our goal is to provide works of thoughtful beauty to enhance residential and commercial surroundings. Our belief in the quality of the work that our artists produce is what drives us, and our excellent client relationships are what sustain us.

Photos from the 2009 Charleston Fine Art Annual

CFADA's Painting in the Park

CFADA's Painting in the Park

CFADA's Painting in the Park

CFADA's Painting in the Park

Hans Turner, Winner of the High School Art Competition

Austin Jarvis, 2nd Place Winner

CFADA's Painting in the Park

Ann Long Fine Art Presents “Five Stellar Still Lifes” by Jill Hooper, December 4

Opening Friday December 4^th, Ann Long Fine Art will exhibit Five Stellar Still Lifes by Jill Hooper.  Collected at the Gibbes Museum of Art and approaching her first solo museum show at the Greenville Country Museum of Art, Jill Hooper will exhibit simply five extraordinary paintings of the subject for which she is most well known.   Five Stellar Still Lifes opens on Friday December 4^th with a reception from 5 to 8 pm in the gallery at 54 Broad Street and will show through December.  Artist will be present.

Jill Hooper, realist painter, was born in upstate New York in 1970, and was also raised in North Carolina. Hooper remembers the beginning of her love for drawing at an early age. During the pursuit of her undergraduate degree at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, Hooper spent time abroad in a summer program in Florence, Italy, studying under D. Jeffrey Mims in 1992 and continuing to do so over various periods until 1999. From 1992 to 1993, Hooper studied at the Université de Haute Bretagne in Rennes, France, and at L’Atelier du Thabor, also in Rennes. In 1994, the artist graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a minor in political science.

The classical training Hooper began in Florence led to further study of still-life composition, portraiture, and finally figurework under Mims. She returned to Florence, where she was under the tutelage of renowned Realist painter Charles Cecil at his Florence-based Charles H. Cecil Studios. Most recently she has studied with Ben Long at the Fine Arts League of Asheville and assisted on his fresco project in Crossnore, NC. Various study sojourns to museums of London have helped her training, having been especially inspired by the desert’s colorful palette and the perfection of the Greek antiquities in the British and Victoria & Albert Museums. Her aspiration is to paint figural pieces exemplifying the passages of life in singular moments of solitude, joy, pain, etc.

Hooper has exhibited in North and South Carolina and France. Her work is collected by museums, including the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina, where she is the youngest living artist ever to be collected. In 2007, she was shortlisted for the BP National Portrait Award with her self portrait, Pugnis et Calcibus, which hung in the National Portrait Gallery, London, before touring the UK. She will present a show of new work at the Greenville (SC) County Museum of Art in 2010. Currently, she lives and works in Charleston and Europe.

Established in Charleston, SC in 1997, Ann Long Fine Art is celebrating 12 years as one of the country’s leading galleries specializing in classical realist paintings, drawings, and sculpture by contemporary artists.

An Extaordinary Life featuring Aleksander and Lyuba Titovets at Ella W. Richardson Fine Art on November 6

Lyuba Titovets painting at Washington Park

Returning for their 8th exhibition, Ella W. Richardson Fine Art is extremely honored to present the newest collection of works by Aleksander and Lyuba Titovets on November 6 with a reception from 5-8pm. The show opens as part of the CFADA’s Charleston Fine Art Annual, celebrating CFADA’s 10th anniversary. The gallery is located at 58 Broad Street in downtown Charleston, SC. Lyuba Titovets will be also painting in Washington Park on November 7 during the ever-popular CFADA’s Painting in the Park from 9am till noon.

The Titovets moved from Russia to America seventeen years ago and have been making history ever since. One example was on December 19th, 2008 when Aleksander’s portrait of First Lady, Laura Bush was unveiled to the world to hang in the National Portrait Gallery. It was an awesome honor to be chosen to do this portrait that has now become a part of our American history.

Lyuba and Aleksander are now considered two of the top Russian born Impressionists in America. Lyuba’s still lifes and Aleksander’s landscapes speak volumes of their Russian training. Lyuba’s works come to life with her passionate brush strokes and vivid sense of colors. Her compositions are always thought provoking with something unexpected on every canvas.

Time of Long Shadows by Aleksander Titovets

Aleksander’s landscapes are simply unforgettable. He draws in the viewer and won’t let them go. His scenes are rich and his sense of light will dazzle you. When you gaze at one of his snow seens you immediately start to cool off. He is able to bring you right into the canvas and you feel as though you could just amble through one of his forests.

Siberian born artist Aleksander Titovets received his Masters in Fine Arts from St. Petersburg University College of Fine Arts. His classical art skills reflect the Russian School of Oil Painting, a style that combines a powerful realistic involvement with the soft, lyrical looseness of impressionism.

Although some of Aleksander’s recent work has begun to be influenced by his surroundings in the desert southwest, the majority of his images are still inspired by his Russian homeland. His reserve of some 100 sketches, precious documents of earlier travels, is the basis for these nostalgic creations. “Like all artists, I am more comfortable painting what I know,” explains Aleksander.

Aleksander has participated in competitions with the National Academy of Design, in New York and the Oil Painters of America. He won Best of Show in the International Fine Art Competition four years in a row among competitors in his region. For many years running, he has been selected as a guest artist for Great American Artists and Artists of America that honored him in 1998 with the Artist’s Choice Award. His work is included in public and private collections worldwide, including those of Sophia Loren and the King of Spain, His Majesty Juan Carlos.

Harmony with Purple by Lyuba Titovets

Lyuba grew up in St. Petersburg, Russia. She started her private painting lessons at the age of five and at seven she was selected for the Children’s Art Club in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg. She went on to the State University in St. Petersburg and received a BA and MFA in the College of Fine Arts.

Lyuba’s colorful still lifes are based on intricate settings she arranges in her studio which create an appreciation of color harmony translating into imaginative figurative works. Lyuba’s style is reminiscent of her country’s charming folk traditions. Her subject matter is primarily drawn from her vivid imagination, although she often makes use of old books and photographs to enhance her ideas. She describes her paintings as “too symbolic to be realistic and too realistic to be symbolic.”

Lyuba has received numerous awards and honors including the National Oil Painters of America competition, Great American Artists exhibition in Cincinnati, Ohio and the Westminster Abbey show in London. Her name is included in the Archive of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C. Additionally, Lyuba’s work is in public and private collections in the United States and seven other countries and she has illustrated several books.

Robert Lange Studios Features Amy Lind’s new series titled “Profile” November 6

Amy Lind’s new series of Profile paintings will be on view through the month of November and will open on November 6 starting at 5:30 at Robert Lange Studios during the Charleston Fine Art Dealers’ Association’s (CFADA) Fine Art Weekend. Amy Lind and Robert Lange will be painting in Washington Park on November 7 at the CFADA’s Painting in the Park from 9am till noon.

Artist Amy Lind, who studied at the Florence Academy of Art under “living master” Maureen Hyde and with Michael Grimaldi at the Bay Area Classical Artist Atelier, has created this series of fifteen works to illustrate the subtle beauty of the moment; the detail of lace, the creases of a hand, or the light dancing in a reflection.  She graduated Summa Cum Laude and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

This classically trained contemporary painter’s exploration of the human profile was inspired by a drawing she recently discovered.

“It’s line drawing by John Singer Sargent of Mme. Pierre Gautreax, the same model as in his famous Madame X,” says Lind, “I was amazed by how just one line, a simple profile shape, so eloquently describes her form, emotion, likeness and attitude.”

Lind’s desire to capture simplicity translates within each piece.  “Upon closer inspection patrons discover tiny nuances within Amy’s paintings,” said gallery owner Robert Lange of this new series. “She captures the overall essence of a person by building each piece of the painting as an individual moment.”

Lind’s show is part of the CFADA Fine Art weekend, with events including exhibits on Friday, plein air demonstrations in Washington Park during the day on Saturday with the Charleston Art Auction to follow Saturday night. This year in addition to Lind, patrons can visit with Fred Jamar, Nathan Durfee and Robert Lange all painting in the park on Saturday.

CFADA is a non-profit organization and the Fine Art Weekend is designed to raise money for art programs for local schools.  For eleven years the organization has been donating money and this year CFADA’s goal is to hit $150,000 in cumulative donations.

“Lind’s show is a perfect match for the CFADA weekend.  Her inspiring works will hopefully inspire patrons to buy the auction items and attend the auction, both of which have proceeds going to schools,” said Lange.

Digital images are available upon request.  Contact Megan Lange at (843) 805-8052 or info@robertlangestudios.com.

Robert Lange Studios is located at 2 Queen Street in the historic French Quarter district in Charleston, SC.

Southwest Art Magazine features Charleston in its November issue

Southwest Art Magazine features Charleston’s art world, CFADA’s Charleston Fine Art Annual and CFADA galleries in its November 2009 issue. The article presents Charleston as one of the premier art market destinations in the country.