SOUTHERN SCENES Opens at Horton Hayes Fine Art November 2

Join Horton Hayes Fine Art for an opening reception of “Southern Scenes” featuring new works by Chris Groves, Shannon Runquist,  Mark Kelvin Horton, Nancy Hoerter and Elizabeth Pollie on Friday, November 2nd from 5 to 8pm. Horton Hayes Fine Art is located at 30 State Street in downtown Charleston, SC.

“Southern Scenes” is presented as part of the 14th Charleston Fine Art Annual, November 2-4. Chris Groves, Mark Horton, Shannon Runquist, Nancy Hoerter and Elizabeth Pollie will paint in Washington Park on Saturday, November 3 from 9am till noon during the CFADA’s Painting in the Park that annually features over 30 local and visiting artists. Wet paintings from the park will be up for bid at BUY ART Silent Auction and Patrons’ Receptions. Tickets are $55 and can be purchased at www.cfada.com.

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Painting in the Park: Featuring Mark Kelvin Horton

Mark Kelvin Horton was born and raised in rural North Carolina. After graduating from East Carolina University School of Art in 1983, Horton moved to New York City to begin a career in advertising and design. He carried with him the dream of someday becoming a painter.

Eighteen years of living in New York were spent working as a creative director in various advertising agencies and eventually founding his own design company. Those years also provided an invaluable opportunity for Horton to view and study firsthand the seemingly endless number of masterworks of art in the city’s museums and galleries. Horton became particularly fascinated with the works of George Inness, Herman Herzog, Frederick Church and the tonalist photographer, Edward Steichen. He was also captivated by the realism of John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer as well as the romantic landscapes of the Hudson River School painters. The experience had a profound effect on his artistic development.

Walking to Work by Mark Kelvin Horton

During his years working as an artistic director and designer, Horton continued to nurture his “fine art side”, drawing, sketching and painting whenever he had the opportunity. In early 2001 Horton made the decision to devote himself full-time to painting. He left New York City and returned to his Southern roots, moving to Charleston, South Carolina.

Horton is particularly fascinated with the effects of light and weather upon the landscape. He paints beyond a literal interpretation of a scene to portray nature in a way that reflects his own ideas and sensibilities while capturing the spirit, color and changing light of a place.

Horton’s artwork can be found at Horton Hayes Fine Art located at 30 State Street in downtown Charleston.

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Painting in the Park: Featuring Chris Groves

Light After Dark by Chris Groves

Chris Groves’ love of art grew from his early experiences with nature and the introduction of a master sculpture in his youth. Groves was born in Boulder, Colorado, but soon moved with his family to Slidell, Louisiana. Those early years in Slidell were spent outside, exploring the woods, swimming in the bayou, boating, fishing, playing with snakes and other wild animals. It was during those years that Groves learned to love the outdoors and nature.

At the age of ten, Groves’ family returned to Boulder where he continued his exploration of nature with countless hikes, mountain climbs and camping trips. His parents gave him a nature-drawing book and Groves latched onto it as a source of awe and inspiration. He would spend countless hours copying the drawings and enhancing them with his own interpretation. His parents, recognizing their sons’ talent and appreciation of art, hired a private tutor to instruct him in basic techniques. Soon, Groves’ interest turned from nature to people. Groves looked to magazines, friends and siblings as a source of inspiration and drew detailed portraits of their faces.

In high school, Groves met sculptor, Glenna Goodacre, the mother of a school friend. Meeting with her and seeing some of the success she enjoyed as a artist (Vietnam Women’s memorial, Sacagawea US Dollar design) helped to inspire Groves’ own artistic aspirations.

After graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a B.F.A. in Environmental Design, Groves spent the next ten years as an art director for two large companies, all the while continuing to study and hone his fine art skills.

Groves has studied at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy, the Colorado Academy of Art, the Loveland Art Academy, the Cottonwood Art Academy and the Denver Arts Students League. He also enjoyed a private, two- year mentorship with artist Jay Moore, which he considers a turning point in his artistic career.

Groves paintings hang in numerous private and corporate collections and he is the recipient of multiple awards and recognitions.

Groves’ talent is on full display at Horton Hayes Fine Art  located at 30 State street in downtown Charleston.

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Painting in the Park: Featuring Nancy Hoerter

Working in oils, Nancy Hoerter excels at combining the play of light with the lushness of flowers and fruit in her still-life paintings.

Into the Grove by Nancy Hoerter

Hoerter was born in Amityville, New York, and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Auburn University. Thereafter, she spent several years working as an award-winning designer and art director. Nancy has studied with several nationally-acclaimed impressionists, including Ted Goerschner, Kim English and Ovanes Berberian. She continues to develop and enhance her art through regular classes with Elizabeth Bronson, ASMA (McClellanville, SC), painting trips to the American Southwest and study in France.

Hoerter’s background in design combined with extensive formal training result in exquisite compositions highlighted by the confident use of color and highly expressive brushstrokes. Her oil paintings are popular with numerous collectors across the United States and abroad. In 2010, her work was selected to show in the prestigious Oil Painters of America’s 19th National Juried Exhibition.

Hoerter’s work can be found at Horton Hayes Fine Art located at 30 State street in downtown Charleston.

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Painting in the Park: Featuring Shannon Runquist

Shannon Runquist was born is Savannah, Georgia and has spent most of her life in the South. She has lived on St. Simons Island, Georgia and currently resides in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and spends summers on Cape Cod. Spending time near the shore, she has developed a great love for coastal regions and the elements that define them. She has painted and studied in Europe, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Weight and See by Shannon Runquist

Runquist has participated in many national and international exhibitions including consecutive years at the Salmagundi Club in New York City and the Salon International. She enjoys traveling and painting en plein air as well as working in her home studio. Her paintings hang in both corporate and private collections in the United States and abroad.

According to Runquist, “I would like for my paintings to convey a timeless aesthetic. They are often an extension of an emotion at the time I am painting but I hope my work remains ambiguous. I paint what is familiar to me, what I have collected or a place I have been. My favorite paintings are ones that tell a story but leave a little mystery for the viewer.”

Runquist’s talents can be seen on full display at Horton Hayes Fine Art located at 30 State Street in downtown Charleston.

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Painting in the Park: Featuring Elizabeth Pollie

Elizabeth Pollie represented by Horton Hayes Fine Art worked for years as a freelance illustrator and has had her work published nationally. Captivated by the landscape, her studies of art have taken her to Italy, France, Greece, Turkey, Mexico and across America where she has worked with many renowned painters. Today she resides primarily in the waterside town of Harbor Springs, Michigan where she paints full time.

Painting in the Park: FeaturingPulling Thier Weight by Elizabeth Pollie

Pollie is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions including, in 2010, the award for Best in Show at the 33rd Annual Juried Painting and Sculpture Exhibition for Non-Members at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. She received her B.F.A. from The College For Creative Studies, where she later taught.

“Our world is constantly pouring forth images both intriguing and provocative. Respectively, I find myself increasingly excited by the endless stream of images asking to be painted. With hope, each painting strengthens my visual vocabulary while reminding me to pay closer attention to the natural world,” says Elizabeth.

“A successful representational painting transcends technique and gimmickry, eliciting from the viewer a sense of connection with the truer nature of the subject. In the best of these works we are taken, almost unwittingly, into the heart of the painting. Here we feel, down to the bone, the more intrinsic qualities of a scene…be they lovely or disturbing, either way we are mesmerized. If we are very lucky our own hearts are broken open. I gladly offer my most sincere thanks to the myriad of those who have inspired me in my craft as well as my spirit,” she continues.

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Oil Painters of America’s 2012 Eastern Regional Exhibition Silver Medal Winner Chris Groves

Charleston artist Christopher E. Groves wins the Silver Medal in the Associate & Signature Division at the Oil Painters of America 2012 Eastern Regional Exhibition in Bennington, Vermont.

At a Peaceful Pace by Chris Groves

Mr. Grove’s oil painting “At a Peaceful Pace” was one of just 90 paintings selected for the exhibition from over 600 artists across the eastern region of the United States and Canada.

The award ceremony was held at the Bennington Center for the Arts on Saturday, September 29^th.  The Juror of Awards was Master Signature Artist Kenn Backhaus, OPAM.  As one of the top winners, Christopher will receive a Silver Medal and $1,000 in cash.

The exhibit is currently on display until October 28^th.  All award winners can be viewed at www.oilpaintersofamerica.com.  To view the works of Christopher E. Groves, please visit www.hortonhayes.com.

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Horton Hayes Fine Art and Oak: Partners for the 2012 Palette and Palate Stroll

Summertime by Shannon Runquist

Horton Hayes Fine Art is located at the corner of State and Queen Streets and features original works by locally and nationally recognized artists, including Mark Kelvin Horton, Shannon Runquist, Chris Groves, Nancy Hoerter, Bjorn Runquist, Michael Knoch and Larry Moore. For the 2012 Palette and Palate Stroll, the fine art gallery will feature food paintings of Shannon Runquist.

Subject matter in the gallery varies and includes landscapes, still-life, figurative works and architectural depictions rendered in oil, pastel or watercolor. While many of the pieces depict Lowcountry scenes and themes, one may also find a range of images including mountain and western scenes, European subjects and a variety of works inspired by the diverse experiences, surroundings and travels of their artists.

For this year’s stroll, Horton Hayes is pleased to be paired with Oak Steakhouse, a true Charleston favorite. Touted as “one of the best and most distinctive steakhouses in America,” Oak Steakhouse presents classic steakhouse cuisine as well as locally sourced seafood and produce in an impeccable setting. Its classic steakhouse menu combined with its arched doors and windows, 18-foot ceilings, mahogany paneling and 150-year-old heart of pine floors make it one of the most distinctive dining spaces in the country.

Chef Jeremiah Bacon-photo by Leslie Ryann

Executive Chef Jeremiah Bacon’s menu highlights include succulent steaks such as the marinated 28 oz. Certified Angus Beef Prime bone-in ribeye, as well as seafood favorites like the pan-seared sea scallops served with roasted exotic mushrooms and a foie gras au poivre sauce. A Charleston native and College of Charleston alumnus, Bacon attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, N.Y. After graduating from the CIA in 1999, Bacon moved to New York City where he spent 10 years working for legendary restaurants such as River Café, an award-winning riverfront restaurant in Brooklyn, N.Y., and ILO in midtown. Bacon left ILO to join the staff at Le Bernardin, the famed seafood restaurant of celebrity chef Eric Ripert. In 2004, Bacon was part of the opening crew of Per Se, which along with Le Bernadin, earned Four Stars from the New York Times and Three Michelin Stars.

When Bacon returned to the Lowcountry in 2007 as executive chef of Carolina’s, he passionately incorporated a local-first philosophy into his culinary practices by building strong relationships with local farmers and fisheries. Bacon joined Oak Steakhouse as executive chef and partner in November 2010 and brought this philosophy with him to add his personal touch to the menu, taking it in a progressive, yet local direction.

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Horton Hayes Fine Art Features Food Paintings of Shannon Runquist for the Palette and Palate Stroll

For the Palette and Palate Stroll on Friday, July 13th, Horton Hayes Fine Art will feature a special exhibit of Shannon Runquist’s food paintings.

Crab by Shannon Runquist

Shannon Runquist was born is Savannah, Georgia, and has spent most of her life in the South. Currently residing in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, she spends summers on Cape Cod. Spending time near the shore, she has developed a great love for coastal regions and the elements that define them. Runquist always paints the neatest subject matter. Regular everyday things come to life with her paint brush!

Runquist has participated in many national and international exhibitions including consecutive years at the Salmagundi Club in New York City and the Salon International. She enjoys traveling and painting en plein air as well as working in her home studio. Her paintings hang in both corporate and private collections in the United States and abroad.

Pig in a Blanket by Shannon Runquist

“I would like for my paintings to convey a timeless aesthetic. They are often an extension of an emotion at the time I am painting but I hope my work remains ambiguous. I paint what is familiar to me, what I have collected or a place I have been. My favorite paintings are ones that tell a story but leave a little mystery for the viewer,” says Runquist.

To purchase tickets to the Palette and Palate Stroll, please visit www.cfada.com. Tickets are $45 per person.

Butter me Up by Shannon Runquist

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Plein Air Painters of the Southeast Come to Charleston. Opening Reception June 1!

Southern Oaks, Chris Groves, 11×14, Oil on Linen

The southeastern United States, with its wealth of natural beauty and the architectural elegance of its historic towns and cities, provides ample inspiration for artists.  Founded in 2001, the Plein Air Painters of the Southeast (PAP-SE) is an organization of professional painters bound by a common passion to promote the traditional methods of painting en plein air while capturing the varied scenery of this region.

In 2001,the Plein Air Painters of the Southeast held its first exhibition at the Wells Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina.  This year, the group returns to Charleston to exhibit work in four downtown galleries:  Horton Hayes Fine Art, Hagan Fine Art Gallery and Studio, Galerie on Broad and Smith Killian Fine Art.  Each gallery is sponsoring eight individual artists.  For a roster of participating artists and their sponsor galleries, please click here.

The exhibition will be shown through June 22nd with opening receptions in each gallery on Friday June 1st from 5 to 8pm.  Prior to the opening, from May 30th to June 1st, PAP-SE artists can be seen painting in the vicinity of their sponsor galleries.  Please come by and meet the artists as they paint!

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