ELLA W. RICHARDSON FINE ART
Ella W. Richardson Fine Art is home to more than two dozen talented American and European artists whose styles range from realistic to impressionist to abstract.
Currently on exhibit are American impressionist paintings from Connecticut native Hope Reis. Reis received a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. In 2000, she relocated to Florida, where she set out to learn to paint through self-study and participation in workshops.
Recently, she has been working on a series of interiors that combines her love of beautiful surroundings with her paintings.
The series features historical mansions and châteaux locations in France, Scotland and England, capturing their large-scale, lustrous and colorful interiors.
“I love trying to make the viewer feel the space and how those living there are using it,” Reis says.
To view the series and enjoy the gallery’s most recent collection of works, stop by Ella W. Richardson Fine Art at 58 Broad St. in Charleston. New exhibitions are introduced each month and typically coincide with the First Friday Art Walks hosted by the Charleston Gallery Association or Broad Street’s Gallery Row Art Strolls.
Ella W. Richardson Fine Art
843-722-3660
ellarichardson.com
LEPRINCE FINE ART
LePrince Fine Art, located at 184 and 183 King St., doubles as a studio for owner and artist Kevin LePrince. LePrince paints there six days a week and encourages guests to watch and ask questions about the process.
The walls are filled with bodies of work from a select few nationally recognized, emerging artists from across North America. While the general look of the artists represented could be described as contemporary impressionism, each artist has a unique style defined by brushstrokes, palette choices and composition.
“I’m trying to encourage artists to push their creativity,” LePrince says. “I do this by giving them more wall space. That way, they’re not restricted, and they can get outside of their comfort zones, push the envelope a little.”
Between both galleries, there is 3,600 square feet of open gallery space, high ceilings and hardwood floors. The gallery has been designed to highlight the art—a collector can relax and enjoy a painting from a distance.
LePrince’s work is also represented by Pecky Interiors at 100 Central Ave. in Sarasota, Florida, and Jett Thompson Home at 393 Broad Ave. South in Naples, Florida.
LePrince Fine Art
843-442-1664
leprince.com
MEREDITH POSTON
Meredith Poston was born in Louisville, Kentucky, into a family that appreciated the fine and performing arts. From an early age, Poston wanted to be an artist and was strongly encouraged by her family. She focused on human and animal subjects, and she copied the work of her father, who was a medical illustrator.
Throughout her adolescence, Poston’s passion for art grew. She participated in art classes and camps throughout high school. She attended Western Carolina University, majoring in fine art and communications, where she developed her abstract style. After graduation Poston left the North Carolina mountains for the Charleston coastline, settling on James Island in 2009.
Poston paints abstract expressionist remembrances and reflections. She finds solace in loose, sporadic brushstrokes, with a combination of soft elements juxtaposed to stark separations of contrasting color. Her work is an expression of nature as she sees it—colorful, sometimes gentle, but often startlingly real. Poston paints in her waterfront home studio when not working as a writer and researcher; she also contributes to the James Island government, as secretary for the James Island Public Service District.
Meredith Poston
843-593-5215
mposton.com
CHARLESTON ARTISTS GUILD
The Charleston Artist Guild was born in 1953 when a group of talented local artists saw the need to support each other, collaborate together and share their art with the community.
The Guild has flourished, and current membership exceeds 600. As membership has expanded, programs and community outreach have followed suit, and today’s organization fosters enrichment, professional development, exhibiting opportunities, and conducts outreach to school children, residents of Alzheimer’s care facilities and others in the community.
The Guild also showcases the outstanding work of its exhibiting members in its gallery and retail space at 160 East Bay St. More than 70 pieces of art are available for purchase and may be shipped to international clients. The gallery is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For upcoming exhibits and events and visit to see what’s new with the Charleston Artist Guild, visit charlestonartistguild.com.
Charleston Artist Guild
843-722-2425
charlestonartistguild.com
DEBORAH R HILL
Deborah R Hill would classify her art as contemporary impressionism. Through differing balances of color, brushwork and paint application, the artist is most focused on enabling the paint to dictate a kind of “visual roadmap”—look here, stop here, move on.
Hill finds inspiration in the depth of color and form in the natural world—rural vistas, beaches, marsh and fauna supply her subject matter, although she is equally inspired working from a still life.
Having earned a fine arts degree from the University of Buffalo with a concentration in painting, painting is Hill’s passion. She has earned numerous awards, including Best in Show at last year’s Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition.
Hill works as a full-time artist at studios in Upstate New York and Seabrook Island, South Carolina. Her work is in collections nationwide as well as overseas. She is represented by LePrince Fine Art at 183 King St. in Charleston, where she will have a solo show this May.
For more images and information, visit her website and follow her on Instagram at @deborahrhillpaintings.
Deborah R Hill
716-870-6830
deborahrhillpaintings.com
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 notto- be-repeated 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. Paysinger paints and sells what she loves––and nothing could make her happier.
You can find Paysinger’s art in Studio 151 Fine Arts Gallery on Church Street in Charleston, at Over the Mantel Gallery on Carlisle Street in Columbia, and at Abode Home 2 in Banner Elk, North Carolina.
Debra Paysinger
debrapaysinger.com
WILLIAM TURNER
Oil painter and Charleston native William Turner began showing an interest in art by drawing at the age of 5. A graduate of The Citadel, he counts among his many accomplishments walking onto the military college’s football team and once winning a fight by decision over the future Golden Gloves State Champion. Turner is now nurturing his early love of art by pursuing a career as a professional artist. When La Carreta commissioned him to paint a large mural of Frida Kahlo on the front of its James Island restaurant, it solidified his decision to pursue art as a business. Turner experimented with watercolor as a child and transitioned to oil by the time he was 10. He continues to favor the medium and looks to the beauty of Charleston for inspiration. The Charleston Battery remains his most popular piece.
A member of the Charleston Artist Guild, Turner accepts commissions and includes among his offerings personalized gifts, prints and framed originals.
William Turner
843-345-6325
thewilliamturnergallery.com
MITCHELL HILL GALLERY
Filled with paintings, sculptures, custom furniture and photographs, Mitchell Hill Gallery offers the city a refreshing departure from the formal, traditional spaces so often seen in Charleston.
Original works from over 35 artists from across the United States are currently on display in its mixed-use space. Daily arrivals and departures foster an ever-changing environment you will want to stop by often.
The first-floor gallery space offers a sneak peek into the interior design aesthetic of owners and designers Michael Mitchell and Tyler Hill. Upstairs, Mitchell Hill offers full-scale interior design services.
The gallery always pulls from its enormous inventory when building a project. “Often, we’ll use a piece of art as a leaping-off point,” co-owner Michael Mitchell says.
Custom furniture made in the Southeast breaks up the 5,000-square-foot space, featured in creative vignettes that are outfitted with unique accessories, pillows and artwork.
Located at 438 King St., Mitchell Hill Gallery is open seven days a week. Visit the website to explore interior design projects as well as a roster of artists and the Mitchell Hill collections.
Mitchell Hill Gallery
843-564-0034
mitchellhillinc.com
CHERYL NEWBY GALLERY
There aren’t many galleries where you can browse both antique and contemporary art in a single visit. However, at Cheryl Newby Gallery in Pawleys Island, you can.
Owner Cheryl Newby maintains an extensive selection of contemporary paintings and sculpture alongside a selective inventory of antique maps and prints. This year, the gallery celebrates its 35th year in business.
A quick look around the antique side will turn up works by the likes of John James Audubon, George Edwards, Mark Catesby and John Gould. If those don’t satisfy, Newby will gladly find something more to your taste or hunt down prints by a particular artist, should you have one in mind.
When it comes to contemporary artists, the gallery represents 13 painters from throughout the country, including William McCullough (S.C.), the late Ray Ellis (Mass.), Paula Holtzclaw (N.C.), Martha dePoo (Fla.), the late Quita Brodhead (Pa.) and Mike Williams (S.C.). Three nationally known sculptors— Sandy Scott (Wyo.), Gwen Marcus (N.Y.) and Catherine K. Ferrell (Fla.)—also have work in the gallery, as does fine ceramics artist Glenda Taylor (Fla.) and portrait painter James Crowley (S.C.).
Cheryl Newby Gallery
843-979-0149
cherylnewbygallery.com
SANDRA ROPER
South Carolina artist Sandra Roper was an art major at the University of South Carolina before her path led her to a career in advertising. But 17 years ago, the Greenville native left the corporate world to stay at home with her two sons. “I wanted to go to all of their ball games,” she says. “And 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.
These days, Roper is working on a series of ordinary people doing extraordinary things—oyster shuckers, shrimpers, farmers, hog butchers—as a way of preserving the stories of waning art forms.
You can find Roper’s paintings at the Lowcountry Artist Gallery at 148 East Bay St. or on her website.
Sandra Roper
sandraroper.com
REINERT FINE ART
Owned by contemporary impressionist painter Rick Reinert and his wife, Ann, Reinert Fine Art showcases more than 50 regional and nationally acclaimed classical painters, as well as figurative and abstract sculptors.
Each gallery location is thoughtfully curated to appeal to both the connoisseur and casual collector. Reinert Fine Art is pleased to present a collection of paintings and sculptures that range in style from traditional to contemporary.
Reinert Fine Art has two locations in Charleston: 179 King St. boasts an outside courtyard and sculpture garden gallery, offering fine art in bronze, while 202 King St. features fine contemporary works and artisan jewelry.
In June 2019, Reinert will open a new summer studio on Ocean Point Road in the beautiful town of East Boothbay, Maine. He is looking forward to enjoying and painting the wealth of interesting and diverse landscapes the region offers. Friends and collectors are invited to stop by when in the area.
Reinert Fine Art
843-694-2445
reinertfineart.com
STUDIO 151 FINE ARTS
Located near the corner of Church and Market streets, Studio 151 is filled from floor to ceiling with pieces from over a dozen local artists, all of whom use their art to respond to what’s around them here in the South. From Bob Graham, a Civil War painter, to Daryl Knox, who’s inspired by Lowcountry marshes and creeks, a passion for this unique corner of the country is evident throughout the gallery.
Studio 151 also features watercolors, oils, monotypes, and mixed media from Colleen Wiessmann, Lu Bentley, Sandy Scott, Detta Zimmerman, Rosie Phillips, Jennifer Koach, Amelia Whaley, Dixie Dugan, Nancy Davidson, Debra Paysinger, Christie Crosby, Nancey R. Rushing, Kelly Meredith Paysinger Hart, and jewelers Lissa Block and Jean Norman.
Styles and subjects can range from collage works to abstracts and traditional realism, and the gallery’s jewelry artists ensure you can always leave with a wearable souvenir. Artists are inhouse daily to greet and discuss their works, and the gallery is open every day of the week.
Studio 151 Fine Arts
843-579-9725
studio151finearts.com
REVEALED ART GALLEY
Since its opening in 2016, Revealed Art Gallery has solidified itself as a local hub of culture and creativity.
The dynamic gallery space showcases an eclectic mix of artists and mediums, ranging from paintings, sculptures and photographs to handmade jewelry, bags and furniture. Currently, works from over 20 local and regional artists and artisans are on display.
Founders Jaclyn Quilal-lan and Scott Parsons enjoy the contrast their contemporary art gallery, located in the French Quarter just steps from Charleston’s iconic Dock Street Theatre, brings to its historical surroundings.
The longtime friends and art enthusiasts also strive to foster connections with the community, through workshops, classes, events, private rentals, brand collaborations and more.
On April 5 from 5 to 8:30 p.m., the gallery will host the opening night reception of Obsession—an exhibition by Asheville, North Carolina-based artist Constance Williams.
The show explores the use of shape, color and form in three distinct groups: spherical, striation and combinative; like a DNA signature, it is ever present throughout Williams’ various mediums and continually evolves.
For more information about upcoming events, visit revealed gallery.com.
Revealed Art Gallery
843-872-5606
revealedgallery.com
BETSY JONES MCDONALD
Charleston artist Betsy Jones McDonald began her artistic training as a teen with watercolorist Geri Davis of Columbus, Georgia. She went on to study fine art at Columbus State University, and her eye for design was later put to work as a design manager during her years working in visual merchandising.
After moving to Columbia, South Carolina, McDonald began doing murals, which is when she realized her true love lay in large-format painting. She’s pursued oil on canvas ever since and paints using her own custom-mixed hues. McDonald also co-owned Island Art Gallery in Pawleys Island for four years, where she continues to regularly teach color theory workshops.
These days, McDonald’s art is inspired by the marsh surrounding her Daniel Island studio. “I love the colors of the marsh and the way they change with the seasons and the tides,” she says. “Every time you look at the marsh, you see something different, and I’m fascinated by that.”
You can find her paintings exhibited at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, Island Art Gallery in Pawleys Island, Perspective Gallery in Mount Pleasant and at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery.
Betsy Jones McDonald
207-320-5884
betsyjonesmcdonald.com
PERSPECTIVE GALLERY
Featuring works from more than 45 local artists, Perspective Gallery is the largest fine art gallery east of the Cooper River. You will find a wide variety of subjects, styles and mediums, including pastels, oil paintings, watercolors, photography and mixed media, as well as a selection of pottery and other craft work.
The gallery is staffed daily by the artists who exhibit there, and you’ll often find them working on their latest piece.
In addition to workshops throughout the year, the gallery hosts special events several times a year. Rather than fight the traffic to get to downtown Charleston, check out what the local art community in Mount Pleasant is doing.
Located at 1055 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. in the heart of Mount Pleasant, Perspective Gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit the website to take a virtual tour and view the workshop schedule.
Perspective Gallery
843-800-5025
mpagperspectivegallery.com
KELLIE JACOBS
Kellie Jacobs has spent her life watching the seasons change among the marshes and beaches of the South Carolina coast. After graduating from the College of Charleston, Jacobs decided to pursue a professional career as a painter.
Working primarily in pastel, she paints landscapes using atmosphere and light to create mood and expression in her art. “I am fascinated with the light at the end of the day,” she says. “When the evening sun is low and warm, touching the tops of the sand dunes and grasses of the marsh—that is the time of day I love best.”
Jacobs’ juxtaposition of bright colors and soft textures appeals to both domestic and international collectors. Traveling to foreign locations has also enhanced her ability to manipulate her chosen medium of pastel to produce desirable and collectible artwork.
Many of her works hang in prestigious corporate and private collections, both nationally and abroad. Jacobs’ work can be seen online, at the Lowcountry Artists Gallery at 148 East Bay St. in Charleston and at Karis Art Gallery in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Kellie Jacobs
843-906-6746
kelliejacobsart.com
LOWCOUNTRY ARTISTS GALLERY
Founded in 1982, Lowcountry Artists Gallery is the oldest artist- owned and -operated gallery in Charleston. Located at 148 East Bay St., the expansive four-room gallery recently underwent renovations.
Lowcountry Artists Gallery represents 26 member and guest artists—seven of whom were added in the last year. Their work caters to national and international collectors and spans a multitude of styles, a variety of subject matter and many mediums. Lowcountry Artists Gallery also offers stunning jewelry, sweetgrass baskets, pottery and bronze sculptures, which are suitable for indoor or outdoor display.
“We’re really proud of the diversity our gallery offers,” says co-owner Sandra Roper. “Not only the artists themselves, but also their styles and the mediums in which they work.”
Roper shares ownership with local artists Norma Ballentine- Cable, Fer Caggiano, Stephanie S. Hamlet, Lynne Hardwick, Kellie Jacobs, Monnie Johnson, Rana Jordahl and Ivo Kerssemakers.
Lowcountry Artists Gallery is open seven days a week. When you visit, don’t forget to take a selfie with the gallery’s life-size, whimsical copper frog. For hours and a full list of artists visit low countryartists.com or facebook .com/lowcountryartists.
Lowcountry Artists Gallery
843-577-9295
lowcountryartists.com
BEN HAM IMAGES
Ben Ham has been making the connection between his camera and the South Carolina coast for most of his life. Using methods some would call old-fashioned —a large-format wooden camera, a cloth over his head and large sheets of film—Ham captures the essence of the Lowcountry in his richly detailed black-and-white images. But he doesn’t stop there. His love of travel and beautiful places has taken him to the American West as well as to Italy and France.
Ham painstakingly develops and prints his images at his production facility on Hilton Head Island. His limited-edition prints, framed in Italian olive wood, have found their way to individual, corporate and U.S. government collections.
In his book, Vanishing Light, Ham reveals 69 stunning American landscapes and explains what inspired him to capture them.
Visit Ben Ham’s Charleston gallery at 416 King St. or his new gallery in historic Old Town Bluffton at 210 Bluffton Road.
Ben Ham Images
843-410-1495 (Charleston)
843-815-6200 (Bluffton)
benhamimages.com
CARLA JOHANNESMEYER
Combining her love of art with an appreciation for math, Carla Johannesmeyer graduated with a degree in architecture from Virginia Tech, enhancing her education with studio art courses in drawing, printmaking, photography and film. She went on to have a successful career as an architect and environmental design leader, but never waivered far from her art. Today, she is immersed in the art of expression through her paintings.
With a keen eye for composition, Johannesmeyer blends a sense of geometric rhythm and lyrical freedom in her art. Her oil paintings are reminiscent of post-impressionist artists but border on expressionism.
She prefers a large brush and paints with visible, confident brushstrokes, layering lush color to evoke light, shadow and reflections in her subjects. She continually pursues learning experiences that challenge her point of view, weaving these perspectives into her art. Her current works include studies of the figure within architectural space and botanical expressions, from coastal wildscapes to gardens, all built on the concept of divine proportion.
Upcoming shows include the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition from May 24 through June 8, and a solo exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery during the month of July.
Carla Johannesmeyer
843-709-8735
carlajfineart.com
HILARIE LAMBERT STUDIO
Hilarie Lambert is most known for her generous paint application— brushing layers and layers of color across the canvas. She puts down the paint in quick and loose, but strong, brushstrokes, imparting energy and a spontaneous sensibility to each work. The resulting patches of colors and shapes come together to form her signature style, best described as contemporary impressionism.
Her latest series, The Botanicals, was inspired by recent travels over the last year to Madrid, Paris and the South of France, and Argentina. The large-format series consists of oil paintings with saturated color and vibrancy.
When not traveling to paint and teach workshops internationally, her work can be found at Hilarie Lambert Studio on James Island and at the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition in Marion Square, from May 24 to June 8, at booth #37.
Hilarie Lambert Studio
843-822-1707
hlambert.com
