Chris Doyle’s paintings bring the natural world to life

When an artist references a native american quote about ancestral beliefs regarding their relationship with the land—and how those beliefs influence her approach to painting—it notches up one’s curiosity and expectations about how this will play out in her work. Chris Doyle’s loose translation of the ethos sounds like this: “My people live simply; we live close to the land, and we know our power.” The statement is short on words but reveals an all-encompassing philosophy and a way of looking at the world that she embraces completely. In fact, she lives it through her work.

“It’s about being in nature and being in stillness,” explains Doyle. “Life as we know it fractures us. It’s important to have a sense of place, whether by spending time in nature or through the art experience.”

To achieve that end in her art, she paints en plein air, the tradition of painting directly from life, a way to immerse yourself completely in the natural world and explore how it influences you visually and emotionally. “When you’re surrounded by birdsong, the wind blows, a scent touches you—these all affect the painting. The experience of being outside awakens your senses,” muses Doyle. “My paintings are an invitation to step into stillness, to find beauty and anchor yourself into the ground, the core of your being, and know your magnificence. Remember who you truly are. The beauty of the world around us invites us to turn within.”

Originally from Philadelphia, Doyle says that growing up, she was always considered the artist in the family. She recalls how at the age of 9 she asked for a set of oil paints. She went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in art from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia and a master’s in fine arts from American University in Washington, D.C.

It wasn’t until she retired from a career in teaching that she realized her dream to pursue painting full time. She began showing in D.C. galleries before relocating to Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, and establishing a private studio. “These days, I prefer to present my work at art shows, where I’m able to get to know the collector,” says Doyle. “I want to understand what they see in the art—have a conversation, wherever it leads.”

Conversations often lead Doyle to schedule a private visit to a client’s home to assess their lifestyle and better accommodate their vision. “The space where the painting will be hung, what may compete with the painting, plays into the decision-making process,” she explains. “For example, the light in a person’s living room will display the art in a very different way than the booth at a show. So, seeing the art in that space gives the collector the opportunity to better visualize the picture. And it gives me a sense of what they want and make recommendations to them in an informed way.”

While many artists paint from photographs taken of the subject or a combination of photography and plein air, Doyle’s oil paintings are strictly plein air, and land and seascapes are what she loves painting the most. “I’m an avid beach reader,” she says with a smile. “I’ve come to understand it has served as research for developing my painting process.”

Shimmering shorelines. Lush maritime forests. A creek winding through marshlands under a vibrant sky. The artist’s website showcases a stunning portfolio of art. Created with a sensibility that respects the land and embraces the natural world’s place in human life, Doyle’s paintings seem to take on a life of their own.

“Through the use of composition, the push and pull of light, using clear, vibrant color, I strive to capture the immediacy of the moment,” she says. “Here, on location, a plane of water often opens up a two-dimensional format. Air creates movement. And composition forges depth into a canvas.”

Doyle describes her style as a place between realism and impressionism. Painting the way she sees the world, with a looser hand, she leaves enough room for viewers to take in the composition and interpret it in their own way. “I have a very definite sense of what my voice is,” she notes. “And the process of plein air is critical to that self-expression. It teaches you how to see and also enables you to find your balance in beauty.”

The artist says she likes to set up her easel in Brookgreen Gardens and sometimes the south end of Pawleys Island, mainly in the spring and fall, allowing the seasons to play a role in her work. For seascapes, she plants herself in the sand dunes buffering Huntington Beach, especially in the winter, when the seagrasses start to change. She’ll occasionally produce a nautical piece inspired by a trip to nearby Georgetown Harbor.

Doyle enjoys showing her work at events such as Art Under the Oaks at the Litchfield Marketplace in Pawleys Island and the Brookgreen Gardens Art Festival. Her reputation for emotive art and personalized approach toward the customer have gained her a following. “I’ve found over the years that people like to purchase art from artists they’ve gotten to know,” she says. “My process of painting en plein air combined with respect for Native American philosophy gives people something unique to relate to. In my paintings, earth, air and water are responded to with spontaneity and honesty, so they speak for themselves. And there’s always a story behind the work I like to share. And my clients like to hear that story. It adds a dimension to the painting—a story they can share with their guests.”

Ever introspective, Doyle shares this thought: To the caterpillar, flight seems impossible. The caterpillar cannot force itself to fly, but it can allow itself to become the butterfly. *

Wendy Swat Snyder is a Charleston-based writer (sweetgrassandgrits.com).