AN avid illustrator since childhood, John Albrecht learned early how to capture the Lowcountry and its charms, turning his eye to the marshes, beaches and boats that were
a constant in his life. As often happens, his passion took a back seat to pragmatism, and after graduating from The Citadel, he went on to become an environmental engineer—a profession that he held for nearly 20 years. All the while, his childhood paintings sat forgotten in a closet.
It wasn’t until 2000 that those paintings saw the light
of day again when Albrecht’s wife found them. What she saw inspired her to give him the gift of art lessons that Christmas, and so began his artistic career. “Every painting tells a story,” he says, and his work does
just that, using a loose and impressionistic style that was hard-earned for someone with such a precise mind. Through his use of light, shadow and color, Albrecht catches the eye and inspires the imagination. He has studied under local award-winning artists Joyce Hall, Martin Ahrens and Laurie Meyer, and he is also a juried artist in the annual Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Arts Exhibition. His artwork is available on his website as well as charlestonartmarket.com, and his Mount Pleasant studio is open by appointment.