IT WOULD BE CHALLENGING TO FIND ANYONE AS WELL-VERSED IN EQUINE artistry as oil painter Joyce Hall. She grew up in Maryland horse country and developed a love for horses as early as she developed a love for art. “I remember painting portraits of my schoolmates,” she recalls. Although not formally degreed in fine art, she studied at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design in Washington, D.C., and with several renowned painting instructors. It is her love of painting and her fascination and involvement with horses (she currently owns eight and continues to ride regularly) that has fueled her artistic career.
Her paintings have been featured as posters for prestigious equestrian events, such as The Carolina Cup Steeplechase in Camden, South Carolina, and she has won awards at both national and international art shows, such as the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Ontario. Her vast experience with horses enabled her to land a position teaching the equestrian program at Tulane University. She went on to establish riding programs for the College of Charleston and The Citadel, which further fueled her passion for equines. She left equestrian instruction by the late ’90s to focus solely on teaching oil painting.
Today, she uses that knowledge to teach others how to paint not only horses but a wide variety of subjects, including landscapes, seascapes, other animals and interiors. “The subject doesn’t matter,” she says. “I teach my students it’s all about painting shapes and colors, and I demo that method in my weekly classes.”
Hall teaches students at her studio and gallery, simply called The Studio, that she founded at its current location in 2007 with her late husband, Martin Ahrens. A renowned portrait artist in his own right, the two first instructed students by working out of Tidwell Art Center & Gallery in Downtown Charleston and freelancing locally. “We made a living from our art,” she says. “We decided it was time to give back to others by teaching.”
At The Studio, Hall teaches six days a week in a mixture of instructional painting classes, intensive workshops and open studio sessions. Anyone—from beginners to advanced artists—is invited to participate and learn from Hall’s instruction. “I paint at least one painting, start to finish, in half an hour, every day as a demo for my students,” Hall says. Her demonstrations vary; currently, for instance, she is painting pets in an effort to show students how to develop pet portraits. She teaches about 60 students per week; some of her students have studied under her for 30 years.
While in the studio, students receive a mixture of lessons. Individual sessions begin in the mornings, while afternoon demos are group events. Students then get several hours to paint under Hall’s watchful eye. She adjusts her instruction to the student’s particular proficiency level.
While most of her time is spent teaching at The Studio in West Ashley, Hall occasionally travels to take her intensive workshops to artists in other towns, where she spends multiple days focused on a single subject matter or technique.
Hall’s storied past experience includes participation in international exhibitions, invitational shows, museum displays, several magazine features and some books. While known for her equine art, she also has exhibited and received recognition for canine paintings across the country. Because of her intimate knowledge about horse anatomy, she has accepted commissions over the years to paint others’ horses. Her specialty is capturing the light as it plays across the horses’ bodies. To date, she has painted hundreds of horses in different poses as part of steeplechase and athletic events such as polo matches.
Hall’s work has been represented by many galleries over the years. Today, you can find her work at The Studio, and some of her equine art is represented by Rutledge Street Gallery in Camden and Equine Divine in Aiken, South Carolina, as both towns are hotbeds of equestrian activity. Her students’ artwork can be found sprinkled throughout galleries in Charleston.
Hall is supportive of other art schools in town as well. “I don’t consider it competition,” she says. “Many of the schools are run by my former students.”
The Studio is convenient for Hall’s local students. Its West Ashley location allows her to offer plenty of parking and easy access compared to her former location downtown. She also draws students who travel from other states to participate in some of her weekly classes and workshops. Since she owns the building, she doesn’t have to contend with exorbitant rent prices and can keep her instructional fees affordable. “We have a structured teaching method that separates us,” Hall says. “Students feel comfortable here. I’m here to lead them, not be harsh or tell them something is wonderful if it isn’t; it’s just not my way. But I know I can teach anyone to paint.”
Although she still regularly paints, Hall spends most of her time teaching others and taking care of her horses. “My students at The Studio are like family,” she says. “I prefer to be here because of the good energy. It’s not a normal sterile classroom. My students bring food and wine to share, as well as their daily problems and good news to discuss. It’s like therapy here; there is plenty of encouragement and no judgement. It’s a special place—a place where we form friendships and bonds.” *
Dana W. Todd is a professional writer specializing in interior design, real estate, luxury homebuilding, landscape design, architecture and fine art.
