John Carroll Doyle… if you are from Charleston, SC, you undoubtedly know John. He’s a fabulous artist full of wonderful stories. I love how each painting has a story, its part of what makes his gallery such a treat to visit! This painting, entitled “Emerald and Pink” is fabulous, I love the movement in the water, and how the light pink plays against the greens, very nice! John is a fascinating guy, if you’re ever downtown you must visit his gallery! If you aren’t fortunate enough to be in the area, check out his website, it’s a good one!

I remember years ago when my husband and I were renovating our kitchen… it took months, and for months we ate at this neat healthy grocery store called EarthFare that also had a hot bar with healthy choices. We ate there daily. With no sink and no kitchen, it was easier to walk over to EF, eat and walk home. No clean up, ha ha… We saw John there each day having dinner… My husband and I were in line when a few women spotted John sitting at a booth eating and reading… “OHMYGOSH… DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS???!!!” said one… “JOHN DOYLE!!!!!”, it was too funny, they were trying to decide whether or not to interrupt his dinner, they were SO EXCITED! Almost like seeing one of the Beatles, ha ha… On our way to a table I gave John a heads up, in case he was bombarded, it was too funny… instead of speaking to him, they just watched him eat. Oh, I’m so glad I’m not a star in Charleston!

Here’s a blip (and a photo) about John from the gallery website…

John Carroll Doyle was born in Charleston in 1942, and is nationally known for his energetic, light filled paintings of subjects as diverse as blues musicians, blue marlins and blue hydrangeas.  The artist got his start with his distinctive sportfishing paintings which have graced the covers of many popular sportfishing magazines in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.  He continued to make a name for himself throughout the 1980’s with his now famous and large scale commissioned paintings that can be seen on the walls of many of downtown Charleston’s beloved restaurants, as well as clubs and restaurants as far afield as Chicago, Illinois and Alexandria, Virginia.  

With a career that spans four decades, John has become a seasoned American Impressionist whose muse has always been Charleston and the surrounding lowcountry.  From wildlife to still life, John Doyle paints with a passion and understanding that makes it hard to believe he is self taught.

Doyle claims as his “teachers” the wooden boats at the Charleston Yacht Basin, lavender shadows on Charleston stucco, and the coastal sunlight that floods this city year-round. In 1997 the artist completed an autobiography entitled John Carroll Doyle: Portrait of a Charleston Artist. Lavishly illustrated with color reproductions of the artist’s work and vintage black and white photographs of Charleston from the 1940’s and 50’s, the book tells not only the story of Doyle’s development as an artist, but also the transformation of Charleston from a sleepy town to a bustling tourist destination. 

In 2008, the John Carroll Doyle Art Gallery moved to 125 Church Street, which was formerly the Margaret Petterson Gallery.  Margaret Petterson, a fellow native Charleston artist, has retired from gallery ownership but is still producing her beautiful paintings and monotypes which are featured exclusively at the new John Doyle Gallery at 125 Church Street.

Catch you back here tomorrow!!