I love Charleston Fine Art Dealers (CFADA) weekend… specifically the first Saturday in November. Watching these amazing artists paint is always a treat! There was a nice turnout. I packed my camera and off we went, headed downtown… ran into several road blocks, there was a run in town that had streets blocked off. Eventually we made it… we jumped out of the car, camera in hand and headed to Washington Park. I turned my camera on, ready to snap away, and what did I see?
B A T T E R Y E X H A U S T E D !
ooooh…m…geeeee.
Ok, next I resorted to my Blackberry. I was so disappointed not to get the photos that I wanted. Fred offered to go home and get my spare battery (WHY didn’t I put that in the camera bag??!!). But we made do… so here’s the first photo… Mark Horton, from Horton Hayes Gallery in Charleston, SC, painting away. Effortless. Or at least it appears that way. I don’t suppose you can look like you paint effortlessly unless you do a heck of a lot of painting!
Great work Mark! Next year… I will have ALL my batteries!
Shannon Runquist paints the coolest paintings. Other than landscapes and figures I always look forward to her still lifes. They are often whimsical, or reminiscent of days gone by, one I remember a cool old typewriter… They have character. This collection of paintings was done for the Palatte and Palate Stroll, where local chefs are paired with galleries for some fabulous art and tasty food (see information below)… it’s TONIGHT! (Check out the painting entitled “Pigs in a Blanket” – how creative!) I wish them much success! If you don’t have tickets for this event, then check out the Horton Hayes website to see more of Shannon’s paintings. Head on down to the gallery if you’re in town. (Note: you must have tickets for the Palatte and Palate Stroll). Horton Hayes Gallery is full of fabulous artists… every single one of them is beyond amazing and worth any effort to get there and check out their work!
I recently heard Shannon being interviewed on public radio, it was like listening to an old friend talk. Very good interview!
Don’t you just love this painting? “Summertime” epitomizes summer in Charleston… You need tea and cool air to survive!
Here’s a blip about Shannon from the Horton Hayes website (click link to read more):
Shannon Runquist was born is Savannah, Georgia and has spent most of her life in the South. She has lived on St. Simons Island, Georgia and currently resides in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and spends summers on Cape Cod. Spending time near the shore, she has developed a great love for coastal regions and the elements that define them. She has painted and studied in Europe, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
Runquist has participated in many national and international exhibitions including consecutive years at the Salmagundi Club in New York City and the Salon International. She enjoys traveling and painting en plein air as well as working in her home studio. Her paintings hang in both corporate and private collections in the United States and abroad.
Artist’s Statement: “I would like for my paintings to convey a timeless aesthetic. They are often an extension of an emotion at the time I am painting but I hope my work remains ambiguous. I paint what is familiar to me, what I have collected or a place I have been. My favorite paintings are ones that tell a story but leave a little mystery for the viewer.”
Mark Horton is a fabulous artist (as well as a super nice guy). That’s nothing new, however I’m seeing some work like none I’ve ever seen of his and I like it. A lot! This painting is one from the workshop he and Chris Groves gave in Italy this year. It’s so unique. I love it!
If you’re in the Charleston, SC area be sure to stop in the Horton Hayes Gallery! Stop by, say hello and check out the wonderful art work! If you aren’t in the area, check out Mark’s work on the gallery website. Here’s a blip from the gallery website, there’s more, so check it out!
Mark Kelvin Horton was born and raised in rural North Carolina. After graduating from East Carolina University School of Art in 1983, Horton moved to New York City to begin a career in advertising and design. He carried with him the dream of someday becoming a painter.
Eighteen years of living in New York were spent working as a creative director in various advertising agencies and eventually founding his own design company. Those years also provided an invaluable opportunity for Horton to view and study firsthand the seemingly endless number of masterworks of art in the city’s museums and galleries. Horton became particularly fascinated with the works of George Inness, Herman Herzog, Frederick Church and the tonalist photographer, Edward Steichen. He was also captivated by the realism of John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer as well as the romantic landscapes of the Hudson River School painters. The experience had a profound effect on his artistic development.
During his years working as an artistic director and designer, Horton continued to nurture his “fine art side”, drawing, sketching and painting whenever he had the opportunity. In early 2001 Horton made the decision to devote himself full-time to painting. He left New York City and returned to his Southern roots, moving to Charleston, South Carolina.
Horton is particularly fascinated with the effects of light and weather upon the landscape. He paints beyond a literal interpretation of a scene to portray nature in a way that reflects his own ideas and sensibilities while capturing the spirit, color and changing light of a place.
Adding this a bit late, but just in time… this past weekend we went to a fabulous demo that Mark Horton and Chris Groves gave at the Horton Hayes Gallery, it was about painting the English countryside and it was AMAZING! To watch these guys paint is fascinating. I took notes like a crazy person and can’t wait to try what they mentioned. They are full of information, and lucky for you they have workshops in your future! There are a few in England that will blow you away. We’ve seen the photos, seen the paintings and whoa! If you have ever thought about taking a workshop, check them out! Besides learning a lot, trust me, you’ll have a good time. They’re fun! Click HERE to go to the Horton Hayes workshop link!
Mark Horton demo at Horton Hayes Gallery
You liked his work, didn’t you? Catch you back here tomorrow!
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