We represent a variety of artists from around the globe. All of our artists are extremely talented individuals with a style
all their own. Our goal is to provide quality art at affordable prices. In addition to the pieces you find on the website,
all of our artists will create commissioned works. Please do not hesitate to email us for specifics.
Artist Profiles
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Lisa ChouLisa grew up in Taipei, Gangshan, Los Angeles, New York City, and Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute with a MFA in printmaking in 2005. Her additional studies include oil painting, Chinese brush painting, and photography. Her work has been included in many exhibitions in the United States since 2001 with recent international exhibitions at the Neurotitan Gallery in Berlin, Germany and upcoming at the Soong Ching Ling foundation in Beijing, China, in 2009. She will be an artist in residence at the Vermont Studio Center in 2009. She currently lives and works in San Francisco, California. For the past six years, Chou has been working with watercolor on paper, from miniature to large scale, driven by the challenge to elevate the possibilities of the medium to translate her curiosities. Her visual language developed from training in printmaking, oil painting, Chinese brush painting, and photography; resulting in an aesthetic that is expressed in the layering of space, form, and color. The work functions as a lingua franca of understanding and sharing visual experiences. It resists transparent interpretations and abandons the baggage of a narrative. It charms the viewers to decipher through their own experiences and imagination. |
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Bill DaviesEarly on, Bill’s artwork was inspired by life on the shores of Lake Erie, New York and, now, the captivating coastlines of the Carolinas stimulate his imagination and brush strokes. His evolving love affair with the element of water and nature is uniquely captured in his paintings, which bridge the spectrum of serene and mystical drama to bold passion. Bill moved to the Low Country six years ago and resides in Mt. Pleasant. |
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Yvette DedeYvette Dede is from New Orleans, LA and moved to Charleston in 1991. Her artistic efforts include collaborative sculpture and drawing installations. Her drawing installations were included in the South Carolina Artist Triennial 2001 and 2004. Currently, Dede is a full-time adjunct drawing professor at the College of Charleston. She received her B.F.A from LSU Baton Rouge, Louisiana and her M.F.A. from Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, VT. Mr. Potato head is an iconic figure that is known for its playful transformation in a child’s hand. This series of drawing is an exploration of identity as Mr. Potato Head vacillates within his space. The exploration of Mr. Potato Head’s identity gives him a bit more gravity, while giving my projection of self, a bit more levity. There are as of now, 25 of these 4”x 4” charcoal pencil drawings. Installed they read almost like a storyboard, a wry nod to our obsession with reality based T.V. |
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Christopher DotsonChristopher Dotson has been involved in the visual arts for over 13 years, and uses a wide variety of mediums. This includes Watercolor, Pen and Ink, Graphite, Charcoal, Oil paint, Acrylic paint, and ceramics. His images are a blend of visual realism, and imagined realism. While the titles of his works may give a hint as to what may have inspired them, the meanings are for the viewer to interpret. Christopher Dotson is a former member of the Charlestown Artist Group in Charlestown, MA, and has sold his work to private collectors in Boston, MA and in Charleston SC,. He is now a member of the Charleston Artistís Guild in Charleston, SC. |
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Nicolas DrakeNicholas (Nicolas) Drake was an artist, philosopher and man of many words but most importantly opinions. A creative spirit and mystical visionary way before his time in the south, Nicolas was one of the forefathers of the modernist movement in Charleston. His passionate interest in physics, astronomy and humanity’s future in space informed his interpretive expression of art. He explored the intersection of art and science through painting, photography, film, sculpture, journalism and multi media artistic displays. A fine conversationalist, Nicolas was most at home in the realm of ideas. As the radio host of “Talk About”, a weekly 30 minute radio program on South Carolina Educational Radio Network/NPR Affiliate, he displayed his knowledge of the world, science and the arts by exploring a fascinating montage of topics and guests. As a commentator on the arts, Drake wrote numerous art and book reviews for the Post and Courier, covering exhibits at the Halsey Gallery and the Gibbes Museum of Art. His commentaries were also published in a number of national art journals. In 2001, Drake directed the first South Carolina Independent Film Festival for the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. Nicolas was tied to the south by his roots but also because of health reasons- he endured a life-long battle with kidney disease, diabetes and blindness. Years of dialysis, frequent illness and a kidney and pancreas replacement kept him close to home and constantly battling health issues. He passed away of associated complications in October of 2005 at the age of 52. Nicolas’s art is held in private and public collections around the United States. “So like a cultural gadfly, stinging his way past the foibles of American culture to light on those rarified flowers of genius, but with nothing much new to say.” Nicolas Drake, reviewing a book by the critic Robert Hughes in 1997 |
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. Evan ArmstrongEvan Armstrong is considered one of the best abstract artists in the United States. He has had a number of solo shows and has exhibited at numerous juried shows and galleries around the world. He work can be found in more than 500 private collections throughout the US and Europe. After serving in the Korean War, Evan attended the University of Georgia and earned his Bachelor's and Master of Fine Arts, finishing in 1959. He was the first individual to receive a MFA from the University of Georgia. He studied under a number of noted artists including southern artist Lamar Dodd and well known NY abstract artist Howard Thomas. Following graduation he had his first one man show, which was noticed and praised by many critics. Dodd wrote to him saying, "Your one man show was outstanding and you should do well in the future." His first job after graduation was as Art Director of an Atlanta advertising firm, creating materials for such iconic clients as Chick-Fil-A Inc. Later, Evan worked as a designer in the carpet industry in Dalton, Georgia. There he became one of the leading Textile Designers in the world. He specialized designing for the commercial sector and one of his designs was installed in the chamber of the US Senate. After leaving the carpet industry in the late 1980's, he returned to his first love of painting-- making it his full time job. Evan first started painting representational subjects. He continued this for 20 years and then ventured into abstract painting which shows his astute color and creativity at its best. He considers himself an abstract experimentalist in his use of color, form and the many things that occur along the way. Now in his 70's, he has been painting for more than 50 years. In 2005 he relocated to Charleston, SC where he found the ocean breezes and eclectic art scene appealing. |
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Sharon FowlerCrape Myrtle / "An abundance of visual nuances attracted me to painting these forms. Studying this botanical species(Largerstremia sp) for the past five years I am still intrigued by this morphic tree. Like a chameleon that changes it's skin in color and then goes beyond. Because of the exfoliating bark, it also changes texture." "Familiar in my mind, a category from horticulture to human takes on new structures of bones, muscle, skin and then a voice. This secret changing ability alluded me at first and then drew me in. Seasons change from winter to spring to summer to fall. From cool blues to lush greens to vibrant reds and everything else in between, by observing these emotional cycles, I joined a quiet organic structure to a speaking painterly voice." Sharon Fowler's many recent achievements include / A solo Piccolo- Spoleto show. A solo show for the city of North Charleston, where she was an artist in residence. Director of ChurchStudio. Featured artist in gallery shows, participated in many group shows. Has been recognized by the design community through many awards. She also is a graduate from Ringling School of Art. Why Crape Myrtles as an inspiration? Well, as a subject they are ever-changing. Everything has a direct effect on how they look. Light, rain, time of year, and the trees themselves are fascinating. The shape and texture of a Crape Myrtle invite you to touch them. Watching people react to the trees is what started me thing about painting them. The first painting was a landscape with Crape Myrtles. Ok, but admittedly not exciting. The next painting was a close up of a tree, better but not quite right. Finally an extreme close up of the bark. Voila, an abstract with out being an abstract. Crape Myrtles are a subject that I look forward to exploring for a long while. AWARD: Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibit 2008 Judged by Jonathan Green Won "Mayor's Award" (6x4 piece bought by the city and will hang in the Mayor's office for a year, then go into the city's permanent collection) |
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Carolyn FrancisCarolyn Francis, born in a small town in the Midwest, experienced a picturesque childhood. Summer days were filled with joyful activities including swimming in the Misissippi River, running through cornfields, and chasing fireflies after dusk. On rainy days, she loved to sketch and not surprisingly, art was her favorite high school class. Upon graduation, events catapulted her to New York City where she enjoyed a successful modeling career with the Ford and Elite agencies. Extensive travel through Europe awakened her to the beauty of historic cultures. After returning to America, she pursued another childhood dream and subsequently performed as an actress in many television shows and commercials. But art was aways a passion. Mostly self taught, she studied at Santa Monica College, Pratt Institute, and the Woodstock School of Art. Carolyn’s style comes from the embattled artistic tradition known as realism. The realist looks at the ordinary world around him and records it. He does so out of the philosophic conviction that goodness, beauty, and interest are in the world as it is. This must not be confused with the very different notion that everything in life is good, beautiful or interesting. Realist choose those things, people, and events that they find sufficiently compelling to share with others. |
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Glenn FriedelA native of Washington, DC, Glenn Friedel received his BA in Radio/Television from George Washington University. He took his Master of Fine Arts in Film and Electronic Media from the American University. He has made a feature film, underdogs, which won several awards playing in multiple film festivals worldwide. In graduate school, Friedel became somewhat frustrated with the lengthy process of filmmaking. As he progressed through the program he increasingly focused on photography as a way to execute his ideas more rapidly. Starting with black and white he quickly moved onto color negatives and slides. Always interested in experimentation and extremely affected by the photograms of Man Ray, Maholy-Nagy and others, Friedel moved on to this medium. With unbridled enthusiasm he has spent nearly a decade working towards perfecting his style. Besides working as an artist, Friedel worked as a graphic designer in Virginia and taught photography and digital imaging classes at area colleges and universities from 2000 to 2006. In the fall of 2006 Friedel moved to Brooklyn, NY to pursue his artistic endeavors fulltime. In the short time that he has been there Friedel has had a solo show in a Chelsea gallery which sold out over half of the work. He has since signed an exclusive contract with Jan Larsen Art in Brooklyn for all of NYC. Among the many galleries and collectors that own his work Friedel has sold art for public view at the Westin Hotel in Washington, DC and several pieces for the set design of the upcoming national show Army Wives. Last Summer Friedel showed in a Washington DC city wide show highlighting contemporary artists produced by the Kreeger Museum. |
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Darlene FuhstDarlene Fuhst was born in Michigan in 1969 and grew up in a small town outside of Detroit. After graduating from Central Michigan University in 1992, Darlene relocated to Charleston, SC, where she currently resides. Right from the start, Darlene’s paintings have exhibited elements of her highly recognizable style that features strong design elements combined with saturated colors and unusual compositions. Though the subject matter of Darlene’s paintings has been quite varied, the unifying theme of her work is the depiction of things that people see every day but don’t take time to truly examine. By removing these items from their usual context and presenting them as art, Darlene is encouraging the viewer to contemplate their aesthetic value without regard to function or literal meaning. Though the objects themselves are depicted in a very realistic style, the paintings are abstract in the sense that they often reveal only a portion of the object or present it from a unique angle or perspective that is different from the typical view. Darlene Fuhst has participated in several group shows in the Charleston area and has had her work featured in local publications. Her work is in private collections in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Greenville, Dallas, Michigan, New York, and Key West. |
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Brownie HarrisBrownie Harris is considered one of America's great portrait photographers, Brownie Harris has been described by journalist Bill Moyers as a," true artist." Harris began his career at the age of 22 with WNET/Thirteen/PBS in New York City, where he photographed celebrity guests for Moyers and talk show host Dick Cavett. His photographs paint a broad-brush stroke across the spectrum from architecture to landscapes and portraiture. He is also a well- known and highly sought-after industrial and corporate photographer. After over 20 years in New York City, he is now based in Wilmington, North Carolina with his wife, Christine and daughters Sarah and Rebecca. Harris was recently featured in Kiawah Island's Legends Magazine for his patinas of walls and streets in Charleston. |
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Kevin HarrisonWhile born in New York, Kevin Harrison spent his early years in Malaysia, where his mother is originally from. He also spent a year in Australia when his family moved as part of a teacher exchange program. Kevin is a man of many talents and interests. Flash animations, graphic design work, short film production, photography, and acting as a freelance marketing conceptual director for several national & international companies are just some of the ways he occupies his time when he is not painting in his studio in Charleston, SC. Kevin sells through galleries in St. Augustine, Fl., Charlotte, NC, Asheville, NC, and Charleston, SC. His work has been commissioned all over the US including, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, and of course, Charleston. |
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Lee JohnsonLee Johnson was born in 1964 in the small northern Chinese town Anqing, near China’s capital of Beijing. Johnson showed a passion for art from a young age, and in 1982 he further pursued his interests at the Academy of Fine Art in Xian. Upon completion of the program, he had acquired numerous awards and honors based on his artistic talents. Johnson found work as the Director of the Editorial Department of Fine Arts Magazine while continuing to paint at his own art studio, producing a line of more contemporary oil paintings. “Oil paints are the words I use in my works; every finished oil painting is a whole story,” Johnson has said. In addition to his work with the Fine Arts Magazine, Johnson has also been engaged in artistic creation and theoretical research through the Research Academy of Chinese Painting. While Johnson’s early works focused on abstract inkwash painting, he later moved to abstracts in oils, including a fascinating genre of exquisite and natural paintings. Johnson’s works have been exhibited in many art galleries throughout South East Asia. Many art lovers around the world collect his work. |
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Timothy LangTimothy David Lang was born in Morristown, New Jersey April 18, 1979. He attended Morristown High School and during these years he began to gain interest in fine art. This small foundation soon led to a greater interest in graffiti in his teenage years. Following High School, he continued his education at Salisbury University on the Eastern shore of Maryland. He began his first semester as a business major but quickly switched after his first year. He chose to major in Fine Art with a concentration in Painting and Drawing. After graduating from Salisbury University with a BFA in 2002, he moved to Hawaii to live with his brother for a few months before relocating to North Carolina. Timothy currently lives and works in Wilmington, NC. |
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Dabney MahanesAs far back as she can remember, Dabney Mahanes has loved drawing figures. The attraction has always stayed with her. Now she is committed to creating art through painting. The human figure allows Dabney to explore the full range of her creative expression. She can find rhythmic line in the movement of body gestures, the shape in human contours, the composition of figures in relationship to one another, and pattern and texture in costumes. Perhaps what attracts Dabney the most are the emotions naturally present when painting the human form. Every pose, expression, attitude, situation, gesture all possess a story that inspires her creativity. Dabney loves using vivid color and strange lights and darks to create a mood or a poignant moment in time. Her hope is that her work will stir emotions, stimulate imagination, and maybe even draw the viewer to a place of reflection. |
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Robert Maniscalco"Though he is at once artist, actor, novelist, teacher, lecturer and multimedia entrepreneur, Summerville's Robert Maniscalco isn't entirely comfortable with the tag "Renaissance man," however descriptive the phrase may be. Not that the Detroit transplant, 47, has any problem with underscoring his talents or promoting his work. The artist who doesn't is the artist who fails. This former gallery owner, born in Detroit in 1959, has spent a life happily being pulled in multiple directions. " - Bill Thompson, Post and Courier Maniscalo specializes in brilliant, lifelike portraits and commissioned work. |
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Charlie McAlisterOriginally from Charleston, SC, Charlie McAlister has been making "things" since the early 80's. Charlie McAlister's visual art, like his music is all at once crude, honest and brilliantly playful. A fair survey of his work might read something like this: Folk visionary, Howard Finster meets punk rock graphic novelist Raymond Pettibone. |
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Patricia Mary McCulloughPatricia Mary McCullough was born and raised in Manhattan. A very talented young girl, she was able to get a full scholarship to the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in Manhattan when the industry was dominated by men. In the late 1950’s as she worked at her desk in school, a talent scout from B. Altman (one of the largest most fashionable clothing stores in Manhattan at the time) passed her desk, saw a sample of her work and hired her on the spot to join their team of fashion illustrators. McCullough, in her early twenties, was the youngest of the group and one of, if not the only women. The deadlines were fierce and a tremendous amount of drawings were produced. She is now 74 years old and lives in Mt. Pleasant, SC. |
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Danny McLaughlinDanny McLaughlin is Charleston’s premier painter of the “City of history, mystery and preservation.” He has built his entire career on his love affair with Charleston and with collectors like you who share that love. Danny is a master oil and acrylic painter, and has captured our coastal plain of sparkling beaches, and spacious marshes. His scenes downtown preserve forever the unique architecture of the south in what has become a visual museum of American history. Color and texture are very important in his paintings- the subject is secondary. He paints anything that visually excites him: portraits, still life, landscape, figurative landscapes, etc. The colors Danny applies to his canvas are planned. There are no happy accidents; even the small textures of color are there for a reason. When Danny starts painting, he does not do any preliminary drawings on canvas. He doesn’t believe in the use of projectors to transfer the sketch to the canvas. He mentally plans his images so he can start painting immediately. Every brush stroke is planned until he has accomplished his intentions. Danny’s realistic atmospheric paintings have been admired, honored and collected since his graduation with a Fine Art degree from the College of Charleston. He has done portraits of Jimmy Buffet’s children. His work is hung in the homes of people like Chubby Checker and Oprah Winfrey. He has works in the Library of Congress. Danny is a believer of giving back to the community, donating over 80+ paintings to the Red Cross, Libraries of the Lowcountry, Big Brother/Big Sisters, Salvation Army, Tara Hall Home for Boys, Maritime Museum, Ducks Unlimited, Churches of the Lowcountry, Trident Culinary Institute. |
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M. McveeM. Mcvee, has a degree in art education, she has been shown her art works through out the country. Her art works has been collected by fans around world. Mary came to US in early 90's, now she and her young children live in Buffalo, NY. Besides work at her studio, she teaches art class as well. "I found that the heave texture, the layers of paints, the lines, shapes and the freedom of composition giving me the total energy to perform, the canvas is my stage, just like a musician performs his music, slowly and freely, the (music) notes together become a beautiful piece of music. In my painting, I hope that you will see the shapes, textures and layers of colors as you would enjoy a beautiful piece of music" |
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Jörg MeyerAfter arriving in the United States from Germany in 1995, Jörg first settled down in Boston where he pursued his commercial photography career. Growing up in the German countryside in an artist family, Jorg at an early age was drawn to become an artist himself. Soon he was trained as a photographer in Munich in the traditional system of an apprenticeship. It soon became clear that people would be the main focus of his work. His professional career has given him the opportunity to work for clients such as Puma, TJMAXX, Fidelity, Stride Rite and others. In 2005 he started a project named “Journey out of Darkness” by photographing and documenting American WW2 POW’s in Nazi prison camps which lead to an exhibition at the National Heritage Museum in Lexington, MA and a book titled “Journey out of Darkness”. His new project has taken him away from people and towards the fascinating world of dried plants. He captures the eternal beauty of dried plants on “Tin Types”. Tin Types where the preferred means of photography around the time of the civil war because of their durability. A tin plate is cut to size and painted black. It is covered with a daylight sensitive silver emulsion after the emulsion has dried the plates are transferred to a 4x5 inch film holder and exposed, developed and fixated. Each Tin Type is an original and unlike the negative process cannot be reproduced. The process can take 30 minutes for the exposure to transfer to the Tin. There are many variables dealing with the chemicals and lighting that makes these images truly original. Jörg has currently dividing his time between Charleston, Boston and New York. His commercial work can be viewed at www.jorgmeyer.com. Contact Eye Level Art if you would like to set up a private photo shoot. |
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Max MillerMax Miller was born in 1980 to a family of artists and craftsmen. His early years were characterized by his family constantly moving among various locations throughout North Carolina and Texas. Without any steady playmates, drawing became his chief activity. Max's parents would bring home reams of discarded paper, which he would set about covering with monsters. His father began working as an art director in the movie industry when Max was very young; some of his earliest memories are of accompanying his father to the sets of various films. The earliest painting Max remembers appreciating, apart from his fathers work, was a reproduction on canvas of 'Saturn Devouring His Children' by Francisco Goya. In 1991 Max and his family moved to Charleston, South Carolina. During adolescence, he continued drawing and gained an appreciation for the human form by copying superheroes from comic books. In 1997, he was selected to attend the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts summer program. The following year, Max began undergraduate studies at the College of Charleston. Max's initial focus at college was sculpture, from which he branched into printmaking and photography. One evening during his third year, he found a paintbrush and a half-empty tube of burnt umber in a trashcan in the school's painting studio. After using these to rework a drawing, Max discovered an intense desire to devote himself to painting. In 2001, he traveled to Spain and visited the Museo del Prado, where he finally saw the painting of 'Saturn Devouring His Children' in person. Max was also exposed for the first time to the work of Jose Ribera, whose paintings continue to inspire him. The next year, he was awarded the Visual Art Scholarship from the College of Charleston and graduated with a double B.A. in Studio Art and Art History. For the next two years Max set about creating work for several solo exhibitions and group shows. Yearning for more instruction in the realistic path he had begun to follow, he was pointed in the direction of the classical atelier tradition. Max was accepted into the Charles H. Cecil Studios in Florence, Italy during the summer of 2004. By January of 2005 he was teaching beginner sculpture at Cecil Studios in the morning, and studying painting in the afternoons. Under Cecil his understanding of beauty, anatomy and composition flourished like never before. Max currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina. |
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Katie MixonOriginally from Orangeburg, South Carolina, Katie began painting at a young age with local artist Elsie Fogle. Interested in pursuing a career in art, Katie enrolled at Davidson College to attain a Bachelors of Art degree in Studio Art. While at Davidson, Katie studied directly under professor and artist Herb Jackson, who introduced her to oil pastels, igniting what would become a dedicated love for the medium. Katie also spent time studying pastel techniques as well as photography in Florence, Italy. Her time spent traveling abroad influenced both the style and technique of her work. After graduation, Katie moved to Charleston, South Carolina to live closer to the coast, where she finds much of her stimulation. Katie currently paints out of her studio at 10 Storehouse Row on the restored Naval Base in North Charleston. Katie has been represented by the Van Every/Smith Galleries, Davidson, NC, CALeidoscope Gallery, Charlotte, NC, and most recently the North Charleston City Gallery, North Charleston, SC. In addition, several of the galleries hosted independent shows for the young, emerging artist. Katie’s work was also featured in the Charlotte Art League and is part of the permanent corporate collection of Ingersoll Rand Company. |
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Yvonne MoraYvonne Mora was born in Lima, Peru, in 1959. She graduated from the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1985 and has held a very active career since. She considers herself an expressionist painter with a strong influence from the masters, Cezanne, Picasso, Van Gogh and Sorolla. A very secure bushstroke and a rigorous composition characterize her expressionism. Her painting is full of color, light and life, according to her. Well deserved recognition did not take long to arrive, as soon as art dealers from the United States and Japan took notice to her work. Mora claims that her travelling to Japan and the USA has enriched her painting with universal elements that allow her to transcend the barriers of a regional expression. Her most important shows include the Miami Biennial I, the JAALA (Japan Afro Asian Latin-American Artists Association) Biennial IV and V in Japan, Acuerdo de Cartagena, two One-Person shows at the Tsukuba Gallery in Japan and six One-Person shows in different galleries in Lima. |
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Christopher MurphyAbstract Painter Christopher Murphy creates non-objective art. He’s found it offers the purest vehicle for expressing the metaphysical and spiritual aspects of the human experience that so fascinate him. He applies his own unique form of expression by painting actively and dynamically to chart his explorations of the unseen. After earning his Master of Fine Arts degree, intuition led Murphy to move to Charleston. On earlier visits, he sensed the vitality of the city and its natural surroundings. The sophistication of the locals plus the beauty and history of the area proved irresistible. The move has proved sound. Murphy has found in Charleston a significant interest in art and a community willing and ready to join with artists to explore new forms of creative expression. Murphy’s love of art and passion for creating has always been with him. From his earliest days growing up in Florida, he showed a natural ability in the visual arts. His parents encouraged him and by his senior year of high school, he had won several state art competitions. His hard work led to a major scholarship from the Columbus College of Art and Design. At CCAD, Murphy excitedly explored the possibilities open to him within the different fields of art. Ultimately he discovered painting to be his true passion. Even so, the explorer in him compelled him to incorporate drawing, printmaking, and collage in his works. After graduating in 1992 with a BFA he returned home to Orlando. Though he worked, like many artists, in related fields to keep a paycheck coming, he painted tirelessly, and exhibited his work at every opportunity. In time, he decided the next phase of his career would best be served by returning to school. In 2004, Murphy enrolled in Graduate School at Georgia Southern University. He excelled as an art student there and worked his way through college as a teaching assistant for the art department. While in school he continued to show his work throughout the southeast. In 2007, Murphy was awarded his MFA. Murphy’s colorful abstracts will now be represented by Eye Level Art gallery on Queen Street in downtown Charleston. He’s equally delighted with this new opportunity and with his new home. Charleston looks to be the ideal launching ground for the next phase of a career as an abstract painter moving toward national and ultimately international recognition. |
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Tate NationAs a freelance illustrator during the 1980s & ‘90s, Tate Nation illustrated ten books and created hundreds of paintings and drawings for book & magazine publishers, advertising agencies and corporate clients nationwide. In the 1990s, he returned to fine art painting exclusively. Tate’s works have been commissioned by The U.S. Postal Service, Coca-Cola, Delta and United Air Lines, Radisson Hotels Worldwide, Domino’s Pizza, and Time-Life books, among many others. Two of his paintings have been exhibited in the Society of Illustrators’ Museum of American Illustration in New York City. Tate was selected as the official poster artist for the 2000 Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC and his non-traditional, bold and textural acrylic paintings have frequently been among the top award winners at the annual juried Piccolo Spoleto Art Exhibit. His works are held in many private collections worldwide, and have been featured in numerous national publications. In 2006, Tate was chosen to serve as the Illustrator-in-Residence at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, for their Authors and Illustrators education & outreach program. A former gallery owner, Tate lives and paints in Mt. Pleasant, SC. |
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Bart ParnallBart Parnall was farm-raised on the rugged coast of Maine. He earned a Bachelor of Science at Murray State University as he trained, and then served, as an officer in the US Army. He arrived in Charleston in 1991. He is the son of award winning designer, illustrator, and author Peter Parnall, and Virginia Buck, a children’s book author as well as the founder and curator of the Wethersfield Academy for the Arts in Wethersfield Connecticut. Needless to say, art has been a part of his life since he was a child. All my life, I have been surrounded by art of all types. I have always had a great appreciation for the skill and patience it takes to produce innovative, well-designed pieces, but I tend to get bored looking at pictures of real-life objects that were drawn just for the sake being drawn. Art without innovation or imagination does not interest me. I am drawn to art that pulls me near – art that captures my gaze from far across a room – because the design, rather than the topic, is captivating. I call my art 2D3. It is constructed of many laminated layers of various sheet-like materials that build on top of each other to produce a 3-dimensional design. Imagine a topographical land-map where each layer of elevation is a separate layer of material – all glued on top of each other to complete the map – but in a more pronounced way than on simple paper. In effect, the picture is still in a 2-dimensional format, but the layers give it a 3-dimensional look and feel. |
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Tom PotockiTom Potocki is a professional artist who has exhibited in numerous National and Regional shows. He works in a variety of styles and media including drawing, painting, sculpture and photography. His eclectic style has been described as reflecting neo-classical and pop art with a dash of refined graffiti. He earned a BFA degree from Carnegie Mellon University. He also spent a summer studying in Rome as a student, and while at CMU did design work for Westinghouse, Mellon Bank and US Steel. After graduating, Tom moved to New York City and was involved in the Pop Art movement and produced the first "Happening" at Fire Island off Long Island. He then spent a year in Greece with a studio on the island of Hydra. Returning to the US, Tom began a college teaching career and was a founding member of the Northwestern PA Artists Association. Exhibitions include The International Superman Show in Cleveland, National Design Center in NYC, Butler Institute of American Art, Chautauqua Exhibition of American Art, International Graphics in Palm Beach, Erie Art Museum, Icon Factory in Sacramento, Prince Street Gallery in NYC, and the 2003 Appalachian Corridors Exhibit in Charleston, WV. Artworks also included in an International trade show in Basel, Switzerland. Has a drawing included in the 2009 "Strokes of Genius" book on the best of contemporary drawing published by North Light Books. |
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Mandy SmartMandy Smart is a British artist, born in 1963 in Liverpool, England. Mandy currently lives in Los Angeles, California, where she has resided since 1989. Mandy has painted throughout her life, influenced by the pop culture of her hometown, Liverpool. Inspired by the satirical sense of humor, which the city is famous for, she went on to study fine art in college there. Mandy paints ever day in her, “factory like” studio in Silverlake, Los Angeles, where she also resides with her architect husband, “Fifi” her schnoodle dog and 3 cats. From Buddha’s to booze to playboy bunnies, her eclectic and satirical style is her signature. Mandy’s work has an appealing, informal, unrestricted quality, which captures the viewer and brings the art to life. An array of vivid colors and unique imagery is what will strike you, upon entering Mandy’s funky and eccentric studio, which was formerly a famous underground gay sex club in LA!! Her fabulous paintings exude a glamorous and funny take on everyday life. Nudes, perfume, high heel shoes, kinky boots and champagne, on large canvases, old doors and wood. Her studio is a delicatessen of art. Most intriguing is the way Mandy expresses her thoughts, by incorporating words and phrases into the paint, turning her work into humorous compositions and commentaries. Her titillating nudes and figurative work tease her audience with dry wit and comical parody making everyone smile. |
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Caryn SmithCaryn Smith's unique style and vibrant color palette in rich oils is easily recognized in her large scale abstract paintings and lowcountry scenes. She paints en plein air, capturing the beauty of the lowcountry's landscape and architecture, while in her downtown studio she is drawn to paint abstracts. Painting is like therapy, getting lost in time, sometimes yearning to paint what she sees, and sometimes needing to paint what she feels. She finds her inspiration in many things. Her favorite time to paint outdoors is capturing the last light of day when the sky has a pretty warm glow. Caryn has studied with many notable artists such as Rhett Thurman, Billyo O'Donnell, Craig Nelson, Karen Hagen, Jim Darlington and Maggie Mandell, taking many plein air workshops and studying at The Gibbs Museum of Art. She has always been interested in art and has been drawing and painting since early childhood, even painting on jeans, growing up in Chicago and Toronto. She attended The University of Mississippi in Oxford then received a BA in Interior Design from Ray College of Design in 1990. During college she started painting large scale abstracts. Since college she has been working as interior designer and painting commissions for clients. Her design background plays a large role in her painting, using her trained eye to balance scale, shapes, color and value, the combination of warms and cools, composition and perspective. Caryn Smith's work hangs in many private collections throughout the United States and Canada. She has exhibited in many juried shows, Piccolo Spoleto outdoor art exhibition and donated paintings to silent auctions for good causes around the lowcountry since moving to Charleston in 1995. She is a member of COPA (Charleston Outdoor Painters Association), a member of the Charleston Artist Guild, and ASID (American Society of Interior Designers). |
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Kevin E. TaylorKevin E. Taylor was born December 28, 1972 in Charleston, SC. In 1995, he received a B.F.A. from The Savannah College of Art and Design. His work has been exhibited in US cities such as New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Atlanta, as well as internationally in Sweden, Japan, and Italy. Recent accomplishments of note are a feature in Juxtapoz Magazine (October, 2007), and a solo exhibit marking the debut opening of San Francisco’s Gallery Three. His future exhibition schedule includes dates in the US, Berlin, and London. Kevin lives in San Francisco, CA. I attempt to expose the animal within. Much of that which is assumed to be chaotic and incomprehensible within the human paradigm can be clarified through the observation that we, like all organisms are bound first and foremost by natural law. Over time, civil responsibility has ordered a physical detachment from nature, however a deeper mental architecture remains intact. It is this power play with which we struggle internally. I take interest in formulating a parody, amplifying an analysis, and offering visual depiction of this all at once grotesque, lovely, and hilarious production. |
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Lesley WamsleyTraveling and exploration have always been a source of inspiration for W.V. native Lesley Wamsley. A graduate of Miami University, she has also spent time studying art and culture at the Université de Bourgogne in France and The University of Newcastle in Australia. Further travels throughout the South Pacific, Asia, and Central America have pushed this painter to create landscapes that reflect a world in a constant state of flux. The idea of a fluid environment is expressed by using a painting technique that highlights the paint’s liquidity so that it represents both medium and subject. Aerial photographs, topographic atlases, and geological maps are also used as a primary source of inspiration. This combination of perspective and painting technique establishes the central objective of the work: the tension between representation and abstraction. The final result is imagery that reflects an imploding of multiple states of consciousness; the viewer finds they are in a world that is recognizable and, simultaneously, a world in which time and space have no limitations. |
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ART CLASSES Work from Life"Work from Life" Painting and drawing sessions with a live model, for beginning and experienced artists with instruction from Max Miller (as little or as much as you like) Sundays at 6:30-8pm $15 at Eye Level Art Warehouse Gallery 2143 Heriot St. Call Max for additional information 843-991-5792 or email maxmillerart@gmail.com |
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Ishmael ZIf you’ve read or know anything about Daniel Quinn and his book called Ishmael, then you have a leg up on the ideas and styles that motivate a very visible, elusive artist who goes by the same name—Ishmael. The book talks about spiritual adventure, tackling the status quo, and reinventing yourself—all concepts that have informed one of Charleston’s most notorious painters. Ishmael is known and not known. His work is highly visible, but he himself is pretty much invisible. Up to now, he’s worked in the dark, alone, under the cover of darkness. But now, in his first solo show in Charleston, the popular street artist presents a body of work that promises to spark excitement in both graffiti enthusiasts and fine art patrons. Ishmael was born in Spain and raised in Florida and fell in love with graffiti at an early age. He used to ride the city bus with his aunt in Miami and pay close attention to the creativity and technique of the local street artists. He taught himself to paint and has been going at it ever since. His new work at Eye Level Art blends two worlds--one hidden and mysterious, the other dedicated to crafting fine art. For years he has kept the two worlds separate, but now he is ready to produce art that gains influence from both. Graffiti was his first discipline, the influences of which are apparent in every piece he makes. His new work is organic and haunting, referencing his rebellious creative history while dramatically signifying his shift toward fine art. The work on display is refined and mature, but retains his trademark spirit and individuality. Smoke, rust, and copper lend the forms organic twists and unexpected depth. As does his use of spray enamel, latex paint, and oils. He splits his time between Charleston and Asheville, NC. Using only a word of mouth, street approach to networking—stickers, tagging, shows--Ishmael enjoys an international reputation as a skilled, provocative artist. |
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