Piccolo Spoleto Festival is underway in Charleston

Bruce and I took in the 28th Annual Juried Piccolo Spoleto Indoor Art Exhibition in the Visitor Center of Charleston  today .  I am just glad I didn't have to try to judge which of the many fine art works entered  in the show deserved to win a prize.  ( You can see it at the Charleston Visitor Center, 375 Meeting St. Exhibit on view May 25-June 8, open daily 8:30am-5pm; Awards Reception June 3 from 5-7pm. Admission: FREE.)

We then wandered over to the Out of door Art Exhibition in Marion Square, where  award-winning S.C. artists  are display their works   Again it was an outstanding  juried exhibition. 

( You can visit the out of door exhibition at Marion Square, King and Calhoun Sts. May 25-June 10; 10am-6pm. Admission: Free.)

You can learn more about all of the visual arts events going on during Piccolo Spoleto at
http://www.piccolospoleto.com/?cat=23

New work on Ccampbellsfineart.com

My website for original artwork has been updated with all of my most recent paintings

Check  them out at:

http://www.ccampbellsfineart.com/

Fine Art America Sold 3 Reproductions

I've spent the better part of the last week reorganizing my  2 websites.  I've added almost a hundred new paintings to both It's pretty tedious work, and  I still have a few more edits before I can publish the updated version of the website for my originals

Pawleys Island Yacht Club North

It's pretty tedious work, I would so much rather be painting

Georgetown USA

This was just the shot in the arm I needed to make it all seem worthwhile

Rice Field Workers

To see more of my work on Fine Art America go to:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/cecelia-campbell.html

I will put out a new post when the updated website for originals gets posted

Lesson Learned: Watch for Fire Ants

Last Wednesday, while scouting for a plein air painting scene,  I inadvertently stepped on  a fire ant hole.  Before I had time to step back, both feet and ankles were covered with the ants in full attack mode.  I wound up with bites all over both feet and ankles; they even bit me between my toes and on the soles of my feet.

So far I have counted 73 individual bites, and more keep breaking out eac day .  I get one set of bites under control and another  breaks out .  Seven days later, I am still taking antihistamines to control the burn.  Guess I 
won't be  plain air painting in that location.  And next time I will certainly be paying  as much  close attention to where I am painting, and  as what I am painting.

The Red Hat

The Red Hat

I am attempting to stretch my artistic skills by having a person(s) as the focal point of the painting. This is #10 of twelve beach scenes which include people. Once I get all 12 completed, I plan to reward myself for the effort by finishing the series with some beach landscapes sans homo sapiens.

Happy Mother's Day

My Mother's Day Gift: " Charleston in My Time, by West Fraser.  More than two hundred beautiful reproduced color plates showcase Frasier's plein air and studio paintings of Charleston's landmarks.

Special Exhibitions at Artisphere

Just got back home from a great weekend in downtown Greenville, SC.  Artisphere,  has been ranked as one of the top 20 artist events in the southeast attracting over 10,000 visitors from Greenville and the Upstate.... After spending Friday visiting all 120  exhibitor booths along Main Street, we needed a break from the crowds, so we  spent Saturday viewing three special exhibitions associated with the  festival.

The Greenville County Art Museum  had a wonderful exhibition about the Low Country with works from famous South Carolinian artists .  And of course while we were there we had to see their Andrew Wyeth collection which is now one of the largest any where in the world.

Next we visited the Artists of the Upstate Juried Exhibition which features 51 Upstate artists representing  the talent of our upstate artists  in a wide range of media .  This exhibition will continue to be on view  during the Festival weekend and through May 28 at Centre Stage Theatre.

 My personal favorite of the day was  The Chairman's Exhibit is  which comprised of works from three well-established regional galleries, representing artists from across North and South Carolina as well as several national renowned talents. Galleries represented include: Hampton III Gallery in Taylors, SC; Elder Gallery in Charlotte, NC; and Blue Spiral 1 in Asheville, NC. Each bring their own unique aesthetic to the exhibit, displaying original two and three-dimensional works in a variety of mediums. Representatives from the galleries and some of the participating artists  were present to discuss their art.  It was so inspiring, they practically had to push me out of the place to lock the gallery at the end of the day.

Artisphere in Greenville SC5 "12

Artisphere  is set up on the west end of Main Street
 in Greenville,SC

Every May, Greenville, SC hosts Artisphere, one of the best fine art and craft street fairs in the United States.

The main thoroughfare of the city is blocked off for artists and craftsmen from all over the United States to set up tents displaying their art.  I don't think I have ever seen so many different  artistic medias represented in one festival.

One of 120 exhibit booths

There are photographers, and painters, glass blowers, metal and wood sculptures, printers,  fiber artists,  furniture makers, jewelers , basket makers, ceramists, and  digital artists  displaying their unique artwork.

Below 

Fiber Artist Joe Camillas quilt made from book covers.

Book Cover Quilt

Artist Steven Kostyshyn combines ceramic stoneware with basketry

And the art scene doesn't stop at the display booths.... The festival includes  three days of of non stop free  local musician,vocalists, dancers,  symphony orchestras,and street performers,  and children's programs, not to mentions fine art exhibits  in the local museums, and hotels..

Street banner

Even the streets and parks and river front are festooned with banners and flags

Flags over the river.

Artisphere Runs May 11 through May 13th  in the west end of downtown Greenville, SC

For more information call 864 271-9398

Artist Reception May 4, 2012 for Mary Johnson Voss

Mary, Ernie, and Guest

 The Charleston Artist Gallery sponsored a wonderful French Quarter Art  Walk Reception  for their featured artist: Mary Johnson Voss, on Friday May 4.

The promise of great art, good food, cold drinks and live entertainment kept pulling in  art lovers  of all ages off of Charleston's bustling East Bay Street.

Robin Harris and Tommy Gill

Mary's husband, Ernie chatting with a future  art collector