Charleston Series on Exhibition 8 '15

Charleston Series

Got my new Charleston Series hung in the SAG gallery today. I am pleased with how it looks.

Art in the Common Festival 9 '13

The first ever  Seacoast Artist Guild Art in Common Festival was a huge success today. 

A large group of Seacoast Artist Guild  set up their exhibit tents just before noon in the grassy area of Valor Park  across from the Guilds Gallery on Never's Street.

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 It didn't take long for the public to find us.  By 12:30 pm the festival was hopping with people looking for one-of-a-kind-arts and crafts.  They were not disappointed; 

Woody Bower

Photography,

Wilma and Bill Hosford

Sandi Blood

 Pottery, Jewelry, Painted works of Art, Woodcarving, Fused Glass, and a variety of miscellaneous arts & crafts were all available.

 Bill Maurer

Pottery, Jewelry, Painted works of Art, Woodcarving, Fused Glass, and a variety of miscellaneous arts & crafts were all available. Congratulations to all the Seacoast Artists Guild Exhibitors on a job well done.

New Painting of Cheraw State Park 6 '13

 

Last weekend my husband and I took a trip to Cheraw State Park. I am still deeply engrossed with painting South Carolina's State Parks. and hoped to get some good reference photos for the series . The trip turned out to be a travel "adventure": we got hit by rain, tornado warnings, and both the RV and the two vehicle broke down on the way home. Never the less I was determined that some good would come from this adventure, When I got home I started working on a painting from a quick sketch and a photo I made of two people in a canoe in Lake Juniper at Cheraw State Park last weekend. The blurry photo  above  is the way the camera saw the scene. The second image  below is the painting I did once I got home. As you can see, the scene was a lot more vivid in my minds eye.

 

Poinsett Bridge 4 '13

Pointsett Bridge is the seventh of the paintings that I have completed for my State park Series this month.   Some of you may remember when I visited it last October (26th 2012) .  It is located just outside of Greenville South Carolina.  It was build in 1820 and is believed to be the oldest standing bridge in South Carolina.The graceful 14-foot Gothic arch stone bridge spans the Little Gap Creek, and  was part of a toll road that ran from Charleston, through Columbia and into North Carolina.

Long Shoals State Park Still a WIP 3'13

I spent most of the morning working on the larger of the two paintings,  This one looks close to finished to me.  I', going to sit on it a few days before I decide whether to sign off on it.

Long Shoals SC 11 Roadside Park

Great reflections

 Surprise surprise. This beautiful little river run is right next to SC Highway 11.   Only a  small road sign, "Long Shoals Roadside Park" and a  small pull off of gives any indication that there is anything special to see.

Great color

The water was low so I could stand on dry rocks in the middle of the stream and take photos

Endless composition opportunities

Can't wait to get started painting some of these scenes.

There's a potential painting everywhere you look

Raven Cliff Falls  in Caesars Head SP

I spent most of the day checking out the nearby SC State Parks for scenes that  I could use in my State Park series.

Caesar  Head SP  Hiking Train

It wasn't hard to find them.... the area is aflame with Fall color

Table Rock  SP Fall color

So whether I concentrated on a single nearby object

Caesar Head SP scenic highway

or a mid range view

Table Rock SP 

or a distant view of a classic landscape,  there was  a fall scene just waiting to be painted everywhere I looked.

In addition to the Fall color, I collected a lot of reference photos of the rivers and creeks in the area

Another small river in Jones Gap SP

There are even waterfalls to be found  right along the highway

Small waterfall along side of SC Highway 11

Cantey Bay near the Santee State Park 10 '12

The Cantey Bay near the Santee State Park is off of the I 95 / SC 301 in South Carolina.  I've driven by this place dozens of times and barely given it a thought.. or if I did, it was to wonder why it had been set aside as a reserve.  I found out when I drove by it this time... when the daisies are in boom it is drop dead gorgeous.  I'm not kidding,  cars were slamming on their brakes to take a look.   I pulled off the highway and onto a secondary causeway that cuts across the preserve.  Got lots of reference photos.  You can bet one of them will wind  up being used as a reference for a painting for my  State Park Series.  Be forewarned if you attempt to do any photography or plein air painting there, there a the site has a lot of fire ant mounds along the road, so watch where your step.

Newest Addition to Beach Scene Series

"First Watch" 6"x12" Oil

Lifeguards have started re-appearing on the beaches of South Carolina.  . Sometimes I think they must wash in with the gulf stream.  Their high lookout stations sit empty all Winter and for most of  Fall and Spring; then one day, the waves turns warm and their they are, all brave and bright in the brilliant sun. I couldn't resist adding  a painting of one  to my beach scene series

Introducing My Fine Arts America Website

I have created a website with Fine Art America specifically for those who are interested in purchasing reprints of some of my original artworks.  Check it out at:

http://cecelia-campbell.artistwebsites.com/

New Paintings in the works

New finished paintings for wildlife series waiting to be framed.

Lest you think all I have been painting for the past two months is  playful miniatures, let me assure you I have been busy.    I decided  to get a head start on the work I will need completed when the South Carolina Wildlife Art  Exhibition opens in February. Since Nov 1,  I have completed six  9" x 12" oil paintings of marsh birds.

Three Wildlife Series works in progress.

I have three more marsh bird scenes in progress.

( For those of you who are wondering... I often paint the background first, leaving the bird itself until last... So the red bird shape will become a white egret... the white bird shape a red-wing black bird (after I complete the background) and the rice gate will have a blue heron added to a post..)

And after I complete the marsh birds, I 'll try painting some mink, river otter, alligators and other SC wetland critters from photos I've collected at Huntington Beach State Park.

Swan lake for Mothers Day 5 '08

Last weekend we celebrated Mothers Day by going to see Swan Lake in Sumter SC. It is one of the prettiest city parks I have ever visited. The lake is a flower and bird lover's paradise. The beautiful black waters of Swan Lake form the setting for the spectacular Iris Gardens. The lake is dotted with colorful islands, and wildlife is abundant. It is the only public park in the United States to feature all eight swan species, Swan Lake-Iris Gardens is also home to some of the nation's most intensive plantings of Japanese iris, which bloom yearly in mid to late May and last until the beginning of June. The garden also boasts many other flowers including colorful camellias, azaleas, day lilies, and Japanese magnolias.  

Swan Lake-Iris Gardens began in 1927 when Hamilton Carr Bland, a local businessman was developing the 30 acres of swamp into a private fishing camp. At the same time he was landscaping the grounds of his home with Japanese iris. The iris failed miserably in the home garden, and Bland ordered his gardener to dig up the bulbs and dump them at the swamp. The following spring, they burst into bloom. The accidental garden, referred to by Southern Living magazine a "lovely mistake," has since been developed into one of the finest botanical gardens in the United States

Australian Black Swan

The magnificent swans were brought in from all over the world; representing Australia, North America, South America, Europe and Asia were originally imported by Mr. Bland in the late 1920's.  You might find it interesting that the Australian Black swans have been in residence the longest, and some of the birds living in the garden at present are their descendents.  They were definitely my favorites. Visitors are permitted to feed the swans. The swans are quite tame and friendly and will come right up to you looking for a hand out; so do the Canada geese, mallards, egrets, herons and anhinga which also call the gardens home.

 

Canada Goose
Of all of the photos I took today, I liked this one the best and am sure I will wind up painting "The Goose at Swan Lake"

Tri color Heron

family of Pied

Hogsbill turtle