What a great opening night for our 2024 Miniature Masterpiece Show!  We were so happy to have "Witzel Art" in the house to make the picks for this year's show--John has been a member of our gallery for years and through that time his work has had so many great achievements.  John spent much of the afternoon on Friday mulling over the incredible body of work submitted for the show and after much deliberation, made his picks.  Congratulations to Jodi Hudson for "Ripples of Wonder" taking 1st place.  2nd Place went to Christine Dryden, "But What You May Reach" and 3rd place went to Sheryl Detert for "Through the Forest Mist". Honorable Mention went to Martha Manco with "Backlit".  John create another ribbon for an emerging artist, Rachel Vaughn, for "Morning Bliss" encouraging her to continue on her art journey. All the paintings submitted are worthy of praise and truly worth seeing. The show will hang through the month of December so please stop by--we certainly have plenty of great ideas for some unique gift giving this season!

​More Miniatures in the show not part of the judging are also on display through December:

We are so excited to be included in the Fall issue of Charleston Style and Design magazine again this season.  Thanks to all our participating artists--you represent us well!!  

A big CONGRATULATIONS to our gallery artist Catherine Vaccarino -- her painting "Sunset Drive-Pawleys" was chosen as "Best in Show" at the Georgetown Wine and Art Walk 2024---to learn more about the event click here.

CONGRATULATIONS are also in order for Tina Proctor as well--she received Best in Show for her watercolor "Waterways" in the Georgetown County Watercolor Society. To learn more about GCWS click here.

What a fun day spent on the river with fellow gallery artist Maura Kenny and her husband Captain Paul!  Our captain led a group of us gallery artists, and one stray history loving husband, up the Waccamaw River to the Pee Dee River where the beautiful Hasty Point Plantation resides.  Along the way we passed Chicora Wood Plantation and took note of many of the native plants along the river banks including swamp rose, fringe tree and bottle brush.   Paul told us all about the history of Hasty Point Plantation and we toured the Rice Barn which included many of the relics of the rice trade from the past.  When we left the Plantation we scooted around Sandy Island on the way back and learned much about the natural history of the river. 

​​Maura gave us a lesson about the artist Emily Esdaile Weston (1810-1886) whose collection of drawings from Hagley and Pawleys Island all the way up to Conway are now owned by Brookgreen Gardens and can be viewed there. 

Below are some great pictures we captured along the way .......all inspiration for creating studies for future paintings of the area.  Among the images are a few studies created by a few artists on the trip--all in hopes of a larger work down the road.
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If you are interested in finding out how to book a trip on the river with 'Captain Paul' --call CLASS--Community Learning About Special Subjects-- at 843-235-9600 or email linda@classatpawleys.com. You can also check out the Class at Pawleys website for more information.

We are so thankful to our judges, Hastings Hensel and Maura Kenny, for the many hours spent choosing our winners of the "Poetry in Paint" show this year.  As Hastings mentioned at the beginning of the evening, it was such a difficult decision as every painting in the show was worthy of honor! However there were a few that they collaboratively agreed stood out:

1st place:  Kathy LaCasse- "Wonder", mixed media encaustic
Response from Hastings:  Kathy LaCasse's "Wonder" captures the delicacy of its subject--a dragonfly--as well as the ephemerality of observation. At its heart is a poetic metaphor--the dragonfly blooms like a flower--which makes the brevity of the moment all the more beautiful amidst a seemingly stormy and swirling backdrop. The painting and the poem both resemble a kind of Japanese haiku, and remind us that art and nature, through the intimacy of a single moment, can restore our sense of wonder.


 Response from Maura:  "Wonder" is beautifully executed in encaustic paint by this artist's highly skilled yet comfortable hand. The translucent layers of wax add to the luminous quality and wonder of this fleeting yet visually articulated moment in time. The composition of this japanesque arrangement of organic elements is a further nod to the poem's style and poet's voice. All in all a wonderful bonding of painting and poem.  


2nd place: Nancy Panfili-"The Gathering", watercolor
Response from Hastings:  The short three lines accompanying Nancy Panfili's "The Gathering"--a wistful longing by the Scottish poet Robert Burns--contrast beautifully with the expansiveness of this plein air watercolor. In a style both figurative and abstract, the painting isn’t so much about individual sheep as it is about the gorgeous interplay of light and color. Like the poem, it evokes a memory and the idea of remembering.

Response from Maura:  "The Gathering" by Nancy Panfil exemplifies watercolor in its highest and purest form with beautiful shards of transparent colors arranged with experiential knowledge of spatial zones in the landscape.  The rolling hills in the painting express visual movement as the poet's words echo this movement in the line "Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,".  This landscape is lovingly painted with a skilled hand, a hand that expresses the joy and love of the artist's visual experience while reflecting the poet's literary testament of love for the Highlands.

3rd place: Mikki Huss, "Where Go the Boats", watercolor

Response from Hastings:  Mikki Huss's "Where Go the Boats?" incorporates the language of Robert Louis Stevenson's poem in creative, technical, and even whimsical ways. On a purely visual level, the blank space surrounding the text of a poem suggest words unspoken but implied, and this painting, too, suggests life beyond its frame. It captures an image that the casual observer might miss, but one in which the artist finds poetry.

Response from Maura:  "Where Go the Boats" is whimsical and mysterious, with a unique and refreshing 'worm's eye' point of view. The harmonious color palette of yellows, greens and blues unifies this composition and reflects colors suggested in the poem by Robert Louis Stevenson. The artist purposely gives us just enough visual information to stimulate the viewer's own imagination as it mirrors the poet's teasing litany of places where his boat might go. Beautifully painted with a strong composition and a wonderful marriage between the painting and poem.

Below is the full show--"Poetry in Paint" ---now on display until the end of May! Please stop by and see this incredible show!

Gallery owner paintings also on display as part of the "Poetry in Paint" show.

Calling All Artists!!  We hope you will stretch your imaginations and participate in Island Art Gallery's 2024 Spring Show.  The theme, "Poetry in Paint", is sure to spark interest in interpreting your favorite poet's work or perhaps a poetic work of your own.  

This year's Opening Day Event will be held on Friday, April 26th, 2024, 5pm-7pm.   Artwork should be submitted by Saturday, April 20th, 2024.  The show will be judged and we will be awarding prize money for first, second and third place. The artwork will hang in the gallery through the month of May and will be posted on our website.  One entry per person. 
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Requirements: 

1. Format –  Maximum painting size will be 24"x24" including frame, if not framed must be 1 1/2" gallery wrapped canvas. 3D pieces are also accepted as long as they do not exceed 24" height, width or depth.  Please make sure that the artwork is ready to hang with proper wire.
2. All work must be original, not created in a class or workshop, created in the past year, and not previously shown in Georgetown County, SC. 
3. Artist must submit 3-4 sentences, on the application form, on your creative process.  Did you paint plein art, from a photograph (your own or one with permission), any use of computers, or apps, or is it totally from your imagination, etc.  The process should be transparent.  
4. Work must be for sale and your price should reflect  a 20% gallery commission. 
5. Please securely attach a tag to the back of the canvas with your name and contact information along with a copy of your poem or the relevant portion.
6. Entry fee is $20.
7. Entry forms will be available at the gallery and can be completed when you deliver the painting.  You may also email us at islandartcoop@gmail.com and we will be glad to send you one.      

We look forward to seeing your work!
Island Art Gallery