In her color-rich abstract paintings, Kit Porter takes cues from palettes, patterns and shapes in a changing environment. The artist: Porter grew up in Wilmington, NC, and graduated with a degree in fine art from the University of the South (TN) in 2005. After graduation, she worked in art-related jobs in Columbia and Charleston, SC,…
From her popular ceramic wall pods to her sculptural tree totems, Alice Ballard’s work is always about nature. The artist: Born in Florence, SC, Ballard grew up in an Air Force family and lived all over the world. She earned degrees in painting at the University of Michigan, working as a scientific illustrator to put…
From the cockpit of her family’s vintage plane, Mary Edna Fraser was awed by aerial views of the Lowcountry waterways and landscapes she saw. The experience inspired the South Carolina artist to recreate the landscapes in batik art and paintings. The studio: Fraser works out of a backyard studio on James Island Creek, just south…
Ben Ross has always enjoyed the woods and waterways of the South. So for his wedding 13 years ago, the South Carolina native decided to create a gift that reflected his appreciation of the outdoors. Ross, who grew up using feathers to tie fishing flies, crafted turkey feather bow ties for his groomsmen. The handsome…
South Carolina’s Dorothy Shain creates contemporary artwork that reflects her love of travel and nature, but also color and pattern. The artist & background: Born in Greenville, SC, Shain graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where she majored in studio art with a focus was painting. After college, she briefly worked as a wrangler…
A lifelong interest in the natural world’s colors, forms and textures influences Kate Rothra Fleming’s glass jewelry designs. Background: Grew up in Miami, and as a child traveled around to remote areas of wild Florida with her father and mother, a nature writer. Fleming earned degrees from University of Florida and Rochester Institute of Technology.…