Being home to one of the world's leading cultural festivals, Spoleto, and over thirty art galleries in downtown alone, it is fair to say that Charleston is well-known for its art scene! With so much inspiration surrounding us from the rich historical character to the breathtaking architecture to the poetic landscape of the Lowcountry, it is no wonder why so many artists are drawn to this city.
As an art lover, I enjoy exploring galleries and discovering new (to me) artists as well as up and coming artists. With the explosion of social media, it has been interesting to watch our local Charleston artists careers blossom into the mainstream via blogs, Instagram, etc. One of the main goals when I started my business was to support local artisans, craftsman, designers, etc. as I think it is important to SHOP LOCAL, if you will, and support your community. So in my business plan was an idea to feature a new local artist each month (or Charleston related/Eclectic friend). My first year with shop was a total blur so I am just now getting around to these plans in year number two (bare with me)! So with all that being said, I am happy to announce the ARTIST SPOTLIGHT SERIES at Eclectic!
Each month I will feature a new artist who has created an exclusive series of work just for Eclectic. This collection will be displayed in my brick and mortar shop for all to come and see (but only for that month!)! This is a great opportunity for you to be exposed to some new artists, see their work in person and get some amazing original art at fantastic price points! I will also be posting these pieces online so they can be purchased and shipped if you are not local.
I goofed the schedule in January and the storm has put us behind a bit in February BUT I will announce February's artist tomorrow! Stay tuned...
Eclectic is a Charleston, South Carolina based full-service boutique interior design firm in specializing in the design of residential projects including entire homes and the styling of individual rooms. We also offer virtual e-design services.Please email sidney@eclecticcharleston.com for additional information.
Eclectic is a retail shop/design studio located in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina (just over the bridge from downtown Charleston) selling an array of vintage mid-century pieces, repurposed items, new products and locally made creations with a fresh Modern meets Coastal aesthetic.
Join me as I sit down with local artist Shannon Smith and have a lil' chat...
So how did you get started painting? I was born and raised into a family of artists. My Mom, my twin sister, and I are all oil painters and my triplet brother is a photographer.
How has growing up in a family of artists shaped you as an artist?Life as a triplet and an artist have made to be a fun and interesting one! How unique to be able to share a close sibling bond as well as all sharing the same artistic talents. My Mom was a full time mother of three, but she started painting once we got out of the house and started going to school. I was exposed to art at a young age through her works, attending art shows, and our family travels almost always included visits to art museums. I have fond memories of dabbling in watercolors in Mom's studio. 1979, Age 7
So did you always know that you wanted to be an artist? Wanted to be an artist, yes. I always had a love of drawing and painting and grew up wishing to be an artist like my mom but didn't believe I could do it professionally. So I did not become serious about painting until college. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Clemson University with my focus on oil painting. After graduating I was unsure about being able to support myself and making a career out of my art. While at Clemson, I broke my leg skiing and had to undergo knee surgery and months of physical therapy. That unfortunate experience sparked my interest in the field of health therapies, mostly physical and occupational therapy. I moved back to Charleston and went back to school for a year to fulfill the health and science prerequisites needed to apply to MUSC's graduate program of Occupational Therapy. However, I was not accepted and although disappointed at the time, I quickly realized it was a blessing in disguise!
Had you ever shown your work before? I had exhibited in Spoleto's outdoor art show in the past with my college art and decided to paint for that year's upcoming festival in May. I painted 25 oils for the show and sold over half! I was thrilled beyond words at my success. It was the boost of confidence that I needed to follow my passion as an artist! I also give tremendous credit to my mom and her artist friends, watching them achieve established roles in the art community, both locally and nationally, truly gave me the courage to follow my passion and follow in their footsteps! I am now a full time professional artist of 15 years, showing in galleries and museums, and have not looked back since that May of 1996!
Where do you show your work? This year we celebrate the 10 year Anniversary of the opening of our family gallery, Smith Killian Fine Art on 9 Queen St downtown Charleston. [Shannon also show's her work at the following galleries: The Well's Gallery at Kiawah Island, South Carolina; Anne Irwin Fine Art in Atlanta, Georgia; Parker Gallery in St. Simons Island, Georgia and the City Art Gallery in Greenville, North Carolina.
Where do you paint?My painting studio is in the upstairs of my home in Mount Pleasant, but I also take my "studio" outside and paint en plein-air when nice weather and great travel opportunities permit.
Shannon in her home studio.
Shannon plein-air painting in the misty rain on Shem Creek.
Also she is a Signature Member of the Plein-Air Painters of the Southeast.
How would you describe your paintings? My subject matter varies between landscape, still life, and figures while all sharing the common theme of dramatic use of light. I consider my style to be somewhat impressionistic and representational, with strong emphasis on color and light.
Here are some examples of her latest work.
"Cortona Light" 40x30 Oil on Linen
"Lowcountry Roots" 36x60 Oil on Linen
"Summer House II" 30x30 Oil on Linen
"The Waiter" 30x40 Oil on Linen
"Pink and Pewter" 16x20 Oil on Linen
Shannon has a wall in her studio she calls her "Travel Wall" where she creates paintings from all the places she travels. In the photo, you can see one of her two Himalayan cats, Ollie (other is Rufus). Ollie likes to sit on the sofa and watch Shannon paint. In fact, sometimes Ollie gets a little too close as he had green paint all over his beautiful white fur! Just one of the hazards of being the cat of an artist I suppose.
Shannon will be teaching a painting workshop along with fellow artist Laurie Meyer in Italy in April of 2012.
Since I am an interior designer, you know I am going to ask you about your home!
Your house is adorable! How long have you lived here? It will be 6 years this Thanksgiving. I bought it during the construction phase so I was able to customize some of the elements to my particular taste. What really drew me to it was the Nantucket cottage feel it had.
What is your favorite spot in your home and why? My back screened in porch without a doubt! I grew up always having a porch where our family shared meals and time together. It is my "happy place" where I unwind and truly relax, whether it be with my morning coffee or evening glass of wine. I just love being outside close to nature... watching the birds at my bird feeders and enjoying the critters that frequent the pond behind my backyard, ie. ducks, herons, egrets, turtles, snakes, and the occasional visiting gator! All while listening to water trickle from my fountain, I also take in the fast changing colors and clouds of evening light which soon become a beautiful night sky of moon and stars. I am also fortunate to have a front porch...now that is where I go to rock in my rockers and be more social with the close-by neighbors!
Name one item in your home that you are most proud of? I am most proud of my art collection...mostly oils and a few etchings and photographs. Of course they are all original pieces! While some are my own works, several pieces were traded with my family and artist friends, and some I have purchased through art galleries. I treasure each and every one for their meaning and inspiration to me and my life as an artist. I am out of wall space...time for a bigger house to continue my art collection!!
What is the first item you bought for your home? Afghan and Turkish hand made rugs from Zinn Rug Gallery. Most of my wall colors and furniture are shades of white and neutrals, therefore the rugs and artwork are a chance for a pop of color.
If you could update one aspect of your home what would it be and why? My light fixtures. When completing this house, I chose things that fit in with the traditional coastal cottage style. I now wish I had meshed more contemporary modern with the current cottage theme. I like the idea of new and modern mixed with antique and cottage...keeps it interesting! I am not at all a fan of "matching" decorating, color wise or furniture wise! I think changing out light fixtures, ie. my pendants over the kitchen bar and chandelier over the breakfast table, would be an easy way to update my home, giving it more of a modern twist without a lot of fuss.
It has been great getting to know you better, thanks for taking the time to sit with me Shannon!
[From The Front Porch Of ___ will become a regular post I will be doing for all of us to get to know local artists, business owners and craftsman in the Charleston area that are in some way "home" related. I hope you enjoy getting to know these folks as much I do!]
Whitney Kreb's oil paintings celebrate the relaxed elegance that is seaside living. The artist, who splits her time between Charleston, SC, and Nantucket, MA, creates unique compositions of coastal scenery that are harmoniously graphic and painterly. Her aesthetic is constantly evloving as she reworks and reinvents mainstays that include sea life, ocean views, and the familiar streets of her hometowns. She also paints on-site murals in local designer showhouses and private homes.
Whitney received her BA in Studio Art from Davidson College and her MFA in Painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She has also studied in Florence, Italy, and the Art Students League in New York City. While in Charleston, she works and exhibits out of her studio at Redux Contemporary Art Center and is represented by the George Gallery and the Charleston Artist Collective. Whitney is also represented by Robert Foster Fine Art, Coastal, and the Artists' Association of Nantucket in Nantucket, MA.
Is there anyone you credit with gifting you your artistic ability and/or teaching you your skills? Or did you just pick up a brush one day and get lucky? My grandfather was a very talented artist. He always brought me new art supplies and I always had an easel in my bedroom growing up. I had a ton of encouragement from my parents and was lucky to attend art camps and classes outside of school. I took my first oil class in 10th grade and was pretty much hooked after that.
Since it varies for each artist, we want to know what inspires you? The beach, coastal living, the 1980's, fashion and interior design bloggers, my two homes- Charleston and Nantucket- all the people, places, style and local colors.
Do you hang your own work in your home? I do. They kind of revolve in and out, but I have tried to hang on to the ones that have special meaning to me. I also have some work by my artist friends- I am always up for a trade!
Is there a specific artist/work that you covet? I am a huge fan of Wayne Thiebaud and Richard Diebenkorn. I also love Alice Neil, Laura Owens and Elliott Puckette. Locally, the George Gallery and the Charleston Artist Collective have a great selection of contemporary Charleston artists.
If you were not an artist, what career do you think you’d have? Probably still something in a creative field- maybe an architect or something in the fashion world.
Rapid fire… Favorite city to travel to? L.A. West side. Guilty pleasure? Steve Winwood, Phil Collins, and Richard Marx Favorite restaurant in Charleston? High Thyme and Basil Saturday activity: beach, shopping, museum, festival or sofa? BEACH. But the others are a close second. Three words to describe yourself: sarcastic, grateful, optimistic
If you are interested in purchasing any of Whitney's art please stop by Eclectic, call us at 843.388.7002 or email sidney@eclecticcharleston.com. Remember, these will only be available during the month of May and yes we will ship for an additional charge!
Eclectic is a Charleston, South Carolina based full-service boutique interior design firm in specializing in the design of residential projects including entire homes and the styling of individual rooms. We also offer virtual e-design services.Please email sidney@eclecticcharleston.com for additional information.
Eclectic is a retail shop/design studio located in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina (just over the bridge from downtown Charleston) selling an array of vintage mid-century pieces, repurposed items, new products and locally made creations with a fresh Modern meets Coastal aesthetic.
Have you ever attempted your own artwork? I have. And it wasn't good. My dad is an incredible artist so I think I somehow inherited it by osmosis. But you have to work at it, which I haven't. But hope to one day when I am rich and can stop working and live in my beautiful house on the water and paint everyday. But for now, maybe I should stick to paint by numbers.
I have a client I am working with right now who is a big art lover. She has purchased some amazing pieces and I cannot wait to see how her new home comes together with the art as the star of her home! [Photos to come.] Her husband has made some comments (after he found out how much she spent) like "I could do that!" It cracks me up! I have said this before but usually in regards to abstract art, not to anything on this level. But he said it in regards to a Mickey Williams she purchased (he is a fabulous-did I just say fabulous?-local artist). Check out his website here. I told her to tell her husband "Go ahead then, give it a try!" If he can do it then not only will he save her boatloads of money in art but he can quit his day job! Ha!
Artist Mickey Williams
She has also purchased several from the very talented Smith family. Check out some of their work below...
Artist Shannon Smith (via Smith Killian Art Gallery)
Artist Betty Anglin Smith (via Smith Killian Gallery)
Silhouettes originated in France in the mid-1700's and were named after one of the most famous artists to practice the technique, Eteinne De Silhouette. The art made its way to America by late 1700's as an inexpensive and quick way to capture one's likeness and remained a popular until the advent of photography. Below are some updated takes on the classic art form.
I really like the colored ones!!!
Designer Tobi Fairley
Designers Massucco Warner Miller
Pillows by Thomas Paul
Domino
And perhaps the most famous silhouette of all time...
Local resident, Clay Rice, a silhouette artist who has gained fame nationwide with his works of art, each taking him only a minute to create! Clay takes after his grandfather, Carew Rice, whom Poet Carl Sandburg called "America's Greatest Silhouettist" and Pat Conroy described as "a great talent who combines soul and passion." Click here to read more about him and see a gallery of his work.
I don't claim to know a lot about art. But I do know what I like! And to me that is all that matters when it comes to purchasing art...you have to love it, be moved by it and/or leave the gallery or shop dreaming about it. Through all my blog reading, I have come across some amazing artists (I love) lately and wanted to share these talents with you.
Teresa Cline Gallery
Twenty Six in her Ocean Moods Collection
Artist Vanessa Briggs
Sunset 10
Etsy Artist Sara Tetley White Cottage With Orange Door
Etsy Artist ArtAnd Nude No. 1
Artist Annie Kammerer Butrus Four Seasons: Winter
And while talking about art, I wanted to mention The Charleston Artist Collective, a website for local artists that want to showcase their work outside of the conventional gallery setting. Each month, the site features artist's interpretations of a new theme and a percentage of the sales goes back towards the community. Go check it out!
Ann Keane is inspired by the natural world around her. Colors and shapes come alive on her canvas. “The feeling and texture of the painting is what draws me,” she says. Thick brushstrokes transform trees and marsh grass into abstract blocks of colors. The sense of movement in Keane’s art is influenced by music, an essential element. Moving while she paints keeps the energy flowing. Using a palette knife, Keane scrapes and carves lines and shapes to construct a canvas full of movement. Keane builds up layers of paint so just a sliver of the original peaks through. The blueprint of the landscape is secondary to the placement of the blocks of color.
She is a member of the Charleston Artist’s Collective, a web-based business that is comprised of local artists who work towards shared goals of artistic challenges. Keane also shows her work at Atrium Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina where she resides.
Is there anyone you credit with gifting you your artistic ability and/or teaching you your skills? Or did you just pick up a brush one day and get lucky? - I started painting to fill my walls. I took one art class, charcoal, at Boston University. Also, since I started painting 12 years ago I have taken workshops with Ian Roberts and definitely credit him... so I guess I started out lucky and then learned skills. I do know that a daily practice helps improve anything so I try to paint every day.
Since it varies for each artist, we want to know what inspires you? - The outdoors and definitely music. My studio is on my back porch. I am out there rain or shine, hot or cold. I don't paint without music my neighbors can attest to that. In the field I wear my banana yellow earbuds, don't leave home without them... I like music.
Do you hang your own work in your home? - Why of course, that's why I started painting...to fill my walls!
Is there a specific artist/work that you covet? - I love this question but don't have just one! Brian Rutenberg, Euan Uglow, Richard Diebenkorn, Wassily Kandinski, Mark Rothko, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Carot and of course Paul Cezanne..none which I own but would love to. I also have a wall of small paintings from artist I love; Leslie Pratt Thomas, Marc Hanson, Mark Kelvin Horton, Adele Earnshaw, Anne Darby Parker.
If you were not an artist, what career do you think you’d have? - I have two careers, Artist and Mom, both I love and wouldn't change for the world. Rapid fire… Favorite city to travel to? New York. Guilty pleasure? I definitely have a few...I plead the 5th. Favorite restaurant in Charleston? Two Boroughs Larder - downtown Charleston on Coming Street. Saturday activity: beach, shopping, museum, festival or sofa? Having a coffee at the farmers market or on my front porch, hanging on the dock, walks, runs or painting during the daylight hours. At night...I'm always up for something. Three words to describe yourself: persistent, giving, sarcastic
If you are interested in purchasing any of Ann's art please stop by Eclectic, call us at 843.388.7002 or email sidney@eclecticcharleston.com. Remember, these will only be available during the month of July and yes we will ship for an additional charge!
Eclectic is a Charleston, South Carolina based full-service boutique interior design firm in specializing in the design of residential projects including entire homes and the styling of individual rooms. We also offer virtual e-design services.Please email sidney@eclecticcharleston.com for additional information.
Eclectic is a retail shop/design studio located in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina (just over the bridge from downtown Charleston) selling an array of vintage mid-century pieces, repurposed items, new products and locally made creations with a fresh Modern meets Coastal aesthetic.
By what, you ask? Well, I bought some fabrics when I was in Atlanta that I wanted to use to wrap like a canvas as art for my booth. So I have been asking my carpenter to make some "frames" for me. Well, he and his wife just had a baby so he's been a lil busy or some BS like that. So I'm doing my best to be patient realizing that my art is not as important as bringing new life into this world...yada, yada, yada. So in one of my hunting and fishing trips to my local Habitat for Humanity Resale Store I came across these...
No, I'm not kidding. Two wood frames, the exact size I needed. It's like the decorating God heard my prayers and sent them down from heaven just for me. Here is one of them completed...
Do I always have this kind of luck? No. But sometimes, maybe every five years or so I go searching for one particular thing and stumble upon it. When I first got into design, I wanted a drafting table. I had no money so I went to my local Goodwill and literally found one. It was set up flat and it was holding a bunch of lamps but gosh darnit, it was a drafting table! Then another time I wanted a metal table for my porch so I went to Habitat and there was a zinc metal table just sitting there...with the sun glistening off of it like it was beckoning me! If you can believe it...I passed on that one! I know, I know. I think I was in shock. It was almost too good to be true. That one still haunts me at night. Actually, excuse me as I take a moment of silence for that beautiful zinc table.
Ok, moving on...
I was in Lowe's the other day and saw these...
If you are a loyal reader you know I love anything zinc or galvanized AND anything with circles. So I have been trying to come up with something to make with them. Well, looky what I found on Pinterest!
I mean, who climbed inside my head to create this? I'm in love.
P.S. My apologies to anyone who follows me on Pinterest...I was under the weather yesterday and laid up on the sofa just pinning away. Your box is going to be full of all my pins. Hope you like them!
[Ok, technically some of this is from last week...I am still playing catch up!]
Went to the book signing for Design Sponge at Dwelling downtown.
Can't wait to sit down and go through this book!
Then went to an event celebrating the one year anniversary for the Charleston Artist Collective. My friend Allison Williamson started this on-line gallery showcasing local artists offering affordable art. Each moth there is a different theme and a portion of the sales go to support a different local charity each month as well.
Photo from Scout
Tested some floor stains at a client's new home. We chose the one on the far right (Dark Chestnut)!
Went to The Red Party at the Old Jail in Downtown Charleston. The theme was vintage circus so we were flapper-esque. This event is put on by the American College of the Building Arts and is hands-down one of my favorite events of the year!
I took some pics off of their FB page.
This is me, far right, and my buds. The feathered hats were cool except I think I got knocked in the face about a zillion times by Mason's! And it was hard to eat my fancy hot dogs and fries with those feather cuffs.
Dropped two carloads of stuff off at the ReFurnish sale at Harborside East. I also went to the Preview Party and bought myself a few things! Y'all should stop by! Th-Sat 10-7
Follow Eclectic on Facebook! I am going to start highlighting an item from my booth every week. This week's item is a handmade wooden star. I think it could work inside or outside. Put it on a wall as art or on your mantel surrounded by garland and pinecones for a rustic look. Or add those old school large globe lights to it and hang it outside.
Handmade Wood Star $65 Measures approx 42"w x 42"h
I have just become a fully-fledged member of my new community.
Last week, I moved from the farm into a room in a house in the nearest Big Town. Which, after the city of Toronto, seems like a small town, but to my amusement residents here insist on calling "the city".
However, part of residing once again in a somewhat more urban setting is the greater availability of amenities. The first I determined to take advantage of, after the supermarket, was the public library. With minimal investigation I happily discovered it is within reasonable walking distance of my house. So yesterday, armed with proof of residence (signed lease agreement) and photo ID (drivers license), I made a trip there over lunch hour. For the handing over of my documents and the filling out of a brief form with name and address, I received a spiffy new keychain library card. Just like that.
I am also now the proud possessor, for two weeks, of Tutankhamen and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, complete with tantalizing amounts of informative text and photographs.
Libraries have to be one of the most incredibly amazing institutions of the civilized world. For minimal or zero fee, you have access to troves of the most wonderful substance on Earth: books. Freely yours is the most ancient and modern art, literature, knowledge, and thought, ranging from the sublime to the odd. Somewhere in those shelves is a book, or a video or DVD or tape, on any subject your heart desires, or a masterful work of fiction or poetry that may change your life forever. I hope heaven has a library.
Libraries are the fabric of vast swathes of memory from my childhood. From a very early age I can remember my mother shepherding us three, my brothers and I, to the local library, from whence we'd return with stacks of picture books. I can still see in vivid detail its interior and layout and even recall its smell. It's always sunny in those memories of the library.
We moved when I was eight, and the new library was driving distance away. Still regularly we'd make our pilgrimages to select suitable quantities of reading material for the next two weeks. Scanning the shelves was an art form for me, specific qualifications regarding age, genre and authorship my guidelines, only rarely overstepped. The classics were my swimming pool, a pool which rapidly grew narrower and narrower as I nearly exhausted the possibilities of our small local collection. Enormous numbers, twenty or thirty at a time, were required to keep me in reading, never failing to elicit gasps and tongue-clucks of astonishment from the librarians. Staggering with them to the desk, the car, and home was hazardous: aching arms and spills or near-spills of the precarious piles of books were a price I frequently paid for my voracious literary appetite.
But that quantity of printed word was necessary to keep me satiated till the next library trip. From the moment I arrived home, I shut myself in my room and was lost to the world. Libraries, and the books they contained, were my passport to hidden lands of adventure. I'd travel with Rudyard Kipling to India, or Miguel Cervantes to Spain, or Dickens to nineteenth-century England. I became Nancy Drew and Miss Marple. I was secretly certain that the fantasies of Mary Poppins or Alice in Wonderland were possibilities, and could sometimes be found looking for Borrowers. For days after reading a particularly impressive work, I lived it in my imagination. My vocabulary reflected it and I'm certain that from an outside perspective I could reasonably have been thought to be rather odd.
But books, and their characters, were my friends and companions during years when I had none. The worlds of the March sisters or the Pevensie children seemed far more appealing than my own dreary and circumscribed existence. They encountered adventure as regularly as afternoon tea, whereas my world went on depressingly and often horribly the same. Following them into their escapades allowed me to plunge into an alternate mindscape for at least the length of time the pages lasted, and emerge captivated and somewhat distracted.
It also inspired me to attempts at emulation. In style deliberately imitatory of my favourite authors, I could often be found banging out some promising nonsense on the ancient typewriter which was one of my prize possessions, or later on, the computer.
I learned almost everything from books. Geography, vocabulary, grammar, spelling, history—and the reams of widely varied and mainly useless triva which I seem to have an endless capacity for retaining, I owe mainly to reading. I can still recall a scientific study I read at the age of seven which demonstrated that people slept better while wearing wool socks than barefoot. It's a fact only occasionally useful and not one that generally enlivens social conversations. However, I'm sure I'm a richer person for all that I've absorbed, if only in the capacity for mental speculation.
I never lost my fascination with the printed word and quantities of information. Real life—college and work—diverted the flow in other directions and truncated the possibility of limitless hours spent with books. The internet soon became my primary resource. But the internet, useful as it is, can never replace, either in quantity, quality, or sheer pleasurableness, the experience of sitting down to enjoy a Good Book.
And I plan to do just that. One of the odd and unexpected side-benefits of finding myself in a new place, with few friends, and often too much spare time on my hands, is the opportunity to read again. Now that I have my library card, and a library just down the road, a world of adventure and learning awaits me once more. You'll find me there, often.
Have you seen the Coastal Living Showhouse on Daniel Island yet? It just opened to the public last week and my friend interior designer Ginger Brewton did a great job! I know she worked her tail off and it showed! Set right on the Wando River, this house is beautiful on the inside and out.
via
The kitchen was one of my favorite rooms in the house. I especially love island/built-in dining table with the marble countertops!
via I love how light and clean this room is! And these poufs...OMG...these poufs! Dying.
I thought this was a brilliant use of space for storage under the stairs!
The backyard has a lovely outdoor seating area overlooking the Wando River. If only I could have this view from my back porch!
Throughout the house was artwork by the very talented local artist, Cindy DeAntonio.
This month, Cindy DeAntonio, will be having her debut art show at Eclectic! I am so excited to see her fantastic collection of work!
Hope to see you there!
Eclectic Interior Design Group is a full-service design firm based in Charleston, South Carolina working on both residential and commercial spaces. Please email sidney@eclectic-idg.comfor additional information.
Eclectic is a retail shop/design studio located in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina selling an array of vintage pieces, repurposed items, new products and locally made art with a fresh Modern meets Coastal aesthetic.
Ahhh lighting!...One of the most important (and one of my most favorite) parts in designing a space as lighting enhances a room by greatly changing the mood-not only with actual light but with how the materials and finishes play off each other. We recently had the opportunity to visit an amazing lighting company, The Urban Electric Co. and it left us feeling OH. SO. INSPIRED!
Where all the magic happens...
The Urban Electric Co. was founded here in Charleston in 2003 by Dave Dawson who had a clear vision for the company as well as a strong passion for design and craftsmanship. Dawson personally oversee's the entire process from the in-house marketing campaigns down to the way the products are shipped, this quality-control over his brand is what has made Urban Electric the company that it is today.
All light fixtures are handcrafted by local, trained artisans who take pride in each step of the process while making these gorgeous works of art! They are made from the finest materials which makes them not just pieces you will have for a few years...but investment, heirloom pieces that you will enjoy for a lifetime!
Team of artisans hard at work
Athena Pendant in the making...
Baxter Wall Sconce
Shade for Metro Wall Sconce
Another interesting feature about The Urban Electric Co. that you need to know...all of their light fixtures are totally customizable. Need a different color, size, finish?... They can do it! That makes Designers like me really happy! In fact, most of their designer collaborations came about due to Designers/Architects customizing some of their pieces and The Urban Electric Co. enjoying what they were creating! Some of these collections include talented Designers like Amanda Nisbet, Tom Scheerer, and Amanda Handegan. Here are just a few of our favorites...
Above images via
View all of the collections here!
So, do you need to re-think some of the lighting in your home? Go check out The Urban Electric Co!
Eclectic is a Charleston, South Carolina based full-service boutique interior design firm in specializing in the design of residential projects including entire homes and the styling of individual rooms. We also offer virtual e-design services.Please email sidney@eclectic-idg.com for additional information.
Eclectic is a retail shop/design studio located in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina (just over the bridge from downtown Charleston, South Carolina) selling an array of vintage mid-century pieces, repurposed items, new products and locally made art with a fresh Modern meets Coastal aesthetic.
Today kicks off Charleston Fashion Week. Not sure if these are boutiques, stylists offices or closets. Regardless, they give me mad inspiration. And as I try to figure out what the ___ to wear to the show, I am painfully reminded that I desperately need a new wardrobe.
[Pause with me while I pout.]
via citified
via whoneedsacloset
via sunnys
[Still pouting.]
And speaking of Charleston Fashion Week, I wanted to give a shout out to my friend, Dee Ruel, who's jewelry will be featured in the show! Dee is crazy talented and unlike many of us who make jewelry as a hobby, she actually studied it at the Hui No' Eau art school on the island of Maui no less! I can see it now...Yeah, dad I want to go study in Hawaii. What, yes, I am serious! In addition to making jewelry, she is also a paper artist! She made me the cutest little calling cards. I wanted something to put in the package when folks make a purchase through Objects and she totally nailed it. Nailed it!
I mean really.
If you need cards, invitations or the like...Dee's your girl. And if you need to bedazzle your arms, ears or neck...Dee's your girl. Local? Check out her shop on Coleman Blvd. in Mt. P (she just celebrated her 3rd anniversary!) and if you are not local, no fear she has a website too!
Last night, I took part in the Global Night Commute, organized by Invisible Children. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness of the nearly 20-year-long rebel war in Northern Uganda and the horrific toll it has taken on the civilian population, of which 1.7 million people are displaced; 20-50,000 children have been abducted and forced to serve as soldiers and sex slaves; and 130 people die each day due to violence.
Each night, thousands of children commute on foot for miles from their homes in rural areas and sleep in city centres and "safe" areas to avoid abduction, only to repeat the commute the next morning. By doing the same for one night, thousands of people across the US, Canada, and several other countries including Ireland and Singapore, hoped to draw attention to the issue and force the hand of their governments to act.
I took part in the march in Durham, New Hampshire, on the University of New Hampshire campus. We met in a parkinglot on the west edge of town. As the time approached, busloads and carloads of people began accumulating, clutching backpacks and sleeping bags. By 7:00 we'd gathered the 200+ who'd signed up for the event. Most were UNH students; some were from local high schools; a few stragglers showed up from elsewhere, including the four from my church who took part. A couple of people had walked all the way from Dover, a distance of ten or twelve miles, starting their walk at 1:00 that afternoon.
After a few organizational remarks and a reminder about why we were all there, nine slow shots from a starter pistol set us off, and we started walking. The two-mile route mapped out for us wound around the centre of Durham. Two hundred plus people walking attracts a lot of attention; we made a long parade. People in passing cars stared, waved, yelled, honked their horns; a few asked what we were doing. A police escort watched over us and blocked off traffic till we passed.
Once we'd arrived at the designated spot, a grassy lawn in front of one of the UNH buildings, we threw down our sleeping bags and marked out our spots. The sun was going down and it rapidly grew chillier. Volunteers handed us each a stapled bunch of papers including instructions and three blank sheets: one for a letter to be written to President Bush; one for a letter to our Congressman; and one for an art project to be included in a yearbook-type of publication about the event. My two friends and I wrote our letters but opted out of the art project, for lack of enthusiasm and lack of light.
A video clip was shown; an informational presentation; a couple of people spoke; and in the end the Invisible Children documentary was played again. At one point the organizer of the event got up to warn us that the temperature was forecasted to drop below freezing that night. Did any of us want to sleep on an indoor track that was made available to us? A few tentative hands went up; the body elected to stay where we were. The feeling seemed to be that we'd committed ourselves; we might as well go the whole way.
As the night came and the chill grew deeper my friends and I cuddled down into our sleeping bags and snuggled together for warmth. A kind friend from another group lent us a tarp to spread under us, warning that the ground would get very wet. We struggled with our sleeping bags, tried to find the most comfortable and warmest position, talked and laughed, and eventually, as it grew late, fell asleep.
The best of us slept lightly. It is never comfortable sleeping on the ground or in a constrictive sleeping bag at any time. The high school and college kids laughed, talked, played baseball and guitars loudly till very late. I woke up a few times during the night and opened my eyes only to realize with chagrin that it was still dark and there were more hours to endure. My toes froze. My hips grew alternately sore as I rolled from side to side. It's a wonder any of us slept at all. It was a long night.
But we endured it. As the sun came up the next morning and the sky lightened from black to blue we woke groaning with cold, stiffness, and tiredness. We realized that frost was covering our sleeping bags, our backpacks, and even our pillows where our heads hadn't lain. Eventually the whole mound of people other than us had gotten up, packed up their sleeping bags and tarps, and sleepily stumbled off home. Finally Kyle, the lone guy in our number, bravely got up, sprinted back to his house, got his car, and drove back to give us a ride back to the parkinglot where we'd left our cars. We drove off our separate ways to shower and change and (in my case, at least) sleep another couple of hours before meeting up again for church.
And that was that. If it makes a difference, I'm glad I slept out one night in weather far too cold for any sane person to do so out of choice. One night of discomfort is nothing compared to what the kids in Northern Uganda suffer every night; and we had no fear of being abducted or marauded by any but rowdy college students. I'm thankful to have had the chance to take part, and I hope and pray it makes an impact that is felt permanently and significantly in Uganda.
Last night I attended the second night of Charleston Fashion Week with my press pass for the national blog I write for, Ask Miss A. I was lucky enough to be a part of the interviews with last year's winner, Marysia Dobranska Reeves and Social Primer creator, K. Cooper Ray (both Charleston residents). They were adorable! It was an honor to hear their take on this year's Fashion Week as well as the emerging designers they were there to judge. And I really enjoyed learning more about their new collections and the various projects they are working on. If you want to learn more about K. Cooper Ray, stay tuned as I am going to write a lil' feature on him!
Marysia Dobranska Reeves
There was a pre-party in the Style Lounge where vendors could showcase and sell their merchandise while attendees got their drink on! I really liked the jewelry by Anne Belen. Go check out this Southern gal's creations! I love that this show not only features local merchants and emerging designers from all over the Southeast BUT it also serves as a competition for models and it is an amazing resume builder for hair and make-up staff. There are some seriously creative folks involved in this whole process! Love it!
The emerging designers in last night's show were...
Stephanie Mejia
Mary Labberton
Anjelika Krishna
There was a total Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" with one of her models and I fear that this will be all that is remembered of her work :( I give written props to the model that rocked it and came back out for the finale unphased! She gets my vote as the Model Talent winner!
Cody Sai Adler-McAllister
And here is a list of the Fashion Panel that will crown the title for Best Emerging Designer East out of the 16 Finalists.
The Featured Designer I was lucky enough to see was Lindsey Carter and her collection Troubadour. She is crazy talented! Her collection combines masculine and feminine in an completely effortless way. She claims her garments read "Made in New York with love from the South." I can totally see that!
And this was my favorite piece of the night!
I am by no means a fashion expert so I am not going to discuss or critique any of these designer's work. However, the one thing that I will mention (because it seriously erks me!) is that you have to view a fashion show as a work of art. Each model is a canvas or a sculpture, essentially a walking artform. Are you going to go out a buy one of these outfits, as is, and wear it exactly like the model did. Probably not. But you might see a color combination that inspires you or learn a new way to tie a scarf! So please don't scoff and laugh at the avante guard aspects of the show. Instead view it as art, learn something and you will get much more from it! [If you are reading, this is directed at you, the lady sitting next to me in the sequins jacket.]
Architectural Antiques and Design is a new/old shop in Charleston. Formerly known as Architectural Antiques Warehouse...or the as I liked to call it, the shop I could never find (I would drive by at least three times, each time, before I found the shopping center). I am sad to say that the previous owner, Terry, passed away unexpectedly on the day of her 60th birthday party. While coping with her death, Terry's family had hired someone to sell the contents of the shop in an estate sale. But good friends, Brad and Jeff, couldn't let that happen! Despite the tough economy, they wrestled up the funds to buy the shop in its entirety and maintain the legacy that their dear friend Terry started.
If you have ever been in there you know it is a haven of fabulous finds but you gotta hunt for them! Which is something I love to do but I imagine the layers of dirt and grim, the aroma of cat urine and the falling ceiling probably deterred many folks! After making the necessary structural repairs, the new owners vow to maintain some of the old shop's charm while also incorporating their own flair. Using skills from their previous careers with shelter magazines, staging and interior design, Brad and Jeff hope to make the front of the shop more retail friendly with some creative merchandising and one-of-a-kind pieces. They will be re-purposing many of the shop's architectural objects into functional items like lamps, tables, art, etc.
They have a lot of work in store for them (get it, in store!) but they are making a dent!
This is some of the "hunting" I was referring to...
This backyard full of iron pieces, Turkish jars, cement statues, etc. will stay as is.
These guys are super nice so I encourage you to stop by and chat them up!
1011 St. Andrews Boulevard (Highway 61) Charleston, SC 29407 Next to the Hokus Pokus (look out for this sign)
So I've been taunting you with my big news and here it is...I'm opening a shop!!!
[Let's pause a sec for the cheers and applause...maybe even a lil' confetti falling from the sky.]
I think part of my delay in telling you is my shock that it is actually happening! A lifetime dream coming true! It will be called "Eclectic"-part design studio and part home decor shop where I will be selling home furnishings including furniture, lighting, art, accessories and more. The design studio will be very user-friendly so customers will be able to access it themselves. And the retail will be a mix of Eclectic Creations (custom items that I design and/or repurpose as well as items that I collaborate with local artisans to create), Eclectic Finds (things I collect from antique shops, flea markets, etc.) and Eclectic Picks (products that I have hand selected from chosen vendors). I feel that this unique blend of products will be unlike anything currently in the marketplace. And in case you are wondering, yes, I will still have my interior design business!
Eclectic is located at 875 Coleman Blvd next to Royal Hardware (where Belva's Flowers use to be). It is taking longer than expected (as these things always do) but I hope to be open sometime in June.
Here is a before shot...
(You know how I love rough before shots!)
Here is during shot mid up-fit...
I'll show you some after shots when I'm done! Or better yet, stop in and see for yourself! And I promise to keep you updated on the progress. Now you know why I have been so bad about blogging...I've been a lil' busy! :)
The lovely women of Novel recently had a Pop-Up Shop at Eclectic.
Liza Cleveland, Way Way Allen, Sidney Wagner, Lauren Lail, and Jane Pope
Novel is a showroom featuring the works of four very talented women: Jane Pope and her beautiful jewelry Balboa and Jane Pope Jewelry, Lauren Lail and her curated collection of vintage clothes Library Vintage as well as her stunning collection she recently designed Library by Lauren Lail , Way Way Allen's breathtaking Abstract Art and Liza Cleveland of Bon Vivant who creates sensational custom stationary. They were so kind to bring their amazing goods all the way from downtown Charleston so the fine folks of Mt. Pleasant could see (that is a joke in case you are not local...it is over one bridge-hee hee).
Here's just a lil' peek of some of Novel's wares
Jackie Thompson of Leapfrog PR stopped by to checkout some of Jane Pope's gorgeous jewelry.
Liza Cleveland making the guests "lol!"
Meredith Corby of Jane Pope Jewelry, Liza Cleveland of Bon Vivant, and Lauren Lail of Library Vintage
Fellow jewelry designer Deirdre Zahl of Candy Shop Vintage came out to support the Novel girls!
So glad these lovely ladies came out for the event! Mary Katherine O'Steen and Allison Long of Bella Bridesmaid
And the entertainment was provided by our youngest fan, Daphne!
If you would like to visit Novel's showroom they are located at 341 King Street in downtown Charleston.
Original Works by Local Artist Teil Duncan These are acrylic paintings on a birch wood panel. The sides are painted white.
One
8x10 $275 SOLD
Two
8x10 $275 SOLD
Three
8x10 $275 SOLD
Four
8x10 $275 SOLD
Five
16x20 $500 SOLD
Six
16x20 $500 SOLD
Seven
16x20 $500 SOLD
Eight
12x24 $400 SOLD
If you are interested in purchasing any of Teil's art please stop by Eclectic, call us at 843.388.7002 or email sidney@eclecticcharleston.com. Remember, these will only be available during the month of September and yes we will ship for an additional charge!
Eclectic is a Charleston, South Carolina based full-service boutique interior design firm in specializing in the design of residential projects including entire homes and the styling of individual rooms. We also offer virtual e-design services.Please email sidney@eclecticcharleston.com for additional information.
Eclectic is a retail shop/design studio located in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina (just over the bridge from downtown Charleston) selling an array of vintage mid-century pieces, repurposed items, new products and locally made creations with a fresh Modern meets Coastal aesthetic.
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
