Stamp in Art Media: February 2nd @ 300 Senate

For local artists, coming up with ways to introduce their work to potential new patrons can be a problem, but one group is licking it – with stamps.

Some of the area’s leading artists have converted a favorite piece of work into real postage stamps, and soon will be sending out evidence of their talent on personal correspondence, from mundane bill payments to Valentines.

Both the United States Post Office and Zazzle.com have interpreted the artists’ images into official, useable postage stamps.

Before these art stamps make their statements by sliding through mail slots, they go on view at 300 Senate. The exhibition, StampInArt, pushes the envelope on fine art. The exhibition will include both the work that inspired the stamp and the resulting stamps.

Some artists are considering incorporating their stamps into unique greeting cards or Valentines.

StampInArt opens Tuesday, February 2 during 300 Senate’s lunch serving period, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. when artists will put their first envelopes into the mail carrier’s bag, pushing their art “out there” to inspire recipients.

Meet the artists and see the artwork again during an Art and Dinner (off the menu) evening, 6 to 8 p.m.

StampInArt will keep on pushing the envelope on fine art through late May. These artists are participating:

Bonnie Goldberg
Roy Pascal
Andrew Corley
Michel McNinch
Pat Saad
Marcia Murray
Alisha Leeke
Ingrid Carson
Taryn Shekitka-West
Bobo Don Harwell
Allen Marshall
Faye Meetze
Bettye Rivers
Karen Larrabee
Glenda Keyes

To request more information, email: art.300senate@gmail.com.

2010 Edgefield Choc-around Feb 4th, 4-8 pm

At Paperwhites of Edgefield

102 Courthouse Square, Edgefield, South Carolina
803 637-0600
Open Tuesday - Saturday, 10 - 5
Edgefield’s 3rd Annual
Choc-around is Thurs., Feb. 4 . . .

The popular Choc-around will take place again
in downtown Edgefield from 4 - 8 p.m. . . .
Come to Paperwhites for some chocolate treats,
and visit Paperwhites’ “Art in the Alley”

Meet Tim Worth and his Decoys . . .
Tim Worth, born in Kittery, Maine, raised in Waterford, Connecticut, is a Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Graduate of the University of Connecticut. He moved to Edgefield County 20 years ago to begin his career at Savannah River Site. He and his wife Beth reside in their restored Edgefield historic home, Halcyon Grove.
Tim began carving decorative and hunting decoys in 1987. For the last 10 years he has concentrated solely on hunting decoys, carved primarily in cedar, sugar pine, cork, and balsa wood. He has made over 300 decoys in the last 20 years and is a member of the South Carolina Artisan Center in Walterboro . . .

and native Edgefield artist, Andrew M. Corley . . .
Working in oils primarily with a pallet knife, Andrew Corley paints a variety of landscapes and cityscapes with themes related to South Carolina. Some of his favorite subjects are low-country marshes, rivers, coastal scenes and some mountains. “For me, art should be both pleasurable to view and fun to create” Say’s Andrew. Having some success in working with watercolors, his favorite medium is oils. As a teenager he studied with local artist such as Mildred Dunevant, Beth R. Welsh and the late Phyllis Brousseau – all of Edgefield. Andrew maintains a small display in Havens Framemakers & Gallery, 1616 Gervais Street in Columbia, where he often participates in painting classes that inspire him and allow him to connect with other artists in South Carolina. Check out his website www.anartistadventure.blogspot.com. When he isn’t painting, Andrew works at The University of South Carolina where he teaches Spanish and Latin-American studies.

and Annie . . .
Annie lives and works in a small town in Georgia. She has
worked hard all her life. One day she thought she might
like to learn to paint . . . and she did. We love her
poetry and her paintings and we know you will too.

Come on in . . .
you just might find it
at Paperwhites!

Capital View

"Capital View" will be one of several of my works going on display in Edgefield at Paperwhites (on Courthouse Square) during February.
20 x 24 inches, oil on canvas, $500


Details on this show's dates to follow.

Edgefield Artist and Leader Pamela Moore: Part II

Edgefield is lucky to have the very talented Pamela Moore as a local artist, merchant and leader in several organizations including ERA the local artists' association as well as ECDA, Edgefield's Merchant Association.
Pamela Moore has studied art and art history in Mannheim/Heidelberg,Germany as well as in France and Italy. Before moving to Edgefield, Pamela worked as Master Artist for Habersham Fine Furniture and now she owns Paperwhites along with her partner JoAnn Amos. Their beautiful store is located on Courthouse Square in Edgefield.

It's a pleasure to highlight several of her other recent works, apart from the beautiful wardrobe that I showed in my previous blog entry.
Again, you can contact this Edgefield artist at her website www.artazure.com or catch her in Paperwhites.

Be on the lookout for a show coming up soon in February at Paperwhites here in Edgefield, showcasing Pamela's art as well as a couple pieces of my own. It's exciting to be working with other local artists and Pam has been really gracious in opening up her store and gallery space to me. Here's to a lot of great art events, shows, projects and culture coming to Edgefield !

ERA: Edgefield Regional Arts

ERA: Edgefield Regional Arts
Edgefield Regional Arts is an organization dedicated to promoting the arts in Edgefield and the local community. Artists from many different disciplines and backgrounds make up its membership. We’re creating a new ERA for artists in Edgefield. Meetings are the first Tuesday of each month. For information on membership, if you wish to offer support or for information on the activities that are planned for 2010 contact the organization’s president and local artist Pamela Moore by mail. The address is:
ERA: Edgefield Regional Arts
204 Augusta Road
Edgefield, SC 29824

Pamela Moore also runs Paperwhites on Courthouse Square in Edgefield. Her website is:
WWW. ARTAZURE.COM
As president of ERA, Pamela has a lot of interesting plans lined-up the arts in Edgefield. You’ll be hearing more about my recent meeting with Pam in the days to come. Stay tuned, and in the meantime stop by her beautiful store and gallery on Courthouse Square in historic Edgefield. Better yet, come with plenty of time because you’ll not want to rush through.

Above: A beautifully hand-painted wardrobe entitled "Italian Courtyard" by Pamela Moore

"Catawba River Scene" Postage Stamps from Zazzle.com

"Catawba River Scene" Postage Stamps from Zazzle.com

Celebration of Art on MLK Day

Art's Expression of Freedom
January 18, 2010
Lunch served between 11 to 2

Join Columbia artists —
primarily from the art group
About Face — at 300 Senate
for an MLK Day celebration:
Art's Expression of Freedom.
See the vibrant diversity of art
for sale on the walls, enjoy
entertainment, take advantage
of a silent art auction, and
meet your friends.
As every weekday, lunch is served
between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Silent auction begins at 11 a.m.
and closes at 1:15 p.m.


Note: 300 Senate is located at Senate's End, off Huger Street near One Eared Cow
in the complex formerly known as Sterling Garden Center.
For more information go to www.duprecatering.com.

Gone crabbin'

This year we have had some record cold weather here in South Carolina. I think I even heard this week that it was about 20 degrees in the Florida Keys. This is uncalled for and unappreciated cold weather without even a dusting of snow. When it’s cold outside I always enjoy looking at landscapes that take me to a warmer place. I heard a friend once say that she was a happy artist if she could be painting green trees and water, and I agree. I find joy in painting green, warm scenes that are native to my state. The painting below takes me out into the marsh from an old low-country plantation. The month would be May or June and I imagine the smells of the marsh and salt of the sea. I’m heading out to the end of the pier to drop a chicken neck down a long line into the water and sip on some sweet iced-tea while waiting on the crabs to nibble.

Gone crabbin' 14x18 Oil

Becoming a GREENER Artist

Green: Not just a color anymore

Everyone who knows me well knows that green no matter what shade, is my favorite color. But “green” has become a catchword for the environmental movement. No matter where and in what capacity it’s used, the word “green” catches my eye.
I read an article in Artist’s magazine about greening up your work environment and I thought some of the ideas were worth sharing. The gist of the article is about finding eco-friendly living and work spaces. In it they give some tips on greening up your studio or work space as well. Some of them seem fairly simple, but you know even if we try to be more aware of the green effort it will make a difference. Below are some of the tips from the article plus a few ideas that I use to be a greener artist:
1. Walk or bike to work or to your studio. (Might be difficult for South Carolinians especially in rural areas) I see more and more folks at USC biking to class.
2. Insulate your workspace. Poorly insulated walls, windows and doors waste tons of energy.
3. Make use of natural light. Add a north facing window, which will provide sufficient light all day for working. And for working at night, make sure to use the energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs – and they can be recycled. When working with paints, you’ll appreciate the natural light. Sometimes indoor/artificial light can fool the artist’s eye.
4. Choosing the right paint for your walls. Ever notice that smell that lasts and lasts when working in a room painted with latex wall paint? Well that’s because latex paint gives-off harmful gases that lower air quality. Make sure to use a low-VOC paint (volatile organic compounds). Had never heard that before. Had you?
5. Avoid vinyl floors – Same thing here! Vinyl also emits gases that can make you sick. Try to use ceramic tile or real linoleum or wood.
6. Make green choices in everything you do... in shopping, in buying paints, in using solvents etc. It may take a little more time to shop green and make green choices but in the long run, it will be worth it.
7. When cleaning brushes with turpentine or other nasty solvents such as paint-thinner, don't just dump it down the drain or dump it outside behind the house. Save all your used, dirty solvents in a metal conatiner with a top (even a used paint can will work). There is a green way to dispose of it by taking it to your local waste disposal facility. Yes, they have a place to take care of it there!

Ashepoo River: Painting Reflections in Water

"Ashepoo Tributary" 9x12 inches oil/Contact for pricing 803-336-8477
Happy New Year Everyone !!

The Ashepoo is a river in the lower part of the state with fresh waters turning brackish as it nears the coast. Along the way there are many interesting scenes because of its many tributaries. In this painting I have tried to capture some of the charm of this geographic area of South Carolina where woodland turns into low country marsh. This painting is still wet and unframed, but should be dry by January 7th.

Not that I am an expert in painting reflections, but I often hear other artists commenting on how much they want to avoid painting reflections in water. Here are a couple pointers that I can offer on painting reflections in water, especially when working with a pallet knife. Trick # 1: remember to retain a good amount of the same color that was used in the sky. Whatever the major color of your sky, you'll need to repeat that in the water. Trick # 2: If you want to paint good reflections of trees or grass from alongside the waterline, use the edge of your pallet knife to pull some of that grass or tree color directly down into the water, wiggling and easing-up on your pressure as you move downward. This takes some getting used to, so if you're not experienced in reflections you'll want to practice a little.

Lastly when you've repeated enough of that foliage color in your water, go back and scrape or paint a very fine white line along the edge of the water, not everywhere, but used sparingly it will help to define the marcation between land and water. Another thing to remember is that not all water is perfectly still. So by using wiggly hand movement and discontinuing your stroke as you pull down, you can suggest less tranquil waters. The more quiet the water you attempt to portray, the more mirror-like and perfect your reflection image will be. Also, distant reflections are more blurry or more faded, and closer reflections are crisper and carry more detail.

Columbia - Winter View

Here is a small painting that I recently finished for Prof. Leah Miller at USC. She requested a city-scape of Columbia because she likes local art. So I figured a winter scene was the most appropriate. This is a view of Columbia from the Gervais Street Bridge. I used mainly a pallet knife for this painting, but some brush work also. An effective technique for creating winer trees is scraping into wet paint. So with a carefully chosen underpainting color, scraping through to that layer with a narrow point, such as that of a brush's end or dull pencil will create that wintery tree effect.

Fat Over Lean: Do's & Don'ts Of Underpainting

A good friend of mine and fellow artist Kim Coyne of Greenville, SC wrote me recently to ask about a phrase she heard at some art gathering. She wanted to know what someone meant by saying “fat over lean”.


“Fat over lean” is a phrase that easily reminds artists how to prevent layers of paint from cracking. You see the more oil a paint has in it, the more “fatty” it is considered. So the paints with less or no oils in them are considered leaner. If an artist remembers to paint in layers according to the phrase “fat over lean” he will remember that underpaintings can often be done in watercolors or acrylics while the top and final layering is done in oil, and never the opposite. Now while I was writing this article, someone asked if when painting with oils can the underpainting be done in oil paint also. While the answer is technically yes, the oil painting artist of today will probably do his underpainting in acrylic because it dries in 20 or 30 minutes with the same effect. If an oil painter wants to do his underpainting in oils also, then he will need a lot of time.


In a recent post in which I discussed “The Chemistry of Oil Painting”, I mentioned that oil paintings dry very slowly. Chemically the oil paints dry by forming a dense layer over the top called a film and this film allows the paint to oxidize – a chemical process similar to drying. Acrylics and watercolors dry much quicker through the evaporation of moisture in the paint. So if you have a layer of acrylic paint that becomes already dry and brittle on top of a layer of oil paint that is not quite dry, filmy and hence more flexible… you’ll end up with a flaking, cracking effect and the painting will continue to erode until the water-based (lean) paint totally flakes off.


Most all of my mentors and teachers in the art community have used an underpainting of some sort or another. Underpaintings no matter how simple or elaborate, allow certain shades to show through and sometimes help the painting on top to be crisper, richer and pop a little more. For example when I attempt to paint a blue sky I will often use an underpainting of a complimentary color… usually an ochre or orangey color. (check your color wheel if you’re not familiar with complimentary colors) I paint the white canvas in the desired complimentary color with acrylic paint, allow it 20-30 minutes to dry well and then I begin my sky with oils. Wasn’t it Rembrandt who also painted in layers to create his warm glowing skin tones in portraits? Do some research, check it out! And in the meantime remember to paint oils on top of water-based paints… or as we say “fat over lean”.


The above photo was taken by my buddy and mentor Mildred D. Dunevant in Hillsville, Virginia this weekend. Here in Edgefield we dodged the snow, but as seen in Mildred’s photo she might have a white Christmas.

The Chemistry of Oil Painting

Above: "October Marsh from Sea Cloud Plantation" 14x18 Oil


You know the pigments used in most paints are basically the same. Often the quality of oil paints involves the concentration of the pigment or even the method of mixing the paint – what we call the binder.

With oils the binder is called a siccative – a drying oil – that hardens slowly and forms a slight film on the surface that stabilizes and hardens. When the paint (often mixed with linseed oil) is exposed to the atmosphere it “oxidizes” into a dry solid unlike watercolors which dry by evaporation. With oil paint, the drying time can take weeks or even months depending on the thickness of the paint that has been applied to the work of art.

• Tip: So if you plan on glazing or varnishing your finished oil painting, wait until it is totally dry. This could take a long time. Please patient, if you varnish a painting that isn’t completely dry the colors will bleed or “spider” with the varnish.


Linseed oil comes from flaxseed – yes the same flax that is often taken as a dietary supplement – but with certain additives that change the drying time and the way it films over or glosses over and hardens. There are other oil options such as safflower oil and I have seen walnut oil in oil paints before too. Be careful when you buy your oil paints because some of these alternative oils can yellow as they get older. I know that there are different grades and prices of oil colors, but often times we get what we pay for.


The dirty little thing about working with oils is that when it comes to the cleanup of your brushes, pallet, pallet knife and your hands is that you need an organic solvent such as turpentine or mineral spirits to really do the job. Some of my fellow artists use thick dish-washing detergent or baby wipes for cleaning their hands because they want to avoid soaking up the solvents through the skin. And if you want to be a green artist or environmentally friendly, you should never dispose of these solvents down the drain. They should be collected and taken to your county’s waste disposal site. They have proper places for such solvents and chemicals – yes even here in Edgefield! Happy Holiday Painting!
Share your oil painting tips via email (corleymark1973@aol.com) or by “comment” here on the blogsite.

Uploaded more paintings for sale

Left: Russian Night

Right: Congaree River

South Carolina Arts

Here is an interesting site dedicated to the arts in South Carolina:
www.sciway.net/bus/artgalleries.com