Imagekind Gallery DeborahReevesArts

Three Little Birds, Charleston SC Single House, An

This single house, an iconic architectural dwelling type building in Charleston, dates from the mid-1800's. In renovating the house, the owners painted the ceiling of the second floor piazza as a stylized sky with clouds. When I painted the scene, I freed the image up a little, and a famous song and a dear hippie friend inspired the rest of the idea.

The Governor's House, Charleston SC

Designated the Laurens-Rutledge House, and built circa 1760 by a brother of the statesman Henry Laurens', it was purchased in 1788 by Edward Rutledge, signer of the Declaration of Independence. It is a bed and breakfast, right across the street from Edward's brother, John Rutledge's house, which is also a bed and breakfast inn.

Angel Oak, St. John's Island, Charleston SC

This magnificent live oak stands where a Quaker settlement once was centuries ago, and there is a residual peace vibrating in the shadows, a continuity from the days of those dear spiritual souls.

From the Ashley to the Cooper, Charleston SC

This is a panorama extending from the Ashley River, the Battery and White Point Gardens, the mansions of South Battery and Meeting Street, highlighting historic church steeples--St. Michael's, St. Philip's., First Scots', Citadel Square, Circular Congregational, Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Second Presbyterian, French Huguenot Church, Old Public Market Hall, even a statue of John C. Calhoun looming larger than true! The Cooper River and the Ravenel Bridge span the upper length of the image. "Where the Ashley and the Cooper come together to form the Atlantic Ocean"

George Chisolm House From High Battery, East Bay M

If you stand on High Battery, you get this view--George Chisolm built his house circa 1810. There are three levels of "dependencies" behind the main house, and there are harbor views from every window. There is a beautiful formal garden where another early house once stood. I didn't put the oleanders in bloom; I wanted to highlight the simple elegance of the house.

Coates' Row Garden Shop, East Bay Street, Charlest

This is part of a row of buildings constructed circa 1788. In the 1790's, Charleston's Jacobin Club met at the French Coffee House--a tavern-- next door; these were French immigrants who supported the spirit of the French Revolution. This lovely setting changes its appearance with merchandise, and the owner is an artist who uses the interior as his gallery. There is an easel leaning behind the wrought iron gate in the shadows.

President and Mrs. Obama'sPorches of Charleston-21

This is the house where a reception was held for President Barak Obama after he spoke at an inner city school, Burke High, and when he referred to Charleston in his Election Night Victory Speech, everyone here referred symbolically to this mansion with three tiers of piazzas. Here also the Charleston Poetry Society and the Society for the Preservation of Spirituals were formed when Josephine Humphries dwelt from 1907-1937 during the Charleston Renaissance. It was a hub of activity for artists during that time, and surely Dubose Heyward, and most likely the Gershwins would have crossed that threshold many times. Patrick O'Donnell built the house over a period from 1852-1870--the Civil War must have gotten in his way.

Charles Elliott House-43 Legare St.-circa 1759-Cha

This is a brick "single house", meaning a single room wide facing the street, and often with side piazza and "false front door" entrance to the street. This type of house is the typical form found in Charleston. Legare St. is in the oldest part of the city, and this house captures the ambiance of the area.

Moultrie-Glen House, 37 Legare St.-circa 1818-Char

This house lays claim to two distinguished family names-Moultrie is that of the Swampfox, and Glen is of a royal governor before the Revolution. There is speculation that one of the Rutledges enticed Gov. Glen to join the colonies' quest for independence by assisting his acquisition of a house--maybe it took a few years to carry it out. In the 20th century, a pillar of society,Augustine Smythe, gave the house to his daughter and her husband John Bennett, a writer very involved in the Charleston Renaissance. Local luminaries gathered here, and it is speculated that "...Porgy and Bess were born in this house over cocktails".

Church Street Piazza with Joggling Board-Charlesto

This house began between 1794-1796, and the part behind the gate is relatively young. This is early spring with the peppermint peach in bloom, and the traditional joggling board in the full sun.

Sweetgrass Basket Lady-Washington Park, Charleston

Washington Park is behind Charleston City Hall at the Four Corners of Law. The Basket ladies actually set up diagonally across behind the Post Office, but I think in the interest of aesthetics, this is where they should be. Especially in the spring when the peppermint peach trees are in bloom, and you see all shades of pink in a single tree. Sweetgrass basket sewing is found all over Charleston, but not here except in my imaginary image. The Fireproof Building is in the background, headquarters of the South Carolina Historical Society. It was built in 1822 as a state office building with fireproof storage for records of the Charleston District.

Rainbow Row South, to Tradd St., the Battery, Char

Number 83 East Bay Street is in the foreground, with the crepe myrtles in bloom. The "one way" sign is delightfully tilted, and the sun escapes from a small arched gate as well as along Tradd Street. The texture of the old patched stucco, along with a little mold, makes for more interest. Of course there's the wrought iron, the slightly askew shutters--altogether a pretty pleasant scene.

Rainbow Row North-Charleston SC

This view of the houses of Rainbow Row looks toward Broad St. From the green one to the pink one are the Othniel Beale Houses, and his dock was across the street back in 1740 when the waterfront activities began in this area. The land has been filled in after silting pushed the port farther north. Behind you would be the Battery. The wrought iron balconies front the upstairs where families of the businesses on the ground floors resided--businesses which catered to the shipping needs. There were of course taverns, too. This image captured a color saturated moment as the sun crossed midsky, and the West Indies colors were drenched as if in sunset.

Just taking a little breather

An old photograph gave inspiration for this, of a lady who helped an artist back in the 1930's in Charleston, during what was called the "Charleston Renaissance". Her name was Bessie, that's all I know. His was Alfred Hutty. The black and white photograph he took was sparce, and beautiful. I added a banana tree and a sword plant, because those were always in gardens in those days, then the palmetto fronds hanging over the old brick wall, and the one red amaryllis to be an echo of Bessie herself. There is a sweetgrass basket of early spring flowers beside her--back then, there were ladies selling flowers everywhere in Charleston, much like we see the basket ladies now.

St. Patrick's Day, Broad Street, Charleston SC

Our great mayor Riley comes from generations of Charlestonians, and he is, to a large part, of the Irish persuasion. This imaginary parade is to The Parade. These revelers are headed to Hibernian Hall around the Four Corners of Law and up Meeting Street, where The Parade will actually begin. This is a bit of homage to our mayor and the tradition he represents. The image could be of anytime within the last 60 years or so--that could even be him as a little boy upstairs waving out of his father's office--or his son, or maybe his son's son. Mayor Riley has been instrumental in helping the sweetgrass basket ladies and the palmetto rose boys with their businesses, so they are prominent in the scene... Faith and Begorra.