The Low Country

Aiken was wonderful. So countrified. Visited Lydia delRossi as planned and was pleased with her beautiful little gallery/gift shop, Equine Divine. Lydia is so friendly and approachable. She has plans to move her shop to larger digs which will be such a positive move. Michael and I walked the quaint downtown area checking out all the shops and, yup, Lydia's is the only shop that's exclusively equine themed. I'm honored to be a part of the roster of artists and I affirm all the best for this endeavor.

I forgot my camera (duh) so I'll try to explain the impression left on me from the "low country" artists. On the way home from Aiken we detoured for a quick stop in Charleston. Most of the galleries were closed (Sunday) but you could peer through the store windows. Michael was impressed with the quality of the work, stating that Charleston had a strong and healthy art community. I was especially taken with the landscape work that depicted the tidal marshes. Those snake-like, meandering streams of water mirroring all the color, temperature, sky, and anything else that could be reflected. A quiet timelessness, achingly longed for and recognized. I could almost hear the locusts. It must be such a connecting, spiritual experience to be a plein air painter.