On view through April 2015 at Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina, watercolors by Dwight Rose are featured by the Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg. His exhibit, “Influences from the Low Country and the Sea Islands” is a body of work that examines the richness in antebellum architecture in Beaufort and the Sea Islands of South Carolina.
The Low Country, between Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia, features coastal historic homes rich in cultural history, reaching back to early colonists, southern plantations, and antebellum architecture designed for the Low Country climate. The architecture is detailed and diverse, representing a wide range of styles. Verandas, porches, gardens, views, and orientation for prevailing breezes are incorporated in neo-classical styles providing wonderful home designs.
In this show many architectural periods are represented, ranging from the early Georgian to the Victorian period, some more affluent and others being parochial in style. “The syntheses of my personal feelings combined with inspiring subjects interpreted with my materials and techniques are reflected in the watercolors you will see,” Rose said. Implying serenity and simplicity are also major concerns for Rose where his intent as a painter is to convey the beauty of the moment and add focus to the essence of that beauty.
Additionally the paintings are an exploration of the collective tools and principles of good graphics, which comprise the use of line, the modeling of light and experimentation with color. A line drawing first provides the foundation for the composition. Through experimenting with color shifts and contrasts, he observes the transient nature of light and other elements that qualifies a landscape or architecture. “The well-known Frogmore plantation house on Edisto Island, South Carolina, built by Dr. Edward Mitchell of Waccamaw about 1820 exemplifies the kind of distinctive features I would look for in an antebellum Sea Island cotton plantation,” he said. “To capture it all in its utmost architectural detail was not paramount. There may be references to an architrave, a column or post and or just a partial reveal of the structure.”
The Seaside Plantation, also known as the Edgar Fripp Plantation, is a great inspiration and was influential to the design of subsequent homes of the region. This historic plantation home is located on Saint Helena Island near Beaufort, South Carolina. It was built between 1795 and 1810, and is a two-story, frame dwelling in a transitional Georgian/Federal style. It features a one-story hip roofed portico. Seaside was one of the plantations participating in the Port Royal Experiment. Seaside is one of only a few remaining antebellum plantation houses on St. Helena.
The native vegetation of live oak trees is a highly revered, iconic tree of the South. Historically, it would line wide country driveways to antebellum homes. Their inclusion was important to capturing the ambiance of some of the area scenes. “These local landscapes were as vital to my paintings as the dwellings I painted,” Rose said. Rose captures the qualities of the homes and the landscapes and his attention to detail validates the southern charm of this area.
About
Dwight Rose http://www.watercolourmedia.com/ is a graduate of the Ringling College of Art and Design, earning a BFA degree in painting. He went on to teach in Ringling’s degree and community art programs, at VCU School of the Arts in Qatar and now conducts watercolor workshops and teaches watercolor painting at Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Residing in Spartanburg, Rose is a current member of the South Carolina Water Media Society and a current board member of the Artist Guild of Spartanburg.
Collectors of his work include Motte & Sons Bootlegging Co., Spartanburg South Carolina; University of North Carolina Greensboro; Shelton Group of Companies, Charlotte, North Carolina; Sarasota YMCA, Peoples Employment Exchange, Sarasota Wellness Center all in Sarasota, Florida; Kybele Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey; and Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Rose’s recent exhibitions include a one-man show at Gallery East and a group showing of Spartanburg area artists at the Carolina Gallery both located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Juried exhibitions include the 35th Annual Exhibition for South Carolina Artists at the Pickens County Museum and the South Carolina Water Media Society Exhibition in Anderson, South Carolina. Rose was the recipient of the Arthur State Bank Award at the Union County Artist Annual Show of 2014. He also had two one-man shows in 2013, again at Gallery East in Spartanburg South Carolina and at the Painters and Sculptures Gallery in Tryon, North Carolina.
Note: The exhibit can be viewed at no cost Monday-Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday, 1:00-5:00 pm. A public reception will be held Thursday, April 16, 5:00-8:00 pm during ArtWalk.