November Issue 2000
The Wells Gallery in Charleston, SC, Presents New Works by Shannon Smith
Charleston native
Shannon Smith has quickly ventured beyond the title of up-and-coming
artist and has established a solid reputation within the local
art community. Regardless of what subject she chooses to paint,
Smith has proven to possess an unusually keen eye and an unrivaled
sensitivity to light. It is her attention to detail coupled with
the use of strong, warm colors that she uses to so delicately
capture the fading light of the late afternoon hours.
Her current collection of work at the Wells Gallery, in Charleston,
SC, opens Nov. 3. The exhibition is a featured event in the second
Fine Arts Annual sponsored by the Charleston Fine Art Dealers
Association. The show will run through Nov. 17, 2000. Smith, along
with other local artists, will be painting on site at the Battery,
on Charleston's waterfront, on Nov. 4, from 9:45am until 11:30am
in the first annual Plein-Air Demonstration on the Battery.
In this latest exhibit, Smith paints even stronger contrasts of
color, with dramatic darks and subdued grey tones juxtaposed with
warmer, more radiant hues. But, as always, her main focus is capturing
light. "My direction in oil painting is to capture natural
light," says Smith. She is also fond of seeking out the quiet
beauty in everyday objects. Whether it is old glass bottles gathered
in a windowsill or the shadows beneath a canopy of trees, the
artist is in constant pursuit of the simple things in life.
* 
Born and raised in the Lowcountry, many of her works are inspired
by the beauty of coastal landscapes and downtown Charleston city
scenes. This past summer, however, Smith studied in France with
Kim English, in a workshop setting with several other artists.
While there, she painted plein air in the French villages
of Brittany every day. Works inspired by these studies in France
hang beside paintings of the South Carolina coast. Other subjects
to be included in her show are still lifes and figures, as well
as scenes from the Blue Ridge Mountains.
* 
For Smith, art has always been a natural part
of life. Her mother, noted local painter Betty Anglin Smith, and
siblings, Jennifer Lynn Smith and Tripp Smith, are all accomplished
artists. It was this constant immersion in art that helped foster
28-year-old Smith's talent from an early age. After completing
her BFA at Clemson University in 1994, Smith has been painting
professionally.
For further information check our SC Commercial Gallery listings
or call the gallery at 843/853-3233 or e-mail (info@wellsgallery.com)
or check out their website at (http://www.wellsgallery.com).
Mailing Address: Carolina Arts, P.O. Drawer
427, Bonneau, SC 29431
Telephone, Answering Machine and FAX: 843/825-3408
E-Mail: carolinart@aol.com
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