| For more information about this article or gallery, please call the gallery phone number listed in the last line of the article, "For more info..." |
October Issue 2004
Dog Art Dealer in Charleston, SC, Offers Works by Faith Cameron Semmes
Dog
Art Dealer in Charleston, SC, will present the exhibition,
Pet Portraits & Dog Paintings, by Faith Cameron Semmes
from Oct. 1 - 23, 2004.
Faith Semmes has lived in Charleston since 1993 and presently resides with three dogs and two cats in a barn loft on Johns Island. Semmes paints commissioned portraits in oils (pet, family and corporate). Her subjects reflect her love of animals and bucolic country life.
Semmes was born and raised in Charlottesville, VA. She attended the Madeira School and Hollins College where she majored in Visual Arts. After college, her love of animals and long interest in equestrian sports inspired a five year foray in Animal Sciences. During this time, she worked as a veterinary surgical nurse in both small animal and equine practices.
Semmes then moved to Key Biscayne, FL, and began a fifteen year career as a commercial illustrator and graphic artist. Eventually, due to the restrictive nature of the subject matter in her commercial work, she broadened her focus to encompass trompe-l'oeil murals, with commissions in Miami and Palm Beach. Often Semmes included her clients with their pets in her murals. From there it was a natural progression to painting commissioned pet portraits.
Semmes offers the following thoughts on portrait painting: "I love the combination of a traditional medium (oil) and painting style with a contemporary treatment of the subjects. While antebellum-style portraiture continues to be the rage, I believe that generations from now a person should be able to look at a pet portrait and have some idea as to the century in which it was painted. Traditionally, portraits have not only been likenesses but historical records. An oil portrait is an enduring work of art... In addition, an oil painting - if properly cared for - can last for many generations.
The inclusion of animals in most of my portraits is due to the fact that so many of my clients are crazy about their pets. Whenever I paint a pet alone or with their owner, one thing remains constant: I like my portraits to tell a story."
For more info check our SC Commercial Gallery listings, call 843/577-5500, e-mail at (dogpainting@bellsouth.net) or at (www.dogartdealer.com).
Carolina Arts is published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc. Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts Online, Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.