Framed oil painting

24 x 30 (image size) oil on canvas

Discovering the Charm of Meeting Street in Charleston ~ and painting it!

We set out on foot in downtown Charleston looking for something charming to paint. Not a difficult task! I specifically wanted a subject with dramatic lighting which would translate into a pleasing range of lights and darks, shadows, and highlights in a painting. As we walked from the Battery and turned up Meeting Street we were struck by a charming painted brick home highlighted by light streaming through a pair of blooming crepe myrtle trees. This was just what I was looking for. My next painting would be 3 Meeting Street!

I’m a sucker for an American flag. The scene would have caught my eye anyway, but having the flag so prominently displayed off the wrought-iron balcony completed the already perfectly charming scene.

I originally thought I would create a very impressionistic work, believing that it would be about the lights and darks and that the details were not all that important. I blocked it in loosely with the first few coats of paint. As I progressed I started to think what a shame it would be to leave out the details which help create the overall charm of the scene in real life.

In the end, I created a more realistic painting than planned, but stopped short of adding in every little detail. I hope you enjoy this scene as much as I do! It is complimented by a high-end Larson-Juhl silver/gold frame!