Framed Oil painting

11 x 14 (image size) Oil on board

Leon’s Fine Poultry & Oyster Shop ~ Already an iconic restaurant in Charleston!

When you consistently see people gathered outside a restaurant you know it must be good. We always say that if you do things right, people will come from all around to have a memorable dining experience. Not all that long ago Leon’s was an old body shop owned by Leon Ravenel. In 2014, Leon’s Fine Poultry & Oyster Shop was opened and they’ve become a must stop in Charleston.

I decided to paint Leon’s for several reasons. First, I love the signage over the entrance way. It has that Americana look to it, like it’s been around for decades. The kind of curb appeal that catches your eye as you drive by and makes you want to stop and turn around.

Second, I love that the owners have created a casual but charming restaurant, with a historic feel to it. It fits in so nicely with Charleston’s other iconic restaurants while having its own unique niche.

When you enter the restaurant you’re overwhelmed with the character and ambience the owners created by keeping the industrial elements like open wooden rafters, a cement floor, working garage doors that open to outside dining, etc…

A long oyster bar is a big draw for all the oyster lovers out there. Personally, I would order their southern fried chicken sandwich with a side of scalloped potatoes! Maybe an Edmund’s Oast “Something Cold” beer if it wasn’t a work day! :)

Although the Fried Clam Strips sound really good, I know the Grilled Fish Sandwich was very good, and the Shrimp Roll would also be in the running when we go next time.

They also have healthy but tasty salads like the Siam Salad that Jen loves.

When we drove by one early evening the lights were already on, highlighting the signage. We didn’t have time to stop and dine, but I did stop the car, turned around and parked on a side street in order to snap a few pictures of the front of the restaurant. It was fairly early in the evening but people had already gathered out front, waiting to get in.

In my painting I darkened down the nighttime sky in order to create a more dramatic effect from the lights. The highlighted bold lettering lets you know that they are open for business. The smiling faces let you know that the wait is well worth it, and the curb appeal lets you know that Leon’s Fine Poultry & Oyster Shop is a must stop!

I coated the hard board with a textured coat of white gesso to start. I think it helps me age the Charleston buildings by adding some roughness to the surface. It also allows me to create a slightly more impressionistic look to a realistic painting by breaking up the brushstrokes. It’s the same concept as using a heavy-woven canvas instead of a fine (smooth) canvas.

I hope you like my latest Charleston painting. It follows my recent painting of An Evening at Hank’s.

This painting is available through MARY MARTIN GALLERIES OF FINE ART