There is something about the ease of natural vistas on the island that brings out our artistic sides. Sometimes I think our slogan should be: “Dewees Island: Where everyone becomes a Nature Photographer.” And, certainly, our photo contest lends some credibility to that slogan.

But it’s not just photographers that get inspired by the island. Writers, poets, and painters are also drawn here. We have a number of island residents who are very accomplished artists, and I am hoping they will let me profile them in future posts on this blog. This month, Elizabeth Middour, a local artist who lives in the Old Village, came over to do some plein air painting. Elizabeth and her family have rented here on the island, and her daughter was part of the group of kids who wrote the book about the submarine tower.

According to wikipedia, “French Impressionist painters such as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir advocated en plein air painting, and much of their work was done outdoors.” Elizabeth brought her easel and backpack of paints, and set up along Old House lane for a morning. It was a treat to ride past and see how her works were coming along.  She was captivated by the way the magenta salicornia lit up the autumn marsh, and used her morning painting session to really capture it. Elizabeth shows and sells her work at the Atelier Gallery in downtown Charleston. According to her information on that website,

Her subjects include local landscapes and scenes that celebrate the beauty that surrounds us. When painting, Elizabeth likes to emphasize the contrasts of light and shadow, the brilliance of color and sunlight, and the serenity she experiences while immersed in her work. She hopes that the viewer might find her work simultaneously joyful and soothing.

I think she accomplished that here. We look forward to seeing more of her and her work.