ISLE OF PALMS COLLECTION

Isle of Palms: I like a familiar place. It’s comforting to go back to the same destinations time and time again. We’ve driven down the Pacific Coast Highway several times, always stopping at the same places. And I love it. I’ve painted a couple of art collections based on these trips.

We went to New York City at Christmas a few years in a row, often going back to the same places we’d been the year before. In fact, I’ve been known to make a list on my phone so we don’t forget to go to the Juniors for cheesecake or to the Warwick Hotel bar for a cocktail.

Our family has been going to Amelia Island Florida to the beach every year since our kids were babies. We stay at the same place, go to the same beach, and eat at the same restaurants unless something new has popped up that we want to try.

But sometimes you need a fresh start, a new place, a new adventure. So this year we decided to go to Isle of Palms for our summer beach vacation. I used to live in South Carolina, so I’ve been a few times over the years but mostly for long weekends and never for the whole week.  

This new Isle of Palms art collection is inspired by that beautiful little palm tree-lined island.

Each morning (well…most mornings) I would get up early, get a cup of coffee and paint out on the screen porch. I’d paint for a few hours and then we’d go to the beach. Then I’d come back and add more layers in the afternoon or the next morning. It was a nice routine and I could do it every day. It was an easy routine because I had assembled and brought a travel paint kit and painted each piece on heavyweight watercolor paper for ease of packing.

What I like best about Isle of Palms is the variety of things to do. I walked on the beach, rode a bike on the bike path, and read my book in my beach chair. We also swam in the ocean, lingered by the pool, and ate lots of seafood. Although I didn’t play tennis or golf, that was also an option. One afternoon we enjoyed the live music and vendors at the Isle of Palms Farmer’s Market. We also went to nearby Charleston for a seafood lunch and shopping on King Street.

The scenery is just as varied as the choice of activities. I love staring at the ocean but also enjoyed seeing the winding water through the marshes, the pastel Charleston-style architecture, the palmetto trees, boats in the marina and on the Intracoastal, and the rolling golf course greens. This collection of work on paper includes beaches, boats, beach umbrellas, and even a glimpse of the ocean along one of the golf courses.

And palm trees of course.

I like to finish each piece when I return home. It helps to have a fresh eye and add any additional touches to each painting. I then complete them with two coats of archival varnish.

The Isle of Palms Collection will be available next Wednesday June 29. If you’d like to see more about the collection, look for details on my Instagram feed. Also, if you subscribe to my newsletter, as always, you’ll receive early access on Tuesday June 28.

Want to read more about the inspiration behind the Isle of Palms Collection? My next blog post will be a mini travel guide about the Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, and Charleston. Look for my favorite beach reads coming up soon, as well as what’s in my travel painting kit.