Buried Treasure (sort of)

My Favorite House in Charleston, SC

Yesterday, I was cleaning out a purse that I haven't used since at least June of last year. I know this because in the purse (which is the size of a diaper bag and no, I don't have kids) I found a cheaply done brochure from the totally un-cheap Charles II Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina. I haven't been in Charleston since our wedding anniversary last June. (I tried to find the link to the gallery for you but their website no longer exists. I hope that doesn't mean what I think it means...)

Anyways, it was more than brochure. It was an artist profile. On this guy:

Fred Jamar, Self Portrait

Fred Jamar is a talented Belgian-born artist who lives in Charleston. He also happens to look a lot like Jerry Garcia. According to the folded up paper I dug out of my giant purse, Fred used to work on Wall Street managing JP Morgan's global risk unit. Apparently, he got tired of that so he moved to one of the South's most charming and colorful port cities to paint. Basically, Fred lives my dream life.

I couldn't really come up with anything in artsy fartsy gallery-speak that would describe Fred's work. Honestly, I only have one word for it. Awesome.

(Heads are rolling at my alma mater's art history department right now.)

But look:

unnamed

How can you look at those palm tree shadows and not call that awesome? How about this:

Rainbow Row

His makes the most over-painted scene in the south look totally fresh. And while I am not a huge fan of "bubble trees," I love Fred's.

1st Scott Church on Meeting Street

Broad Street

While Fred's work captures the beauty and elegance of the Civil War's most famous coastal city, it captures its grit too. And Lord knows I'm a sucker for colorful southern grit.

Lana Cafe

The power lines, the trash cans, the buildings shifting off their foundations...

Awesome.

PS. Did you notice that my favorite house spoke to Fred too?