Betsy Chaffin creates her abstract art work, which she often refers to as “markings,” from her studio on Spring Island. She has a synergistic relationship with the Lowcountry: she worked to ensure that Spring Island was developed smartly to preserve the pristine environment, and in turn the environment fills her canvases.
“The abstracted forms and markings are distilled from my natural surrounding — the river, the marsh, trees, the sky,” Chaffin explains. “The work is an expression of a point of view, a state of mind. Is the work about reality, memory, energy or landscape? Maybe a measure of each, though there is not a specific recipe.”
A lack of clear directions has never been so wonderful. Her markings are vigorous, with just enough color to bring the mysterious to the familiar.
The public is invited to an opening reception on Friday, Nov. 16 from 5:30-9 p.m., and the show runs through December 8. The Charles Street Gallery is an established source for Lowcountry and international art, presented within a carefully renovated house in the middle of Beaufort’s historic district. Contact The Charles Street Gallery, 914 Charles Street, Beaufort, at 843-521-9054, or visit www.thecharlesstreetgallery.com.
