“I am an abstract artist. I’ve always had a love and passion for creating. It wasn’t until 2019 on a back-packing trip through Asia and Australia that I decided to pursue art full time.

During my travels, I would spend my days studying strangers. I would quickly draw people in honest moments; reading on the subway, children playing in a park, a woman hanging up her laundry to dry.  I realized how we are all connected to one another.  We are all one. I was inspired by our similarities. Less became more.

Through my work I hope to portray the feeling of connection to one another. My work is intended to be simplistic, imaginative and expressive.  I use energetic and bold lines to channel my inspiration and thoughts found in everyday life.

I am currently working out of my studio in Charleston, South Carolina.  I am constantly experimenting with new ideas through different mediums whether its clothing, jewelry or painting.”

Set aside some time to relax and take in more of Ms. Ridenour’s enthralling pieces over at her website and Instagram.

“I am an artist/graphic designer currently based outside of Eugene, OR. I specialize in combining painting and hand illustration, with the technical aspects of graphic design. Raised in Greenville, SC and having spent most of my life in various parts of Appalachia, my southern roots have deeply influenced my work. Most of my clients are musicians, farmers, brewers, designers and are just as passionate about what they do as me.”

Rattlesnakes and Rainbows

Muralist, Magic Maker, Earth Lover
Creator of Healing Botanical Tarot

From the Corrigan Gallery:

Charleston resident and artist Margaret (Midge) Peery initially planned a career focused on objective numerals and factual data rather than such subjective elements as color and atmosphere.

Peery was born in 1941 and grew up in Jackson, North Carolina.  She moved to Charleston where she attended Ashley Hall. She attended from Hollins College and earned her master of arts in mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She worked as an actuary then began watercolor painting in 1981. Peery is largely self-taught and has studied with several artists including workshops with West Fraser.

Using her mathematical skills, Peery constructs a detailed grid before drawing the landscape. She then layers watercolor washes on top of the drawing. In her latest works, Peery explored the atypical and less picturesque urban landscapes of Charleston and documents the rapidly developing and changing city.  She is now working on a series of Greenville, South Carolina cityscapes.

Her work is included in the collections of the Greenville County Museum of Art and the Gibbes Museum of Art.

“I have always created unconventional and unintentionally disturbing art but it has mostly been unconscious self-expression without intended meaning. I think as I am getting older that is changing. I'm becoming more comfortable creating art that may bother the viewer in a less abstract way and that has a ‘message’ in a more conventional sense. I feel my art is a healthy and engaging outlet for my dark, critical, stubborn, intolerant, and cynical nature. 

Farrah’s artistic endeavors have brought her through a variety of professions, from documentary filmmaker to goat cheesemaker, founder of HEART (of course!) and now running Rare Bird Farm in Madison County, NC.

Website  |  Instagram  |  Facebook

Photo Credit: Carolyn Russo, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

“Photographing from the open cockpit of the family’s vintage plane, wind in my face translates to batiks on silk, distilling the adventure into a moment of visual poetry. The expansive interplay of vistas becomes meditative prayers for the planet in my studio. From five-story draped sculptures to 14-inch wide silks, memories flow with layers of wax and dye in the calm of this ancient art form.”

Working in batik, Fraser merges modern dye technology with aerial and satellite photography, maps and charts. As a master dyer, she has taught in Indonesia, Australia, and the United States. Large-scale site-specific installations are her forte.

Over 100 one-woman exhibits are to Fraser’s credit with affiliates such as NASA, Smithsonian Institution, and National Geographic. Collaboration with Orrin Pilkey, Duke University Professor Emeritus, has produced two critically-acclaimed texts: A Celebration of the World's Barrier Islands, Columbia University and Global Climate Change: A Primer, Duke University.

Fraser is married to Dr. John Sperry and lives in Charleston, SC. Her studio on James Island is open by appointment.

Becca Barnet’s work is driven by a fascination with natural history and preservation. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration, she also attended the Missouri Taxidermy Institute where she fine-tuned her special knack and patience for taxidermy repair – from cleaning to complete mount renovations. She’s put her precision and passion for replicating textures and preserving animals into the creation of an array of museum displays.

A singularly compelling artist with one of the most striking pieces of the auction, see more work from Ms. Barnet at her website, Facebook, and Instagram.

“I'm McCoy, songwriter, filmmaker & digital artist.

I’ve been in performing arts for 15+ years as a guitarist & vocalist, fronting 4 bands between austin tx & l.a. ca. In recent years I’ve more so taken on the role of audio engineer, producing over 200 tracks since 2016. In the fall of 2018, I started production on the musical documentary, National Parks & Recreation. The goal of this film is to expose the beauty of all 62 national  parks, in turn spreading awareness for the sake of preservation.

Completion of this project will be a pioneering effort as no one has yet to document them all in a feature film. Furthermore, it’s completely D.I.Y.; the film, score & editing is entirely in my hands.

By the close of 2019, I've successfully documented 31 of 62 parks with plans to film the remainder in 2020. Following a target release in the spring of 2021,  I aim to embark on a nationwide tour, performing a live score of the film in a theater setting.

Aside from song/film, a digital art business for which i’ve dubbed, topo-foto consumes what is left of my creative space. The artform combines vintage maps with photographs I've gathered from relative locations.

In short… a wild soul with passion for untouched creation in the art realm.”

You can see more from Alex McCoy on his Instagram, Etsy, and website. Mr. McCoy brings to the Misfits a collection of 3 separate pieces. So, our apologies in advance when you have trouble choosing your favorite…

In 2018, HEART began a visual arts initiative to promote collaboration amongst HEART members and with artists and creatives in our community. One artist may start a piece and the other finish. Or, in the case of our auction piece, artists Farrah Hoffmire and Eliza Kerrison worked right alongside each other to complete their shared masterpiece.  Collaboration brings our community together and allows us to be creative in ways we may not have thought to be before.  In the words of Twyla Tharpe, “In the end all collaborations are love stories.”

Stay tuned to see more work from Farrah Hoffmire, created just for our CREATIVE MISFITS auction! You can see more awesome art from the dynamo Eliza Kerrison, and from all of the other fantastic HEARTists, on our website.

“I’m a local artist who is passionate about Our Lord and our beautiful Lowcountry! My inspiration comes from this beautiful place we are blessed to call home!” Her company, Half Pint Designs, is located in the Historic Charleston City Market and features beautiful mommy and baby gifts, handmade and locally designed in Mount Pleasant, SC. Peruse more of Ms. Cole’s classic Charleston designs on her Facebook and Instagram.

From the artist: “I grew up and currently live in Summerville South Carolina.  I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1995, from the University of South Carolina in Art Education.  In 2005, I received a Masters of Interdisciplinary Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University.  In 2006 I moved back to Summerville and have taught art in elementary, middle and high school within Dorchester District Two Schools.

Most of my time and art energy are focused on my personal and school children.  I enjoy teaching all levels of art.  I believe that all students should have the opportunity to learn art history in conjunction with techniques.  Children will advocate for the arts if they are exposed to culture.  I hope to help grow a society that will long to travel and never pass up the opportunity to go to a museum.”

You can see more from the colorful world of Stefanie Neuner on her Instagram.

Rebekah Edmondson’s love for creating art was rediscovered after spending a decade in the army. This form of self-expression felt unfamiliar to her at first, yet therapeutic at the same time. She studied Studio Arts and Sociology at the College of Charleston.

Rebekah and HEART crossed paths during a Neurodiversity Initiative event at the College of Charleston in 2019. It wasn’t long before we connected and she became a huge part of our HEART family. Rebekah is now a regular and much beloved volunteer and has been joining us online for Virtual HEART each week to lead our crew in perfectly rigorous exercises.

Rebekah, alongside fellow CofC classmate and U.S. Navy veteran, Kyle McKibben, founded the nonprofit Still Serving SC. Their mission is to connect veterans transitioning to civilian life with leadership opportunities within their community. https://www.stillservingsc.com/

Originally from Alexandria, VA, Dorothy Netherland is an artist based in Charleston, SC. She received a BA in Studio Art from the College of Charleston in 2000. Netherland's work was represented in the 2004 South Carolina Triennial at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, and in Studio Visits, in 2007 at the Greenville County Museum of Art, as well as in two Contemporary Charleston

Piccolo Spoleto Festival exhibitions, in 2004 and 2009. In 2011, she participated in an artist's residency in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Germany, which concluded with a group exhibition. Also in 2011, she was named Artist of the Year of the Contemporaries of the Columbia Museum of Art. In 2012 she had solo exhibitions at both Georgia College and Mercer University, and in 2014 she was invited to exhibit at Mississippi University for Women.

Her large mixed-media work was first shown in her solo show, FanGirl, at The Southern Gallery in Charleston, SC in fall '17. In both 2013 and 2019, Netherland's work was selected for inclusion in the South Carolina Biennial at the 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia, a juried exhibition overview of the best of South Carolina contemporary art.

"Merging collage, paint, ink, screenprint and photo transfer, I'm currently making mixed-media pieces working underneath and on top of Mylar sheets. In my work, I cut up and transfer layers of altered magazine photos onto plastic, and combine the resulting colors, shapes and textures with hand painted and drawn imagery. My media and content have shifted and expanded over time, but at its core my work has always been an expression of my efforts to understand the nature of what we think of as "true" or "real".

I am obsessed with the commingling of the real and the fake, and I'm interested in the ways in which we respond to constant content."

Find out more on Dorothy Netherland's website and Instagram.

Husband and wife duo of artists, Dos Bandidos Art, celebrate their many loves - music, nature, food, culture, adventure, the city of Charleston - with vibrant and distinctive silk screen designs. Collecting their work can easily become an obsession. Their subjects are often icons of the less tourist-facing facets of Chucktown. And, even if you don't recognize the locales and locals in their designs, you'll certainly start to notice their work posted all over the peninsula (once you're savvy to their style, that is).

“We are Dos Bandidos. It all started with a torrid love affair, amazing adventures, and an epic trip across Mexico. Dos Bandidos was born!​ We were raised on Rage Against the Machine, Obey Giant, and Grrrl Power! We are partners in art and life! We live in downtown Charleston, SC where we have our house and studio. We love to ride bikes, walk on the beach, travel the world, eat amazing food, drink the best coffee, play with our cats, and make art. We hand-make silk screen art and apparel. Our creed is art for the people!”

Peruse their pieces with caution - once you start, you may not be able to stop! Dos Bandidos Website | Instagram | Facebook | Etsy

Bri Wenke is a painter based in Charleston, SC.  She creates expressive and evocative work through bold and sculptural paint application.​

Raised on the Connecticut coastline, Bri began painting murals for local businesses by age 16, although she's been filling sketchbooks since her earliest memories.  After graduating from the University of Connecticut with a degree in history, she spent her early twenties painting commissioned murals, landscaping, and embarking on travels to Australia, Europe, Asia, North Africa, and Central America.

A developing fascination with the antiquity and complexity of the human story began to take shape, and in 2014 she moved from Manhattan to Charleston to pursue life as a full time painter.
  Her work is exhibited at the Grand Bohemian Gallery in Charleston, collected worldwide, and featured in Charleston Living Magazine and Art Market International Magazine.

During the Covid-19 quarantine, Ms. Wenke created nineteen palette knife heart paintings and gifted them to Healthcare Workers across the US in a project titled #CovidHearts for Healthcare Heroes, shipping them “directly to their doorstep, with a love note of gratitude + thanks”. Overwhelmed with nominees for Healthcare Heroes to choose from, Bri made sure each Hero submitted received a small print of the #CovidHearts before she was done.

There’s a near endless supply of remarkable art from Bri Wenke on view at her website, Instagram, and Facebook.

“Mark making, seeing the marks, building layers, acknowledging or infusing elements and principles of design is how I teach and how I make art. I believe it is basically how art has been made since the beginning of humankind. The process of making art for me always harkens back to my first days of scribbling and coloring. My mother showed me that if you moved the crayon in an oval pattern many times, the oval would become a cat’s body. Add a circle and see the cat appear. I could even make it real with details.

The realism is less important in my work now but the process is always the same. I listen to the voice of my mother, that of my teachers, and ultimately that voice inside me. Many artists talk about being intuitive. For me that is letting go of the directions and steps of the art manuals and letting all that has been synthesized just flow out. Like riding a bike. Or that experience of driving for a long time and realizing upon arrival that there was no awareness of the road or mechanics for a long period of time. When I paint, I am scribbling with NeoClassics (fancy crayons), reaching for colors, pouring directly on the surface, scratching out layers, adding textures and other materials.  

I am a passionate teacher who gets to explore art with children, adults, and occasionally some extraordinary young adults with special needs. “ - Susan Irish

You’ve undoubtedly come across the works of this renowned artist before, but even if you have, you owe it to yourself to see more of her art via her website, Instagram, and Facebook.

Oaklee Thiele is a passionate and proud artist, disabilities advocate, and service dog handler. She travels the country raising awareness about service animals, and uses the daily realities of life with a service animal as subject for her artistic works. She was paired with her medical alert service dog, Coco, in 2018.

Ms. Thiele has exhibited solo shows at Light Gallery and Bend Gallery in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 2021, she will present 2021 her solo show This is How We Came to Be at The Quincy Art Center in Quincy, Illinois.

Currently, Ms. Thiele is the head project artist for a project that HEART is proud to have submitted to, My Dearest Friends Project - “a Covid-19 collaboration centering Disability. Since March of 2020, the My Dearest Friends Team has been collecting written works by Disabled individuals as a means of archiving the Disability community’s collective experience with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

You can find more about My Dearest Friends and her other works on Ms. Thiele’s website. And to see more thoughtful and moving works from this prolific and driven artist, please go over to their Instagram and Facebook.

Oaklee Thiele is an artist close to our hearts who we first came to know through her work with The TRUE Project, commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) signed into law July of 1990.

Timpson recognizes both the physical properties of his materials and the symbolic associations of natural and synthetic materials. The artist transforms meaning through microscopic compositions sculpted on layers of glass. Timpson explains, “Decayed objects of nature can be as beautiful as they are challenging and I find this juxtaposition to be exhilarating through my process." As an acute observer of nature, the artist uses natural materials and forms emotional and figurative content through curated materials, photography and hand manipulated prints.

The powerful message of Ben Timpson’s works, especially that of his series Metamorphosis, belies the delicate nature of the medium this imaginative artist has chosen. Carefully arranging fragile elements collected from nature, such as leaves or butterfly wings, Timpson creates striking images that couldn’t be replicated by any other means.

Timpson specializes in interdisciplinary mediums, including photography, painting, and sculpture. He has exhibited nationally and internationally with recent exhibitions including the Allegany National Photography Exhibition, Alternative Processes at the SE Center for Photography in Greenville, SC, and Black and White at The Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, CO. Timpson has taught art and photography at Front Range Community College, Indiana University at Bloomington, Meeting Street Academy, Trident Technical College, and Oakhill Day School. He is the author of End of the Roll: Goodnight 35mm.

Everyone is encouraged in the most impassioned terms to seek out more of Ben Timpson’s work through his website and Instagram. You should also give a listen to Express Yourself from KDNK Community Radio out of Colorado for their features on Mr. Timpson and the incredibly important meaning underlying some of his recent exhibitions.

Photo Credit: Shelly Safir Marolt

Breeden was born and raised in Florence, South Carolina. In High School, she began co-managing Art Camps in her hometown. From one Florence to another - Breeden studied abroad in Florence, Italy while attending the College of Charleston, soon after graduating from the College with a BFA in Studio Art. In 2016 her work was featured in Young Contemporaries at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art housed at the College. Using her artistic talents to philanthropic ends, Ms. DuBose created art workshops for organizations in need in Chiang Mai, Thailand through Art Relief International. She received her Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification in 2017 and began traveling throughout Southeast Asia teaching English. Returning to Charleston in 2018, she became a Summer Intern for Redux Contemporary Art, and a Co-Manager for Glam and Grace Jewelry Collection. Later, she traveled around Latin America, again teaching English and creating art along the way. Currently, she is creating art in Raleigh, North Carolina.

There are plenty of ways for you to see more from this outstanding young contemporary artist; Breeden DuBose Art, Instagram, and Facebook.

Rick Sargent is a professional illustrator and owner of Sargent Illustration and Design, LLC and is proud to be an adjunct faculty at The Citadel where he teaches drawing and animation.  His works include portraiture, dancers, nature, animals, and beautiful combinations thereof.

Rick earned a Bachelor Degree in Art from the University of Georgia and a Master of Science degree in Medical Illustration from the Medical College of Georgia. He has studied painting at the School of Visual Arts in New York and the Academy DuCret in New Jersey.  His work is inspired by the symbolism and significance of everyday events.  His major artistic influences are Rembrandt, Ingres, Millet, John Singer Sargent, and Bo Bartlett.

“Born and raised in Columbus, GA, I developed a love for art as far back as I can remember. I attended Auburn University and earned a Bachelor's degree in Art, and now live and work as a full-time painter in Charleston, SC. I am a follower of Jesus, and am so thankful to Him for providing a job that I love.

Inspired by light, movement, surprising color combinations, social interaction, and pattern, my goal is to infuse these elements and form abstracted, pixelated compositions. No matter the subject, I strive to portray a balance of realism combined with loose abstraction, causing one to compliment the other.” - Teil Duncan

Give your mind a moment to bask in soothing color and interesting perspectives by perusing other pieces on the Teil Art website and Instagram.

Photo credit:  Gray Benko

An animator, illustrator, graphic designer and exhibiting artist with a BFA in Illustration from Western Carolina University and a BFA in Media Arts and Animation from the Art Institute of Atlanta, Baird Hoffmire has been working as a professional artist for over ten years. His illustrations in Story Cove picture books and animated stories have been enjoyed by tens of thousands of children around the world.

“I've always found stories and storytelling fulfilling. I'm inspired by how social commentary and observations about the world we inhabit can be coded into symbols, both in obvious and subtle ways. My own work is often elements from memory, emotion, and old family photos combined with my influences from comic books, pop culture, and current events. By attempting to balance wit and humor with sensitive subject matter, I hope to weave a narrative that is accessible and evocative to the viewer.”

Besides painting, illustrating books and spending time with his family, Baird loves to play basketball. He resides in Charleston, South Carolina with his beautiful wife, Jane and his equally lovely daughters, Sadie and Harper. He also just happens to be the brother to our beloved HEART Founder, Farrah.

You can find more of his work as Electric PaintBrush online.

It doesn’t take long, scrolling through John Black’s artist page on Instagram, before you notice regulars frequently commenting enthusiastically anytime he posts a new design. And he posts often. A prolific artist that deftly switches between styles and draws inspiration from illustrators spanning the golden and silver ages of comics, John’s art is often shared online by die hard fans and picked up by comic book news sites. He won’t be pinned down to just one subject, either. He sets to the page anything and everything that he loves, like classic movie monsters, music icons and divas, friends and family. Without a doubt there is a piece in the John Black portfolio to please every pop culture vulture.

When he isn’t reimagining his favorite heroic characters and idols in new and unique scenarios with his designs, he’s bringing theatrical characters to life on stages all across Charleston. Voted Best Actor in Charleston in 2017 for Charleston City Paper’s Best of Charleston awards, John Black is a versatile performer, a stunner in musicals and dramas alike. If you’ve seen live theater in Charleston over the past 8 or so years, it is almost a certainty you’ve seen John on stage.

Photo Credit: Nick Fancher

An artist and surfer based in Folly Beach, Kate Barattini's work is on display all over our gorgeous city. Indoors, outside, small pieces, and large murals - you'll see her beautiful artwork everywhere once you know it! A gracious and generous talent, Kate Barattini is the creator of Rabbit Hole Mediums. Ms. Barattini's distinctive style caught our eye outside of Tradesman Brewing Co. and we knew we couldn't rest until we had an original Barattini piece in Creative Misfits.

Photo credit: Fellipe Ditadi

Steve Johnson is an Associate Professor of Art and Head of the Drawing Area at the College of Charleston, SC. Johnson received a Fulbright Fellowship to India where he taught drawing in a variety of collegiate and non-traditional settings. He has taught at Penland School of Crafts, Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop, NYC, and Steneby Skolan, Sweden. Recent Solo exhibitions include Blackburn 20/20 NYC, 111 Mina, San Francisco, and Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Charleston as well as group international showings in Belgium, China, and India. Johnson's work is included in the collection of The Library of Congress.

Photo Credit: Charleston Mag

A native of South Carolina, Susan moved to the North Carolina mountains after college in 1997. There she fell for clay with a turn at a friend’s wheel. After receiving her B.F.A in Ceramics and Painting at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC(2000), Susan became a member of cone 10 studios(SC) in 2003.

During years living between Charleston, SC and San Francisco, CA she developed a love for California style. Influences to her pottery include this warm modernism, the Japanese aesthetic as well as contemporary design and fashion. Most importantly, Susan enjoys ceramics as a means for art involved in everyday life.

 In 2005, she became a founding owner of cone 10 studios, a collective ceramic studio and gallery on the upper peninsula of Charleston, SC. The summer of 2019 brought this community to a close. Susan is now opening Studio Union, a professional art space for ceramics as well as other media, in the Union Heights neighborhood of North Charleston, SC.

Artwork Provided by Charleston Artist Collective

Art has been a part of Lanie Mann’s life from the very beginning. She was raised in North Carolina where her mother, an artist and art teacher, filled her childhood with projects and books and conversations about color and composition. Later, she took studio classes, studied art history and lived abroad in Florence where her passion for painting became clear.

Her work is inspired daily by the beauty in nature and color arrangements that are clean, fresh and balanced. Her paintings are loose and layered—purposely imperfect, creating pieces that spark connections, ignite curiosity and make people happy. She is an optimistic person by nature, so she strives to create something bright, uplifting and invigorating. She believes art should breathe life into every space. She currently lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, twin sons and daughter.

“Charleston based illustrator of doodles with humor and heart. Lover of unicorns, narwhals, robots, and all things cute, yet a little twisted.

Drawing has been my passion for as long as I can remember, and since age five, my style hasn’t really changed. I love sharing my art in hopes that it brings a smile to your face.”

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