For her fifth year, Laurie Meyer is presenting an exquisite and diverse array of stunning oil paintings for Piccolo Spoleto. She has worked diligently throughout the season in excited preparation. Her now extensive audience has eagerly awaited these paintings to be available to the public. For over two weeks they will be at Marion Square on the Calhoun Street sidewalk from 10-5. Already, during the initial event judging, she earned an Honorable Mention award for a piece titled "Lobster and Scrambled Eggs for One."

The sophisticated expertise and diverse subject matter found in Laurie’s paintings are rare and quite worthy of a visit. The precious works are the result of many long hours and carefully scheduled dedication to her art. During her days, Laurie considers wielding her paint brush a full-time job. However, a large part of this job is also sharing with fascinated students all that she has accomplished. Up in her magnificently lit studio, you will find not only vibrant colors and textures jumping off exquisitely framed canvases in the most excited ways, you will also observe a skilled instructor at work. Laurie has combined her life-long love of teaching with her passion for art so successfully that, if you look hard enough, you will spy waiting lists for her classes pinned to her wall. She teaches beginning students who have never held a brush but always longed to paint with oils. She also works with experienced artists as they explore color together.

Laurie attracts a wide audience of art lovers, but they mostly share an adoration of color experimentation and thick texture resulting from wide brush strokes. Her fans appreciate Laurie’s keen eye for the many different ways light can be expressed. Some of her paintings are candid and casual, capturing a tired puppy at the end of a long day or a beautiful child gently scaling piano keys. Large blooms of white hydrangeas have also attracted the attention of her brush. The lily white flowers provide her a means to explore light uniquely in the way it interacts with white during particular times of day. The ability with which Laurie is able to scale a range of different subject matters is remarkable. No doubt Laurie’s beautiful work will again be received with great joy this year at Spoleto!

Erin O is a Daniel Island resident who enjoys promoting and supporting area artists. In addition, Erin combines her own folksy art style with the work of local children to create embellished artworks for keepsakes.