J.Odin Schurer
Fields of Summer :
SC State Fair Competition 2026
The Story behind the Painting
Finding Inspiration
Fields of Summer is not just another farm painting. It is rooted in something much more meaningful.
I created this piece for the South Carolina State Fair Competition with the goal of creating a painting for their newest award, Roots in Agriculture. The reason I wanted to create a piece specifically for this award ties to my own experiences as an artist here in South Carolina.
Most of you who have been following along on my journey know that I sell my artwork at local events, whether they are artisan markets, maker events, or local art shows. But one of my favorite events during the year is the Ag + Art Tours that each South Carolina county holds. I have participated in three different counties Ag and art tours, Lexington, Richland and Calhoun. These events have given me the opportunity to visit farms and properties all across the state, and meet the hard working farmers who work them everyday.
Over the past few years, I have found myself becoming increasingly interested in Farming and Agriculture and it started with the book from Eric Sloane titled I Remember America. Sloane's book is a collection of observations about America’s past that, in many ways, was beginning to disappear. He wrote about the tools, buildings, trades, and everyday ways of life that had once been a familiar part of the American landscape. One of the things that really stuck with me from the book was the idea of agrarianism and the important role that agriculture played in America's early identity. The more I learned about it, the more I began to appreciate how deeply connected American history is to the land. Agriculture was not simply a way of producing food; for many of the country's early thinkers, it represented independence, self-sufficiency, and hard work. The image of the farmer working his own land, became an important part of the American ideal.
I think what attracted me to this idea was connection to the land that I feel when I am painting outside; how different it feels from much of modern life. We buy food at a grocery store without necessarily thinking about the field it came from, the person who grew it, or the amount of work that went into producing it. The book made me start paying more attention to the farms I passed, the old barns scattered throughout the countryside, the patterns of crops in the fields, and through my experience with Ag+Art I got to meet the people who work to keep these farms alive. There is something so special about being able to stand in a field and paint the exact place where the food we eat is grown. It has also made me appreciate how much of the character of South Carolina is tied to agriculture.
So when I saw that the State Fair had introduced an award specifically celebrating agriculture, I knew I wanted to make a painting for it!
Who Made this Painting Possible?
One of my first events here in South Carolina was the Calhoun County Ag + Art Tour, and coincidentally, it was also the county's first time participating in the event. I feel that small coincidence has helped foster a great relationship, not only with the lovely organizers of the event but with the community itself. For the 2026 Ag + Art Tour, I decided to do something a little special. I created five paintings, one for each of the farms and properties that participated in Calhoun County's Ag + Art Tour. (You can see those paintings here.)
One of the best parts of creating those paintings wasn't necessarily the painting itself, it was getting to meet the farmers and property owners and talk to them about their farms. Every place had its own story. I learned about what they grew, how they worked the land, and what made each property unique. Those conversations gave me a much greater appreciation for the people behind the landscapes I was painting.
So when it came time to make this painting, I knew exactly who I wanted to contact to help me find the perfect location.
I contacted the owner of Edisto Blueberry Farm, and I was not let down one bit. She gave me an amazing tour of the surrounding farms and taught me about all of the different crops they grow in the area. We drove all around her property and the surrounding farms, stopping at different locations and looking through all the possibilities. What I really appreciated was that she wasn't just showing me places that were visually appealing. She explained the history and the stories behind what made those places special. She pointed out the different crops, explained how they grow and how the fields were being used, and gave me a glimpse into the work that goes into maintaining these farms throughout the year.
As a painter, that completely changes the way you look at a landscape. A field stops being just a field. You start to see the rows, the crops, the work that went into planting them, and the people who depend on that land. Eventually, we came across the view that would become Fields of Summer.
It wasn't necessarily the most dramatic landscape we had seen that day, but something about it immediately caught my attention. The rolling fields, the rows of crops, and the enormous summer sky all came together in a way that felt quintessentially Southern to me.
After finishing the tour, I spent the rest of the day painting some small studies of the landscape. From the moment I arrived, I knew I wanted to try to capture the vastness of the landscape. The problem was that I quickly realized there was no way I could capture that feeling in a single small study. Instead, I decided to break the landscape down into several key sections. Each study would focus on a different part of the scene, but when placed together, they would begin to form a larger picture of the landscape as a whole. This ended up becoming an important part of how I approached Fields of Summer. Rather than trying to fit the entire landscape into one view, I wanted to explore it piece by piece, to understand the individual fields, the crops, the sky, and the way everything connected across the property.
From Studies to the Final Painting
Once I had finished my studies, I had a much better understanding of the landscape. However, I still had to figure out how to take everything I had learned and turn it into one cohesive painting. This ended up taking much longer than I expected, and I really struggled with the composition. I wanted the road, which appeared to almost connect across the individual studies, to become an important part of the final painting. My hope was that it would lead the viewer's eye through the fields and eventually toward the barn in the distance. But when I put everything together in the larger study, I felt that the road was too direct. Instead of giving the viewer time to meander through the landscape and explore the different fields, it seemed to take them straight to the barn. I wanted the viewer to feel the vastness of the landscape; to wander through it a little before arriving at the final destination.
At this point, I had already been working on the painting for a couple of days. I was really enjoying the direction it was heading in, and there were parts of the painting that I was very excited about. At the same time, I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. I could have kept pushing paint around and hope that the answer would eventually reveal itself, but instead I decided to step back and return to the place where the painting had started.
I am very happy I made this decision, because the second my feet touched that soil, everything became much clearer.
There is something about standing in front of the actual landscape that photographs and studies simply can't replace. I could see the way the road moved through the fields, how the different sections of the landscape connected, and, more importantly, how I wanted the viewer's eye to travel. This was the final painted study I completed, and after finishing it, I realized that I wanted to break the final large piece into three equal sections, each based on one of the painted studies.
The idea was that each section would be able to stand on its own and tell a small part of the story, while together they would create a much larger sense of the landscape.
In the end, that was what I wanted Fields of Summer to feel like: not a painting that tells you where to look, but a landscape that invites you to explore it.
Fields of Summer Oil on Canvas Size: 16” x 48”
Thank you to the South Carolina State Fair for creating the Roots in Agriculture award and for recognizing the important role agriculture continues to play in our state. I am grateful for the opportunity to create a piece that celebrates not only the beauty of South Carolina’s farmland, but also the people, labor, and history behind it.
A special thank you to the Calhoun County Ag + Art Tour community, the organizers who make these events possible, and the farmers and property owners who so generously welcome artists onto their land. Your stories, knowledge, and willingness to share your work have changed the way I see the landscapes I paint.
And thank you especially to the owner of Edisto Blueberry Farm for taking the time to show me around the property and surrounding farms, explain the crops and history of the area, and help me find the view that became Fields of Summer. Special thank you to the Stowe’s for letting me paint on your farm! This painting would not exist without that generosity.
I hope Fields of Summer encourages viewers to pause, and appreciate the land, the hard work, and people behind the landscapes that are such an important part of South Carolina.
Thank you so much for reading
~ Jules
Painting Calhoun County
The Calhoun County Ag + Art Tour Collection
A Collection from the 2026 Ag + Art Tour
The Calhoun County Ag + Art Tour Print Set
One of the things I love most about participating in South Carolina’s Ag + Art Tours is the opportunity to experience the state’s agricultural communities in a more personal way.
As an artist, I am always drawn to the visual beauty of farms: the fields, old barns, growing crops, weathered fences, long dirt roads, herds of cattle, and the way light changes across the landscape. But the more time I spend on farms, the more I realize that those scenes are only part of the story. Behind every field, barn, and roadside view are people whose work, knowledge, and care keep these places alive.
For the 2026 Calhoun County Ag + Art Tour, I wanted to create something that celebrated each participating farm and property individually. I created a set of five paintings, each inspired by a different location on the tour.
Each print represents a different place, but together they tell a larger story about Calhoun County: its farms, its landscape, its hardworking agricultural community, and the generosity of the people who opened their gates and welcomed visitors during the tour.
A Collection Rooted in Place
Calhoun County holds a special place in my journey as an artist in South Carolina. One of my first events here was the Calhoun County Ag + Art Tour, which was also the county’s first year participating in the program. Since then, I have had the chance to return, reconnect with the organizers and community, and spend more time looking closely at the farms and landscapes that make this part of South Carolina so distinctive.
When I began this project, I did not want to create generic farm paintings. I wanted each piece to feel connected to a particular place, and I knew I wanted to paint every one of them plein air, on location. That meant paying attention to the things that make one property different from another: the color of a barn, the curve of a road, the shape of a field, the crops growing there, or the way a farm sits against the surrounding trees. The paintings became small visual records of the identity of each farm and location.
The Paintings
At Edisto Blueberry Farm, I was drawn to the rich greens of the growing fields, the texture of the blueberry rows, and the quiet structures nestled against the tree line. What may look at first like a peaceful farm scene is also a place shaped by constant attention, seasonal work, an intimate knowledge of the land, and the wonderful blueberries grown there.
Another painting features the winding drive, open pasture, fencing, and red-roofed buildings of Stabler Family Farm. I loved the way the road invites you into the scene. It feels like the beginning of a visit—an entry into a place with its own rhythm, history, and way of life.
The third painting is inspired by Oak Lane Farm, with its striking red barn set against the deeper greens of the surrounding woods. There is something timeless about a barn in a field, but painting it gave me the chance to look beyond the familiar image and appreciate the farm as a working place, shaped by people and purpose.
The Fourth painting from the Calhoun County Museum & Cultural Center acts as a vital anchor in the community; a place dedicated to preserving the local history, heritage, and stories that tie these rural landscapes together.
The final painting of Heyward Park captures the vibrant reflections of the tree line and bright sky across a quiet lily pond. I was drawn to the deep, shifting blues of the water and the delicate white blooms resting on the surface. While the farm scenes highlight the active work and purpose of the land, this scene offered a moment of peaceful stillness; a reminder of the natural, restorative beauty that sits just alongside our working landscapes.
Each painting began with time spent observing, and every one was painted right there on location. My goal was not to reproduce every detail exactly, but to capture something of the feeling of being there. These paintings are about the connection between people and the land they work, between the communities that invite us in, and between the landscapes, and everyday places we sometimes take for granted. The Ag + Art Tour gives visitors a chance to see farms not only as scenery, but as living, working places. It creates opportunities to meet farmers, learn about local products, support small businesses, and understand more about where our food comes from. As someone who paints these places, I feel very grateful to be welcomed into that experience. Creating this print set was my way of showing thanks, the only way I knew how.
Bringing Calhoun County Home
The Calhoun County Ag + Art Tour Print Set was created so that visitors, supporters, and people who love this part of South Carolina can bring a small piece of the tour home with them. Whether you visited these farms during the tour, have a personal connection to Calhoun County, or simply love rural South Carolina landscapes, I hope these prints offer a reminder of the beauty and importance of the agricultural places around us.
Most of all, I hope the collection honors the farmers, families, organizers, and community members who make the Calhoun County Ag + Art Tour possible.
Thank you for opening your land, sharing your stories, and allowing me to paint a small part of what makes Calhoun County so special.
~ Jules
The Glowing Gardens
Artfields 2026
ArtFields 2026
Title: The Glowing Gardens Size: 16 x 20 inches Oil on Canvas
This past month I had the privilege of competing in the ArtFields Plein Air Competition in Lake City, SC, a three-day event where painters work on-location and can return to develop the same piece over the course of those three days. The competition is part of the larger ArtFields Festival running April 10 through May 2 across downtown Lake City. I'm happy to share that I took home 3rd place, and I'm still a little shocked.
One of the highlights of this year's competition was something truly special. Darla Moore, the founder of ArtFields, opened up her private gardens for the painters to work in. I don't say this lightly: it is an absolutely stunning place. The kind of space that stops you mid-brushstroke because you realize you've been staring instead of painting. If you've never visited Lake City during ArtFields or heard of her gardens, it is well worth the drive! I'd go back just to visit them, let alone paint.
One of the most challenging and most important parts of plein air is choosing where to paint. So I knew even before I got there that I needed to find a good spot. I spent around an hour strolling through the gardens and was about to leave when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted it. This glowing, and I mean glowing, azalea bush. It was practically calling to be painted. I set up right there on the spot and didn't look back.
Those three days were a good reminder of why I do this. Plein air has a way of stripping everything down. You can't overthink it, you can't fix it later, and the light won't wait for you. Whatever ends up on the canvas is exactly what you brought to it that day. My painting ended up taking third place! I'm very proud of what came out of those sessions, and deeply grateful to have placed among so many talented painters.
Thank you so much, for following along. It truly means the world!
