The Glowing Gardens
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!
