Live Oak at The Bend ~ An iconic location South of Broad, Charleston!
Lasting impressions of times and places come from hearing or seeing something that is remarkable. Something so unusual that it sears into your memory and evokes an immediate emotion upon recollection. As I wandered around South of Broad in Charleston I turned onto church street and discovered this charming, historic neighborhood known as The Bend.
Live Oak at The Bend by William R. Beebe, 20 x 30, Oil on board, $7200
It left a lasting impression on me and inspired this painting entitled Live Oak at The Bend. I loved the way the large Live Oak dominated the scene, leaning over the paved brick road. On a sunny day light filters through the shapely tree, highlighting the classic southern architecture.
Live Oak at The Bend detail shot.
Live Oak at The Bend detail shot.
The road curves slightly uphill and leads to Whitepoint Gardens just around the bend. It is a quiet, peaceful part of downtown Charleston, with no parked cars and very light foot traffic.
As I worked on this painting I thought I’d do a little research to see if other artists have painted it. I always like to discover and paint scenes independently, as if I were the first artist to stumble across a hidden gem. That is usually not the case given that I like to paint iconic scenes.
Sure enough The Bend has been painted by many others. Notably, the famous Charleston Renaissance artist Alfred Hutty (early 20th Century American Impressionist) painted “The Bend” in watercolor and the painting became quite well-known.
Confirmation of a worthy subject is always nice. When I mentioned what I was working on to a good friend and collector of my work, who had lived on Rainbow Row, he perked up and said The Bend is “the best neighborhood in Charleston”.
The painting is 20” x 30” oil on board. I worked hard to try and capture an Impressionist feel without compromising too much detail. Lighting was also an important part of this painting.
Live Oaks can be seen all around the Lowcountry, as they are protected from development. Like the architecture itself in Charleston, the trees can be hundreds of years old!
The paved brick road is also historic going all the way back to the 1700’s.
I loved painting this scene. It took me awhile to complete as I worked on it in-between commissioned paintings. Now that it is finished I’m anxious to discover another “hidden gem” in Charleston. It shouldn’t be hard!
Thank you for reading my journal and for your interest in my artwork. If you’d like to leave a comment below I would love to hear from you. Please check back soon to find out what’s next on my easel.
“One of the joys of being an artist is having the freedom to follow my passion….”
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Drawing by William R. Beebe