Angel Oak

11” x 14” watercolor painting of the Angel Oak was created for my client as a gift to her cousin on her 40th Birthday.

The Angel Oak is an iconic image of the South. It is thought to be one of the oldest living trees in the country and has come to symbolize Charleston, South Carolina even though it is actually on Johns Island, SC. Its gnarled trunk and spreading branches seem to say – “Yes, I have been through a great deal and yet I am still standing ….and thriving for that matter” – A good thought for those of us turning 40.

Summertime Splash!

This 11" x 14" watercolor was commissioned by my client as a gift for her good friend! This was a fun painting to work on as it is a bit of different take on my usual pet portrait. It is a nice balance between a seascape and portrait. Horton looks as if he is right in his element!

Baby Animals

Our first child, William was born this past March and I spent the good part of last year browsing decorating sites for nursery ideas. I found that African mammals seem to have cornered the market….they dominate the nursery scene. However, I doubt very seriously that William will come in contact with too many monkeys and giraffes any time soon. I thought why not showcase a collection of southeastern baby animals that he will actually see in real life.

My searches provided further inspiration when I found a featured nursery that had photographs of baby animals arranged in what I like to call "yearbook" style. I thought that this style would work well in our quirky nursery space.

Here is a progression of the little Owl .. I started with a pencil sketch from a picture of a baby owl and then built up his ruffled feathers in watercolor…Those yellow eyes really pop due to the contrast!

I admit that this project of mine was not an original idea but I liked it for your nursery and I enjoyed painting them.  I chose to include our own native friends; coyote, barn owl, lamb, duck, fox  and bobcat. I also threw in a hedgehog for fun. I have done many others. A wren, chicken, goat, horse, pig and the list goes on... If you have a particular animal you would like or a group - just let me know. I would love to add to the collection.

Individual Prints are available at my shop: http://meredithgillespie.com/shop/

Here is a photo of the finished nursery.