Artist Nathan Durfee glad to have had his head 'in the 'Clouds'

Within the last couple of months, painter Nathan Durfee's works have made their way around town, and have been seen in Theatre 99, Charleston Magazine, Charleston City Paper, and last, but certainly not least, the Modernisme Gallery in West Ashley.

In fact, Modernisme is currently showcasing Durfee's collection of works titled 'Celebrations of Stems and Clouds' throughout the month.

Gallery owner Kristy Cifuentes says of Durfee: 'His recognizable style has made this young artist one of Charleston's fastest rising stars. Nathan's talent and endless imagination make him one of the most unique and sought-after artists in Charleston.'

Born in the small town of Bethel, Vt., Durfee says his artistic aspirations first showed themselves in the classroom. He's a self-described 'doodler.'

He attended the Savannah College of Art and Design to become a traditional portrait artist.

But as his current work boldly shows, Durfee's art took a unique, wholly personalized, direction, according to Cifuentes.

Of his own work, Durfee says, 'I thought I would be a traditional, realistic painter ... but then, if I'm able to create a reality, why do I need to have it adhere to the one we live in now?'

'His fanciful, often abstract, subjects share an organic connection with his informal, school-day sketching,' says Cifuentes.

Durfee explains that how he paints is more important than what he paints. There is a distinct correlation between his emotions and his brushstrokes, for example.

Cifuentes explains that Durfee likes to paint efficiently so that emotions and brushstrokes have less variance.

As a pre-painting mental warm-up, he likes to play chess, and during his painting sessions, likes to listen to lectures on philosophy, history or quantum physics.

'It is important to him that his painting (the verb, not the noun) stay as academic and sophisticated as possible,' says Cifuentes.

In addition to painting, Durfee works as a color specialist for the Ben Silver Corp. He is also a freelance illustrator.

His book 'Hello, My Name is Bernard' won an international award at the Associazione Culturale Teatrio in Italy.

To see Durfee's works, visit the Modernisme Gallery in the Avondale area of West Ashley through Nov. 17. For more information, call the gallery at 763-1551 or visit www.modernismegallery.com or www.nathandurfee.com.

Some of Durfee's works also will be part of a one-night-only event Kulture Klash 7 p.m. Saturday at 10 Storehouse Row at Noisette in the Old Navy Yard.

'Blue Sky'

Studio Open, located on Folly Beach, is displaying 'Glimpses of Blue Sky,' new paintings and painted tapestries by local artist and designer Nance Lee Sneddon.

Gallery owner Sherry Browne describes Sneddon's work as, 'stylized imagery of nature, full of texture, pattern and light. From large canvases, to wood, metal and paper, most of her work contains a narrative filled with archetypal symbols, and a weaving of Lowcountry images and dreams of travel. Her mixed-media work combines ... flat design with more abstract layerings of printing, acrylic brushwork, collage, oil stick, and some hand lacing and beading.'

In addition to many large works, the show will include Sneddon's 'Extra Tropical' series; a mixed-media collection of small square paintings made to use together as a large collage or to purchase individually.

The works in this series will also be available by order as reproductions. Sneddon's 'Glimpses of Blue Sky' will hang in the Studio Open gallery through the end of December.

For more information, visit the gallery at 106 West Hudson, Folly Beach, or call 588-2225.

Tinga Tinga

Spark Studios and Gallery will celebrate the last night of the exhibit titled 'Tinga Tinga' with a closing reception Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the gallery at 12 Hagood St.

Tinga Tinga is a style of painting specific to Tanzania, with bright colors and simple stylized characters and designs, most notably of jungle animals. Abidi Mohamedi and Rubbeya Juma are Tinga Tinga artists whose works have been on display at Spark Studios and Gallery.

This show is a fundraiser for the Tanzanian Education Foundation. TEF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the education and empowerment of the children in Tanzania.

Further information about TEF will be available at the reception or online at www.tanzanianeducationfoundation.org.

For more information about the 'Tinga Tinga' exhibit, contact gallery owner Daniel McSweeney at 817-1937.