The Ladies of Darlington
Three Darlington artists were in the spotlight Thursday night at the opening reception of Ladies of Darlington, an exhibit of their artwork at the Black Creek Arts Center on College Avenue in Hartsville.
The three award-winning artists featured in Ladies of Darlington Exhibit are Suzanne Muldrow, Sarah Jaillette and Anne Baldwin. The exhibit will hang in the Jean and Jim Fort Gallery at Black Creek until Feb. 24 and may be viewed during regular hours. The gallery is located at 116 W. College Ave.
Photographer Suzanne Muldrow said she has been seriously pursuing her photography hobby for the last six years.
“It is my passion,” said. Muldrow, a retired teacher who moved to Darlington in 1973. Hartsville is her hometown.
A self-taught artist, Muldrow says she likes to think of herself as an artist who paints with a camera and a computer.
“I like to make them look more like paintings,” Muldrow said.
Muldrow has had her work showcased in other exhibits at Black Creek, and she participated in the December Christmas Shoppe.
Sarah Jaillette paints primarily in oils.
Jaillette says she can't remember when she was not drawing. Her earliest memories are of drawing horses, people and animals.
“I’ve been an artist all my life,” Jaillette said. “I started painting in my early 20s.”
Jaillette said she took time from her talent to raise a family and “get a real job.”
“I didn’t do anything for about 25 years,” she said.
The Darlington native and owner of Birds of a Feather said she likes to draw and paint people and animals in a realistic manner, but she prefers her landscapes to be more abstract.
Jaillette’s paintings show her fascination with the sky and the colors in nature.
Anne Baldwin is most excited by her photography, but she also paints watercolors.
Baldwin’s photography has given her new eyes for the beauty of nature which is her main focus.
“When I retired from being a school counselor, I started photography,” Baldwin said. “I started nine years ago and started painting about the same time.”
Baldwin said photography is her way of looking at God’s world. She said that the inspiration for her paintings comes from her photographs, and photography gives her peace and is a form of worship.
“Nature photography is my passion,” Baldwin said.
She said photography is almost like an out-of-body experience. Baldwin said she doesn’t feel the cold air around her, hunger or a sense of getting tired when she is outside photographing what she sees.
“When I pick up my Nikon I feel an excitement and a yearning that drives me,” she said.
For additional information the exhibit or Black Creek Arts Council, contact Allison Pederson, executive director Black Creek Arts Council, at 332-6234 or bartscounc@aol.com.
The mission of Black Creek Arts Council is to promote and foster the Arts in Darlington County. BCAC’s offices are housed in a state of the art 10,000 square foot facility at 116 West College Ave. in Hartsville. BCAC offers a variety of programs including art classes of all styles, after-school activities, pre-school aged programs, private music lessons, and various types of gallery exhibits. BCAC also offers assistance with arts management, funding, education, and program coordination to arts and cultural organizations in Darlington County.
Pee Dee Arts was founded in the Summer of 2011 through a unique partnership between the Florence Regional Arts Alliance, the Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau and Pee Dee Tourism. Pee Dee Arts’ primary focuses are to promote the arts and cultural activities of the Pee Dee Region and facilitate growth in the region’s arts organizations. Pee Dee Arts is committed to inclusive and innovative service to the Pee Dee region, which it defines as the following counties: Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Lee, Marion, Marlboro and Williamsburg.
