Artist:
Chapin Art Trail
A Community Art Project
Purple Martin Sunsets 1
Gail Stephans
Installed September 2021
Artist's Statement
There is a magic to the sunrises and sunsets that make life at Lake Murray so special. The annual influx and exodus of the Purple Martins from South America is especially riveting. Our summers with friends and family are marked by a number of boat trips to Bomb Island to experience this miraculous migration. I take lots of photographs and then back in my studio interpret the experience in paint. As both an artist and a designer, I love putting experiences and sensations into a painting to create an emotionally infused piece of art for others to enjoy.
About the Artwork
Purple Martin Sunsets #1 is a 4 foot tall artistic trail marker with a flat top. The metal form was created by Steven Reed and Shelly Fugua. The artistry on the marker was done by Gail Stephens.
Installed September 2021
About the Artist
Gail Stephens moved to the Columbia area two years ago to be with family. She has had some formal training in watercolor and enjoys exploring all mediums to express ideas. In college she studied architecture. Currently working in acrylics, and not afraid to try anything, she has accumulated a collection that utilizes the pallet knife for a specific look.
She enjoys interior design with her daughter Emily at Tanner and Company and doing “custom art” to capture the right composition and colors for completing a room.
Scavenger Hunt Clue:
A Partnership Project by the Crooked Creek Art League and the Town of Chapin
This organization is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support in this grant comes from the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of The Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina.
This project was supported by a Connected Communities grant from Central Carolina Community Foundation.
