Betsy Jones McDonald

Betsy Jones McDonald was born in Columbus, Georgia and received her formal art training at Columbus State University in the late 1980’s.  She worked in Commercial arts painting signs and designing logos for businesses.  Upon moving to Columbia, South Carolina in the early 1990’s, Betsy established herself as a mural artist and painted many murals for homeowners as well as painting murals for schools.  A move to Cincinnati, Ohio in the year 2000 sparked an renewed interest in fine arts and she began working exclusively in oils on canvas and linen.  In 2003 Betsy moved back to South Carolina and began painting the magnificent Carolina Low Country.

 “I have always been fascinated by oils and love to use them in a playful way.  I want the viewer to feel the excitement that I feel while painting and I strive to convey this energy in my art.  I consider color and movement to be very important in a painting.”

Betsy is a member of the American Society of Marine Artists, the Seacoast Artists Guild and the Georgetown County Cultural Council.  She is also an instructor, teaching regular workshops on color in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.    Betsy’s paintings have won awards and been exhibited in Galleries and solo shows throughout the Southeast.  Betsy now owns her own Gallery in Pawleys Island, South Carolina.  She can be found in and around the gallery painting the beautiful endless supply of subject matter that the South Carolina Coastline so graciously offers.

You may see more of Betsy's work at her website: http://betsymcdonaldart.com/

Jim Nelson

Jim Nelson was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. Jim studied graphic design and composition at Elsie Frank’s School of Art in Tampa, Florida. Later Jim furthered his education in Architectural Drafting at the University of Miami.
After many years of designing and building custom homes, Jim returned to his love of drawing. He creates original art using watercolor, colored pencil and pen and ink. His main interest and skill, however, has been in the art of scratchboard.

Scratchboard is a challenging medium in which the artist creates intricate designs in black and white. The art board itself is composed of a hard board coated with white porcelain clay. The entire board is then covered with a thin layer of black India ink. Using a sharp-pointed instrument to remove the ink from the surface, the artist reveals the distinctive designs in the white clay below. This technique requires careful planning, and leaves no room for errors.
Because of the fine lines created by the instrument, details such as hair, feathers, and other textures enable Jim’s creatures to come alive.

Islandartgallery@gmail.com

Island Art Gallery

10744M Ocean Highway

Pawleys Island, South Carolina 29585