Mount Pleasant Magazine July/August 2017

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feature
– designing the official
2017 Piccolo Spoleto
poster.
“They wanted
quintessential
Charleston charm,”
he said. “Something
tourism-friendly. They
set the parameters.”
The poster, titled
“Music Lessons,” is not
actually a painting but
a digital production
that began as a
photograph. Chitwood
said it scarcely
resembles the original
photo after cropping,
color tweaking
and substantially
manipulating the
elements. A lifelong
lover of intricate
details, he also
embellished the image
with mice, birds,
a lizard and even a
captivating pair of
youthful eyes gazing
out from the blinds on
the house – the eyes
of his own daughter,
Katie. His passion for
such intricacies in art
came from a couple
of his key influences:
a famous Dutch
printmaker named
M.C. Escher and Bev
Doolittle, an American
watercolor artist known for painting
animals and landscapes.
“My parents did a good job of
exposing me to the arts,” he said. “I
think my mother may have bought
some prints of M.C. Escher for my
room as a child. I was always amazed
at the detail, the surrealism and play
on space and perspective. And the
Doolittle influence comes directly
from my Aunt Martha and Uncle
Gene. They lived in
Atlanta while I was at
UGA, and they were
my home away from
home.”
Chitwood
pointed out that
his mother, who
is an artist herself,
continues to paint
more than ever and
that he “would love to
get back to it as well.”
For now, though, he’s
enjoying the positive
response to the
Piccolo poster and to
his other work that
was displayed at the
Gaillard Auditorium
throughout the
festival.
Despite all of
his commercial
success over the
years, Chitwood is
somewhat reserved
about his ability to
bring about great
emotion in others
with his work. He
said he “lacks the
artistic temperament.”
“I’m good at art
visually, and I have
the ability, but I’m
not that deep,” he
quipped. “I believe
that what we call
great art provides
some kind of social commentary,
is inspiring and affects people
emotionally.”
I couldn’t help but point out that
some of Chitwood’s hidden details
probably have affected his viewers
emotionally. Besides, how would he
know without asking – which he said
he never did?
“If that’s true, then I’m honored,”
he said, beaming.
“Music Lessons”
2700 North Hwy 17
Mount Pleasant, SC 29466
at Brickyard Plantation
(843) 606-2715
Monday-Thursday 10-6
Friday-Saturday 10-5
Remember, it
doesn’t have
to be new
to be awesome!
WWW.BESTOFMP .COM