Here is an upbeat behind the scenes video of the photo shoot and incidentally the hottest day in July. Several of my paintings provide a landscape for these moving pictures.

Finery Redefined: A Behind the Scenes look from Jonathan Balliet on Vimeo.

To see the article, “Finery Redefined” visit Charleston Magazine’s website.

The challenge: paint on the human figure a representation of an assigned painting. Here is a sample of the artwork. My model, Danielle Foxworth (in RED) is on the left. The painting action was based on the Joan Mitchell piece, “Untitled.”

Runway, music and whole lot of fun! The walls of the Gibbes rocked.

Pictures of the event here.

The Charleston City Paper published an article titled, “Local Artists and Poets Team Up for An Influential Exhibit.” Here is a paragraph from the article:

In her poem “Hand,” Katherine Williams writes, “Morning seeped in under the door as blue fog.” Kat Hastie says she could “imagine that fog filling the space.” Hastie took Williams’ book of poems home and read them in bed at night, searching for a poem she “could get [her] arms around visually.” Hastie wanted to approach the work conceptually, to respond to the structure, rhythm, movement, and beat of the poem. The process has taken her into “a new realm to how [she] approaches work,” giving her the freedom to work with different materials such as copper, gold leaf, found boards painted blue, and roofing materials. Using 38 15-by-11-inch canvases, Hastie says, “I wanted to make mine highly structured, to give the sense of opening a book.” Read more…

Charleston Scene produced a nicely done video from the opening reception. Everyone’s work looks fabulous, and I love the shot of mine work from above at minute 3:40.

“In this video, curators, Erin Glaze and Max Miller, explain the concept for this exhibition, where ten visual artists were paired with ten poets. This video also features a few pieces from each artist with excerpts from the poems they used for inspiration.” (Charleston Scene)

Contemporary Charleston 2010: Influence from charleston scene on Vimeo.

Thanks to the Charleston City Paper, Charleston Scene, and Charleston Today. We artists will take all the love we can get!

Eliza Ingle from CharlestonToday.net wrote a wonderful piece on how I drew inspiration from Katherine Williams’ poem titled, “A Painters Way Through Poetry.” Please take a moment to read it, for I love how she illustrates the connection between the painting and how I, as Ingle said, “considered the rhythm and activity of the poem and related the images to her composition.” Read more here…

Parts of the larger collage:

A Piccolo Spoleto Festival Exhibition

My work will be featured at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park as part of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival from May 20 – July 3, 2010.

I will also be giving an artist lecture on June 12 at 2pm along with Lynne Riding.

“Influence” is presented by the City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs, and it showcases several other artists including:

Jocelyn Châteauvert, Julio Cotto, Scott Debus, Sarah Haynes, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Hirona Matsuda, Max Miller, Timothy Pakron, and Lynne Riding.

The work is Influenced by the poetry of Carol Peters, Jonathan Sanchez, Bryan Penberthy, Katherine Williams, Dennis Ward Stiles, Paul Allen, Marcus Amaker, Morrow Dowdle, Carol Ann Davis, and Ellie Davis.

Curated by Erin Glaze and Max Miller.

Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Friday, 10am-6pm
Saturday & Sunday, 12pm-5pm

Festival Hours: Everyday, 10am-6pm
(May 20 – June 13, 2010)

I recently painted this 52″x18″ oil titled, Triumph for the RE:NUDE Art Show and Sale to benefit Charleston Planned Parenthood. To view it larger simply click the image. You will also find it in my Work Gallery.

The benefit will be on April 15, 2010 from 06:30 PM – 10:30 PM at 501 King St. Charleston, SC 29403.

50% of the proceeds will go to the local Health Center and the other 50% will go to the artists.

Beer and Wine will be served- 21 and over please.

CALL 843-628-4380 extension 6442 to purchase tickets in advance or click here.

Learn more and follow them on Facebook.

I am grateful to all of you who came out for my art reception at Bin 152. It was a wonderful show, and I don’t think we could have fit nary another soul in to the place – but it certainly made, what was otherwise a blustery evening, quite warm and cheery.

If you were not able to make it my work will be on display until April 1st. After that, it is on to another show in May, and I have much to do to keep in time.

I will be sure to post the details here, so please check back soon!

Bin 152 presents original art by:

Kat Hastie

Reception for the artist:
Tuesday February 9, 2010 @ 7pm
Gallery Show:
February 2010 – April 2010

Look forward to seeing you there!

Professional artist and painter, Kat Hastie talks about her recent series, Black and White, at the Art Institute in Charleston, South Carolina.