Spartanburg artist Skye Winter hopes to inspire “wonder and appreciation for life’s simple marvels” in her upcoming exhibition of her photography and acrylic paintings, “Visual Echoes: From Lens to Canvas,” set for July 30 through Aug. 24 in Gallery II of the Artists Collective | Spartanburg.
An artist’s reception is planned for Thursday, Aug. 15, as part of Spartanburg ArtWalk.
“In this exhibit, I want to give a sense of interconnectedness and artistic exploration between photography and painting,” says Winter. “These are photographs of beautiful moments in time and their colorful interpretations through acrylic painting. Combining these artistic pursuits is a recent and exciting journey for me.”
Visitors to the exhibition should experience “a harmonious blend and creative interaction between photography and painting,” she explains. “I capture the beauty of my surroundings through photography and then bring those scenes to life with vibrant colors on canvas. Photography is my form of meditation, while painting lets my whimsical side shine. I aim to inspire serenity and evoke joy.
“Appreciating the beauty of my environment lifts my spirits and deepens my connection to nature,” says the artist, who uses her cell phone exclusively for her photographs, noting that this convenience “encourages spontaneous inspiration.”
Winter, the daughter of the late renowned Caribbean artist Eric Winter, grew up in an “artistic household, surrounded by my father’s masterful artwork on our walls and encouraged to create from a very young age.” A native of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Winter moved to Florida in 2006 and to Spartanburg in October of last year with her fiance, Michael.
Winter’s work has adorned galleries across Florida and in prestigious publications. She began showing her artwork in late 2022 during her first solo photography exhibit at a gallery in central Florida. In 2023, she had work in 14 art gallery shows in central Florida.
“I am excited and grateful to the Artists Collective | Spartanburg for the opportunity to share my work with visitors,” says Winter, who joined the organization last November. “Since relocating to Spartanburg, I’ve felt a strong sense of belonging, largely due to the warm reception from the talented members and engaging events at ACS.”
The 18 works on display, many of them newly created for this exhibition, will be available for purchase, with prices ranging from $35 to $500.