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April Issue 2005

Hilton Head Art League on Hilton Head Island, SC, Offers Works by Kaytee Esser

The Hilton Head Art League is pleased to present a collection of paintings by the much sought-after local artist, Kaytee Esser, at the League Gallery in Pineland Station on Hilton Head Island, SC. The exhibition entitled, Sea Horses, will be on view from Apr. 12 through May 7, 2005.

Esser quotes Lyle Lovett to set the tone of her show:

"And if I had a boat I'd go out on the ocean, And if I had a pony I'd ride him in my boat" - Lyle Lovett.
 
"These lyrics reflect the body of my work," says Esser, "catching the action of life on the island, in oils and acrylics, of horses and boats."

Esser's style is contemporary and impressionistic using a blend of palette knife and brush to create imagery with texture and pure color. Her use of light and bright color is perfectly suited to the south's tropical climate.

Esser's work captures the rich character and personality of life. Her style may best described as light, bright, and fun, with a splash of the erotic. She paints live models in her studio and en plein air (outside) to capture the essence of her subjects, utilizing the mediums she feels will best represent them. Her paintings examine both the sensuality and richly varied texture of island relationships.

"I like to capture the interplay between line, light and color as they illuminate the spirit of my subjects not only as they relate to their surroundings, but each other," says Esser. Not content to restrict her work to solitary nude reflective studies, she takes on the more challenging subject of the fascinating interaction between animals and their humans.

Esser's zest for life carries over into her outdoor scenes. She has a feel for movement, freedom, and joyful celebration of life on the water, which she expresses in her paintings of boats, people, animals and the present day life of coastal South Carolina,Georgia and Florida.

Kaytee Esser was raised in Southeastern Pennsylvania, near Chadds Ford. She holds a BFA in Painting from Kutztown University, PA. Additional coursework includes offset press graphics, and CAD. She is an accomplished Archeological Illustrator with credentials from Temple University, the State of Delaware and the National Park Service in Utah. Esser has taught in public schools and colleges in and around North Carolina. She has also provided private instruction in watercolor, calligraphy and drawing.

Esser has also worked extensively in theater scenic design in Raleigh, NC, and Charleston, SC, community theaters. She has been active in the Raleigh Little Theater, Chowan State College Community Theater, and the Footlight Players in Charleston.

Esser and her husband Greg currently live and work on their boat in Hilton Head. She has received numerous awards in juried shows throughout the region. Esser is a member of the Hilton Head Artist League, the Portrait Society of America, and the American Society of Marine Artists. And, her work is shown regularly at the Hilton Head Art League Gallery, Pluff Mudd Gallery in Bluffton, SC, and the Spencer Art Gallery in Charleston.

For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings, call the gallery at 843-681-5060 or at (www.hiltonheadartleague.org).


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