Step Inside a Charleston Creative's Studio

Mark Kelvin Horton paints beyond the literal interpretation of a landscape.

It was Henri Matisse who said if he could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.

To those who rarely create art, it may seem as though the creation process is easy and comes without challenges.  But, for those who know that creating a work of art is rarely simple, that quote by Matisse will likely resonate.

For Mark Kelvin Horton of Charleston, the great outdoors is his studio, studying the effects of light and weather upon the landscape. He is drawn to skies and dramatic weather events, Lowcountry vistas depicting the changing colors of the marsh, coastal life, and architecture.

The mind of a creative genius is a strange and wonderful thing.  Great art has shaped culture and the human experience for centuries.

An artist I am not.  But I don’t mean I have an empty folder when it comes to selecting art for my books on our Southern food and lifestyle. I come with a depth of knowledge. Over the past 15 years of studying Mark Kelvin Horton, I have watched with great interest the evolution of his many soul-stirring works.

I have always been a morning person and like to log in a walk before I settle into my day of writing. I always have my cell phone with me but have no interest in listening to music or taking a phone call.  Instead, I like to snap a few photos along the way of things that often end up on my Instagram feed or substack. Often they have been inspired by Mark and his appreciation for the natural world around us. So when it came to selecting a cover piece for my seafood book, I picked up the phone and made a call to Mark. The result was more outstanding than anything I had envisioned.

Over the years, I have been intrigued with his interpretation of oystering in the Lowcountry. I remember the words of Paul Cezanne who said “A work of art which does not begin in emotion is not art.”  It was in Mark’s paintings of our Lowcountry watermen that I saw that emotion - the necessary element involved in the creation of real art.  

Paul Cezanne broadens the topic beyond just painting and includes all forms of creative genius.  If they all draw from the same well, it must be deep water made of intense feelings. One could take it a little further and classify creating art as a spiritual experience, as though there is a greater force doing the work.

This reminds me of what I once was told - an artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision.

In the case of Mark Kelvin Horton, the vision is heartfelt and clear.