From the desk of Artistic Amanda…

My 3-day trip to the Lowcountry can be summed up by blue skies, good eats, and an outsider’s view on the inside art scene. Charleston art: the city breathes it. Inspiration can be found everywhere – from the brilliant colors of Rainbow Row to the delicate presentation of a 3-course Prix Fixe meal at McCrady’s. As a visual artist and graphic designer though, what really caught my eye was the ornate wrought iron gate-work proudly displayed on the faces of homes & offices alike.

The oldest remaining ironwork in the city dates to the Revolutionary War period, although ironwork balconies appeared on Charleston houses as early as 1739. This early iron is wrought iron; iron which has been molded and pounded into shape by a blacksmith using a forge, anvil and hammer. Wrought ironwork of the 18th and 19th centuries features scrolls, fleur-de-lis, leaf and flower patterns, spears and wiggletails. Philip Simmons, Charleston’s best known blacksmith, has continued this time-honored craft and has created some of the city’s most treasured pieces.

“My musical instrument is an anvil. I guess some of you have heard me play…a tune on the anvil, the old blacksmith tune…I’m proud of that anvil, really proud…It’s very dear to my heart…That anvil fed me when I was hungry and that anvil clothed me when I was naked. That anvil put shoes on my feet.” – Philip Simmons

With the Carolina city so rich in color, culture and creativity, it’s no wonder Charleston is becoming a hot spot for artists of every medium, including culinary masterminds and fashion moguls.