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Lynn Payne Art in the media.
Raised by parents who appreciated the beauty of art and who pursued avenues of creating it, Lynn set her early career sights on becoming a fashion illustrator in the 1970s. However, after completing studies at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, fashion illustrations in ads had been replaced by photographed models. The skills
she'd acquired were put to good use, though, as she returned to her hometown of Charleston to do pen and ink freelance. "I worked for local advertising firms, did house portraits, and did a smattering of fashion work," she says.
When she and her husband, Steve - a musician and photographer - established their home, it was designed to double as an art gallery where she hosts open houses.
Through the years, she has submerged herself in improving her craft, from still lifes to portrait pieces. It is perhaps her whimsical take on traditional subjects that makes her pieces unique.
Lynn's diverse work, which includes greeting cards, printed dish towels, and coasters, is sold directly or available at venues including Tamarack in Beckley and Eggplant gift boutique and Capitol Market in Charleston. Her work is also included in private collections throughout the country. Through all mediums, Lynn strives to uplift others to inspire and instill joy. Her next artistic venture is delving into marbling. "Art is a full-time dream that you evolve as you go," she says.
lynnpayneart.com, @lynnpayneart on Facebook and Instagram
written by JULIE PERINE
photos courtesy of LYNNE PAYNE
The Full-Time Dream
Charleston artist Lynn Payne brings her vision to life on
canvas.
LYNN PAYNE HAS REPEATEDLY PAINTED THE VIEW outside her den window.
Each time, it offers something new. "We have a lot of wildlife, and the foliage on the trees, as well as the light that hits trees, is ever-changing," she says.
"I've been painting that same view for a couple of years in the fall, winter, spring, and summer."
Whether she's painting in oils or watercolors, Lynn is fulfilling a need to create and to feel alive, a need that has been nurtured since she was a young child scribbling on the walls and a student doodling in her books. She vividly remembers her very first work of art.
was a young child scribbling on the walls and a student doodling in her books. She vividly remembers her very first work of art. "It was the typical kid painting with a figure, a house, and the sun in the corner," she says. "My mother put it in a frame, and it hung in our den for several years."
