Betty Anglin Smith and her triplets capture the beauty of the Lowcountry through art and photography.
Sunny Fields – Oil – 36 x 36 inches
Get ready for an evening celebrating the artistry of Lowcountry legend Betty Anglin Smith and her triplets— Shannon, Jennifer and Tripp. This talented family shares a deep connection to their surroundings, often weaving the essence of the Lowcountry into their work.
The Red Piano Art Gallery in Bluffton will host an artists’ reception for the artistic family from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 25.
Betty has spent the past 40 years living and painting in the Charleston area, where she owns Anglin Smith Fine Art. Her work is deeply rooted in her reverence for and spiritual connection to the natural landscape. Having spent the past decade living along the coastal marshlands and tidal sounds, her focus has been capturing the raw beauty of these elements.
Her subjects include meandering waterways, maritime forests, expansive marsh vistas and dramatic skies. Through expressionistic brushwork and bold use of color, she conveys the power, peace and emotion that these scenes evoke. Smith’s work has been featured in galleries across the nation, from New York to San Francisco, and her exhibitions have appeared at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston and the Columbia Museum of Art. Her collectors include corporations like Walt Disney World, IBM and Johnson & Johnson.
When asked about her children following in her footsteps as artists, Smith called it serendipitous.
“I would have never imagined it,” she said. “When I started painting, they grew up in a studio because I’ve always had one at home. I began painting seriously when they started first grade. I had such a dream; I’d never had that before with three babies. So I set up a studio in a spare bedroom, and they always had access to art materials.”
The Smith triplets each forged their own creative path. Jennifer Smith Rogers, who studied architecture at Clemson University, often paints the contrast between buildings and bright skies. Shannon Smith Hughes, also working in oils, focuses on capturing light in her work, while Tripp Smith turns his lens to the landscapes of the Lowcountry through photography.
Though the exhibition won’t have a set theme — the artists plan to present pieces that resonate with them at the moment — there likely will be a lot of local subject matter.
“Tripp has always been into photography,” Betty said. “All of his work focuses on the natural landscape. While I primarily do landscapes, Shannon and Jennifer are more diverse in their painting. Shannon enjoys still life, figurative work and capturing everyday scenes — like chefs, kitchens, or people at bars. Jennifer, who began her studies in architecture at Clemson before transitioning to fine arts, often paints the old beach architecture of Sullivan’s or Edisto, as well as historic downtown homes. She especially loves rooftops, cityscapes and church steeples with red roofs. So it will be a diverse show, but all centered on local themes.”