Wildflower Art

On Saturday, two friends and I attended the first of three lectures on The Reign of Rice at Brookgreen Gardens.

The Reign of Rice series explore the Gullah Geechee heritage as it related to the production of rice on SC plantations.

After the lecture, we walked the paths  and  saw camellias starting to bloom and large swaths of daffodils growing.

Brookgreen is a combination of amazing sculptures, live oaks dripping with moss, incredible assortment of plants, and miles of walking paths.

We visit regularly to get our exercise, but also to see what has changed since the last visit. The gardens cover 9,100 acres so there are always noticeable differences, and they have an unlimited supply of talented artists on display.

This past week we saw the unbelievable exhibit of wildlife art by Trailer McQuilkin. You’ve heard the expression, ooh and aah, well that is exactly what we did as we walked around this exhibit. My photos taken through glass do not do his work justice so check out his website for better shots.

Mr. McQuilkin lives and works in Mississippi. His wildflower sculptures are unique, beautiful, and so realistic it is hard to understand how he creates them out of copper.

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Sheet copper, copper wire, metal primer, oil paints, and natural materials are all part of the tool kit he uses to creates these magnificent pieces of art. Each piece takes from two to five months from start to finish.

They are so far out of my budget, it makes me smile. But, I am extremely grateful that Brookgreen Gardens offers us an opportunity see art of this quality. Happy Monday.

Planning to be in the Myrtle Beach area? Brookgreen Gardens is located at 1931 Brookgreen Drive, Murrells Inlet, SC, 29576, off US Highway 17 Bypass, between Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island. Tickets are free for children under 4, $8 for children 4-12, $16 for adults 13-64, and $14 for seniors 65 and over.