This March, Art League of Hilton Head will present Secret Gardens of the Low Country, a lush and immersive exhibit featuring paintings in acrylic paint, charcoal, watercolor and mixed media by acclaimed artist Judy Blahut. The exhibit will be on view March 3 through April 3 at Art League Gallery, with an opening reception on Wednesday, March 4, from 5–7 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.
Inspired by the layered beauty of the Lowcountry landscape, Blahut’s work invites viewers into intimate garden spaces both cultivated and wild, where color, movement, and light intertwine. Drawing influence from artists such as Henri Matisse and Georgia O’Keeffe, Blahut’s paintings balance expressive color with fractured forms, distilling nature to its essential forms and emotional resonance.
To help viewers better understand her work, Blahut is holding an in-depth artist talk on Wednesday, March 11, 10:30-11:30am, and an artist demo on Wednesday, March 18, 10:30-11:30am. Both events are free and open to the public.
“I want to draw the viewer to the incredible flora that is everywhere on our island. Everything from a home garden to the maritime forest and the seaside dunes,” says Blahut. “I love the tangled mess that happens in the understory of a planted environment. My paintings are about the movement of the plants and the way that light ignites the colors. I believe it is a life skill to see the beauty in the mess.”
Formally trained with a BFA from Syracuse University, Blahut has been painting nearly her entire life. Though her subject matter has evolved over the years, her distinctive style remains constant—an expressive visual language shaped by observation, emotion, and a lifelong devotion to painting.
