Off the Wall and Onto the Stage (Jonathan Green)

The River, 1988 - Oil on Masonite, 24" x 36" - Jonathan Green
Jonathan Green Studios Collection

Young men are cooling off in a small marshland river near Gardens Corner, South Carolina. They are carrying balancing poles to prevent their losing their balance in the water. This particular river is behind the Huspah Baptist Church and all rivers behind churches where parishioners are baptized are often referred to as the River Jordan.

Youths on a White Horse, 1986 18" x 22" - Jonathan Green
Jonathan Green Studio Collection

When the chores were done at the end of the day, youths would often ride the local mule for recreation through the inland marshes. This is a particularly delightful painting as the reigns on the mule are not attached correctly on the halter, which would be typical of young riders who often improvised on how to do things.

Silent Swing, 2001 - Oil on Linen 11" x 14" - Jonathan Green
Jonathan Green Studio Collection

The majority of Jonathan Green's paintings reflect a sense of space, dignity and privacy. This is one of approximately twenty-five paintings reflecting the theme of women enjoying time on a swing. This particular painting was used by Jonathan when he was invited to Japan to reproduce the image of the painting in a relief work on colored tile to be presented for outdoor public display.

Gullah Wash , 1997 - Oil on Linen 18" x 24" - Jonathan Green
Collection of Katherine Boyer

On the rural inland marshlands of South Carolina, women took great pride on Monday's in seeing who could create the whitest wash. The clotheslines throughout the entire community looked like a sea of sheets. These memories of Jonathan Greens early years are often reflected in his paintings.

Fishing from the Shore, 1989 Acrylic on Masonite, 32" x 24" - Jonathan Green
Collection of Tim and Tanya Stamm

One of the great joys in rural South Carolina is being able to take a break during Sunday afternoons to fish with a bamboo pole from the shore. All fish that were caught were taken home for a dinner meal. The hats the young women are wearing are made from sweet grass that is also used in making baskets throughout the Carolinas.

Red Hat, 2002 - Oil on Canvas, 18" x 24" - Jonathan Green
Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Alexander

A pensive woman in a bright yellow dress walks through a windy, grassy field with a river in the distance. Dressed in her brightest and finest clothes, she is probably walking home from the Sunday worship service, pondering the message and communing with her inner light. The wind has caught her red hat and has blown it into the swaying grass. Lost in her own soul, the woman appears not to notice.

Two Baskets, 2000 - Oil on Linen, 16" x 20" - Jonathan Green
Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Lofgren

Two women face each other at work making sweetgrass baskets, the traditional basket of the Gullah people. The design and style of the baskets can be traced directly to the Gullah people's African heritage. Often the making of household goods such as baskets provided a chance for the women of the community - the mothers, daughters, sisters and grandmothers - to get together and share stories. It was also a time when skills were passed from one generation to the next.

Meadow Walk, 2002 - Oil on Canvas, 18" x 24" - Jonathan Green
Collection of Mr. Irving Lewis

A proud woman in her finest yellow dress walks through a meadow with her bright yellow hat in her hand. Brilliantly colored clothes were highly prized in traditional Gullah culture, especially among the young. With her steadfast posture and her self-assured expression she is possibly courting the attention of a suitor, or simply imagining doing so.

Yellow Performance, 2002 - Oil on Canvas, 18" x 24" - Jonathan Green
Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Vumbacco

On a "stage" set in a lush, grassy field, a woman in a brilliant yellow dress expresses her strong character in a moment of drama. With her hands on her hips, looking askance as her blue hat flies off of her head, it's easy to imagine from her expression that the next move could just as easily be laughter or tears.