Live Painting with Garden & Gun at SEWE
Rainbow Trout Halfway Finished | Garden & Gun, Charleston
Growing up in Charleston, February meant wandering downtown beneath that pale winter light — watching hunting dogs leap through the air in Marion Square and stepping into The Charleston Place to see the walls lined with sporting art.
The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition has always been woven into the fabric of the city. It shaped my understanding of Southern sporting heritage long before I ever imagined I would contribute to it.
This year, partnering with Garden & Gun to live paint during SEWE felt like coming full circle.
Talking While Live Painting | Garden & Gun, Charleston
Every painting I create is centered around evoking the heartbeat of the Southeast — its traditions, its land, its quiet beauty.
With this event focused on fly fishing and conservation, my mind drifted to the mountain streams of North Carolina where I hiked growing up. I remembered the clarity of the water, the shimmer beneath the surface, and the sudden flash of a rainbow trout breaking free.
The result was Chasing a Fly — a 30 x 24 inch oil painting capturing that fleeting instant when a trout rises to a perfectly cast line.
It is a moment that passes in a breath.
Oil painting allows me to hold it still.
Beginning the Background, Painting Around the Fly
Garden & Gun transformed the historic Old Charleston Jail into a luminous gathering space filled with warm afternoon light. There was something unexpectedly peaceful about painting there — sunlight washing across stone walls, conversation humming softly in the background.
Live painting has a rhythm entirely its own.
It allows collectors and guests to:
Witness the painting take shape in real time
Ask questions about process and inspiration
See how a fleeting idea becomes something lasting
At one point, a woman paused in front of the canvas and began telling me about learning to fly fish in Montana with her husband. She described falling in love with it so deeply that she once chose to fish in the snow instead of going rock climbing — simply because she couldn’t stay away from the river.
What began as a hobby became a shared language between them. That is what I hope my work honors — not just sport, but connection.
Painting in the Old Charleston Jail | Garden & Gun
As someone who grew up attending SEWE, painting at the event was deeply personal. Charleston has shaped my eye for light, for restraint, for heritage. But it has also shaped my commitment to excellence.
Live painting offers something rare for brands, private hosts, and corporate gatherings — an experience that unfolds in front of guests and becomes part of the event’s memory. The final painting serves as both artwork and artifact.
I am currently accepting:
Live painting partnerships for sporting, conservation, and heritage-driven events
Wildlife and sporting commissions
Legacy portrait commissions for individuals and families
Chasing a Fly remains available for acquisition.
For inquiries regarding this painting or future collaborations, I welcome direct conversation.
SEWE once inspired me as a boy walking through downtown Charleston. This year, it became part of my own story — and I look forward to painting many more
— Hampton
*For any purchase inquiries please reach out via my Contact page.
