South Carolina State Museum

Original silhouette illustrations from the new children’s book “The Lonely Shadow,” created by nationally-known silhouette artist Clay Rice, can now be seen at the South Carolina State Museum.

Using the elegant black and white silhouette tradition, Rice has blended it with a colorful world in a story of friendship between a lonely shadow and a little boy. 

Rice, a master silhouette artist, is a practitioner of an art form with a very long history.  Inspired by his grandfather, noted silhouette artist Carew Rice, Clay Rice began doing simple profile silhouettes in the early 1980s.  As he gained increasing notice and technical skill, Rice began creating complex Lowcountry landscapes, rich in detail.  For larger landscape pieces, Rice put aside his usual paper medium and turned to a welder’s plasma cutter and steel sheets to create impressive works of stainless steel art.  The demand has grown so large that there is now a two to three year waiting list for his work.

 

Twenty-three original illustrations from the book will be on display until March 7, 2010 alongside Rice’s large steel sculpture “Lowcountry Sunrise,” commissioned and acquired by the Museum in 2007.

Related Programs Rice will appear at the Museum Oct. 10 to sign copies of his book and create silhouette portraits of Museum guests.  Reservations are required for a portrait sitting and spaces are limited.  Click here for more information.

Watch the video below to learn more about "The Lonely Shadow" and artist Clay Rice.