Philip Clayton will be the featured artist at Nelson Gallery for the month of May.
Clayton has a diverse and colorful background - much of which will be on display in his paintings and drawings at Nelson.
He grew up in this community, a son of a former World War II Air Force pilot and a highly creative mother. His dad, post-war, was an architect who helped restore many vintage buildings in and around Lexington - so drawing, pencils, paints and creativity was in his blood.
Early subjects included, naturally, planes and ships, but also nature (i.e. the power and visual effect of wind on sails). He studied an early book - Ernest Watson’s “Course in Pencil Sketching” - which honed his craft still more.
In time Clayton also became an Air Force pilot, and then a commercial pilot. He naturally traveled a lot and drew what he saw or encountered - especially scenes from Charleston, S.C., his home base.
Area residents can meet Clayton at the opening this Friday, May 2, from 5 to 7 p.m.
