Kandace Palmer
SOUTHERN PALETTE ART STUDIO
Paint Like Nobody’s Watching
story by KAREN SNYDER photos by PAUL NURNBERG
It surprised no one more than Kandace Palmer that she would one day become an artist. Yet, this relaxed and encouraging owner of Southern Palette Art Studio, known as Kandace Joy in the art world, is ready to welcome anyone who wants to be creative and have fun at her new studio location in Beaufort Town Center.
A native of upstate New York, Kandace jokes, “As a child, I always knew I really was meant to be a Southern Belle. It was a wrong that just had to be righted.” Having taken vacations to South Carolina during her childhood, it surprised Kandace that a bit of happenstance and a strong desire to escape cold, northern winters eventually landed her in Beaufort in October 2016.
“Though I’m thrilled to wake up here in paradise and see palm trees every morning, as a new resident, I realized I knew no one,” she says. Kandace made the move to Beaufort with her husband, Rob, who had taken a new job as a part of their plan to move south, and her two adult twin sons, Ray and Robby. “I was happy that we were here together as a family, but I realized I would need to be intentional about making new friends.” As luck would have it, she would not only find plenty of friends but would also discover her inner artist, too!
“Someone had suggested I go to a local ‘paint-and-sip’ event to meet other women. After checking it out, I was hesitant but went. I knew no one there, but the women I sat with were very friendly, and I enjoyed the painting experience.” Though Kandace had not painted on canvas before, the owner of the studio took notice of Kandace’s painting that evening and commented on her talent.
“I wasn’t sure if she was sincere or not, but I loved it so much that I continued to take classes at the studio, improve my painting skills, and became close friends with the studio owner.” Once again, happenstance came into play when the owner of Wine Your Art decided to move to Florida and asked Kandace if she would like to buy the studio.
“Everything about my life and arriving here in Beaufort was like a wonderful puzzle, with each piece being put into place when needed,” she admitted. “I purchased the studio in May 2018 — just eight months after attending that first class. I have now made more friends than I’ve ever imagined. It’s definitely a full-circle moment!”
Since then, Kandace has shared her joy of creating art by encouraging others to “paint like nobody’s watching.” She assures everyone who visits her studio that it is a “no judgment zone.” Kandace explains, “I want my guests to know that I’m right here beside them whenever they need me.” Southern Palette Art Studio offers both adult (ages 13+) and children’s (ages 1-12) classes, with the three-hour sessions held mostly in the evenings.
“The fact is that the studio is my social life now,” Kandace laughs, “and my customers are like family to me. So, I’m open when my clients need me to be.”
Before attending a “paint-and-sip” session, guests choose from an online gallery of 150 subjects to paint, many of them Lowcountry inspired images, such as sea turtles, ocean views, marsh sunsets, egrets, crabs, and more. Other images in the Southern Palette gallery include nature-inspired animals, insects, and flowers; people and places; and even abstract or seasonal/holiday themes.
What makes Southern Palette Art Studio stand out among the typical “paint-and-sip” experiences, says Kandace, is “everyone chooses what they wish to paint. Many studios require the guests to all paint the same image during their session together. At Southern Palette, everyone in attendance can paint something different.”
“My clients choose either based on the subject that inspires them or by difficulty level,” she explains. “But I discourage no one from selecting a painting that they perceive may be above their skills level. The painting’s subject matter should take priority, and I’ll be right in the studio to assist if needed.” Each painting is assigned a skills level of 1, 2, or 3, with three being the most difficult.
According to Kandace, there is no painting skill necessary. “Guests choose their art online, and I pre-sketch each design on the canvas prior to their session. They paint their backgrounds and add details based on the sketch. Paintings are layered, she explains, so you start with the farthest back subject (background) and work your way forward. You also work top to bottom to avoid getting paint on your hand then accidentally brushing it against your canvas during that process.”
Children are offered their own special gallery from which to choose, or for the youngest, explains Kandace, “You hand them some paint and brushes and let them create!”
Costs range from $20 for children under four years old, to $30 for children ages 5-12, to $50 for ages 13 and up. Couples or best-friend sessions also are available with special “paired” images to paint. And groups of up to 30 people can book “painting parties” in the studio.
“I have one group of women who I affectionately call ‘the peacocks’ that book sessions once a month. It’s their social outing, and they really have fun. They have their session catered and enjoy a full spread of food and drink while they’re here. In my opinion, there’s nothing better than art, friends, and full bellies!”
Kandace’s journey to becoming an unexpected studio owner wasn’t always an easy one. The pandemic resulted in her closing down her previous space in January 2021. “There was just too much uncertainty then. Like most small business owners, I had to decide how to keep my business going,” she says. “So, I created painting kits with detailed instructions and materials and delivered them to my customers’ homes. Everyone was shut inside anyway, so at least they got to create art. I told them they could call me anytime during the painting process.”
Once people were more comfortable moving about, Kandace also offered home-based sessions. “I traveled to people’s homes and vacation rentals in the Sea Islands and Hilton Head Island area, where small groups of women or a vacationing family would gather and enjoy a painting session together,” she explains. Southern Palette Art Studio still offers these on-site sessions when scheduled in advance.
For someone who began her career as a model in her youth, pursued a political science degree before deciding on a medical career (which, ultimately, she did not pursue once her twin babies arrived), Kandace feels being an artist in Beaufort was just meant to be!
“I never would have had the opportunity to pursue art or be a business owner when we lived back in Cato, New York. Life just had different plans for me,” she says. Excited about the recent opening of her studio at 2121 Boundary Street, Suite 100B, in Beaufort Town Center, Kandace says that she couldn’t have done it without the support of her family and the community volunteers who assisted her with getting her studio ready for its grand opening last month.
“I put out a request on Facebook asking if anyone was interested in helping me to get tasks done to open the studio. Whether it was people dropping food by the studio while we worked or ladies helping me to repaint chairs I had purchased from a closed restaurant, a dedicated group of volunteers were here helping me to succeed.”
In the future, Kandace said she hopes to expand her offerings beyond painting on canvas to include other media such as painted porch signs, stained glass, even scented soap making. As a hobby crafter, Kandace says, “There are so many things I’d like to learn myself and teach to others. I never take the gift of expressing myself through art for granted. I’m excited about what the future still holds.”
As far as what artist inspires her, Kandace says, “My favorite artist is the one that I’m teaching!” The irony of her long-ago effort to make new friends in a new town and now having a studio full of them is not lost on this hardworking studio owner. “I have plans to paint a sign at the studio that says: ‘At Southern Palette, customers become friends and friends become family’ as that’s exactly how I feel whenever I’m in the studio.”
To learn more about Southern Palette Art Studio, visit southernpaletteartstudio.com, browse the studio’s Facebook page for updates, or call (315) 409-5636 or (843) 441-8338.
