Drue McGarty

Drue McGarty is a realist oil painter whose work is inspired by the quiet elegance of seventeenth-century Dutch still life painters while remaining firmly rooted in contemporary Southern life. She creates luminous, richly detailed paintings that celebrate the simple pleasures of the everyday. Her paintings often feature flowers from her Charleston garden, local birds, and Lowcountry-inspired still life vignettes. Poppies and hydrangeas appear frequently in her work, each carrying personal meaning. Poppies connect her to her childhood in California and symbolize the passage of time, while hydrangeas, abundant in her garden, represent the beauty of the present moment.

Between psychology degrees, Drue studied design and fine art at the Savannah College of Art and Design where she strengthened the technical foundation that continues to inform her work today. After transitioning to painting professionally, she quickly established herself and is represented by galleries in the Southeast and her paintings have been recognized through national juried exhibitions as well as regional and national awards.