Harrison Blazes Trail from Greenville to Marietta

April Harrison isn’t your typical struggling artist; she worked a professional career for 25-years in another industry, developed her craft in the arts for several more years and was eventually solicited by a gallery owner to begin her professional career—all without any formal training.

Harrison, born and raised in Greenville, SC, was exposed to the arts in a rather unique way early on. She says her father would create original coloring books, freehand sketching characters on paper, and then give them to her and her siblings. As well, her mother worked in ceramics on the side while maintaining a full-time job.

Even with the creative influences within her home Harrison says she grew up with the understanding that art was a good thing to do but, “it wasn’t considered a viable career.” She says, in her community, in those days especially, people didn’t have the same exposure to art they have today.

Her love and passion for art didn’t exist until she went off to school studying nursing at Greenville Technical College. Her voice softens as she admits to trying to ‘impress a boy’ by attempting to sketch him freehanded as her father had done so many years ago.

“I was surprised; it really was a beautiful pencil sketch,” she says. “My parents told us we’ve always had artists in our family tree but it always skipped a generation too.”

From a simple interest in a college boy, a love affair began with art as Harrison began sketching family and friends in an effort to satisfy her newfound passion. However, she stayed true to her goals, never veering from her career path. Harrison says she received her nursing degree, became a nurse, got married and started a family—all the traditional things one would expect of a non-artisan.

After working five years in the nursing field, she left to work as an insurance reviewer where she stayed for 25-years. Throughout this time she continued drawing until one day she created what she calls her ‘stationary series’ Bloodlines. Bloodlines was comprised of five different images of family with a collective message of spreading love. Harrison found her series to be popular with the locals.

But in 1991, things took an unexpected turn for the worse. With her grandmother on her death bed, Harrison says she received a call in the night to learn that her mother had passed away in her sleep. Only a couple short months later her grandmother passed too; as well as her uncle and brother-in-law.

Harrison describes that time in her life as “a tough year” explaining how she found solace in painting. Without any lessons or training, formal or otherwise, she picked up a brush and oil paint and began working the canvas. Though she admits her work has advanced by leaps and bounds, she says many people praised her work from that period as it reflected the pain and suffering she was going through at the time.

“Art has a way of transporting you away mentally and brings you peace,” she describes. “That’s what it did for me at a time when I most needed it.”

After coming through the fire, Harrison says she went through her ‘discovery’ phase from 1991 to 1997, learning about herself and what drew her into the craft. She changed from oils to acrylics, began to repurpose items and found interest in creating unique textures for her collages and mixed media work.

Harrison admits to being thrifty with her creations repurposing bottle caps, sand, salt or little things of interest she might find along her daily walk at the trail. She argues artists can spend hundreds of dollars in material for things they can find for free, if only they use a little ingenuity.

“You can be more creative when you have less money than with more because you literally have to use your imagination when you can’t afford the good stuff,” she says.

At a local arts and crafts show in 1997, Harrison was approached by the owner of a new gallery, Native Tongue, opening in Greenville. They saw her Bloodlines series and wanted to display some of her other work in their gallery. She agreed. With nothing pre-prepared, Harrison went to work creating 20 originals in three months time where she went on to become one of the gallery’s featured artist.

In cultivating her craft, figures in Harrison’s work often have their eyes closed and are embracing one another. She explains: it’s because our eyes won’t allow us to approach something physically unattractive, but if you close your eyes thereby using your other senses you eliminate the bias. She also says she “walks by faith and not by site,” a reference to the Bible.

As for her figures embracing, she says in today’s world we are experiencing a lack of the human touch, with advances in technology, and relationships are suffering as a result. She describes her work as promoting love and kindred spirits as we all exist under the sun.

Her career further advanced after meeting artist Kevin ‘Wak’ Williams who introduced her to E & S Gallery, in Louisville, KY, where her work was displayed. Around 2005, he introduced her to the owners of . She says Avisca was a strong supporter from day one.

“I’m loyal to them (Avisca) because they promote you, educate people on you and your work, expose you to their clients and get you exposed to different media,” she shares. “I’ve tried the other side too where agents are only interested in the money, and this works so much better for me.”

Harrison says she is still a work in progress, learning more about the craft along the way. She aspires to be the female version of Charles Bibbs, who crafted a successful career and the adoration of millions through his artistic work, vision and talents.

To learn more of April Harrison’s work visit or contact her at leapinlocs@yahoo.com; 864.363.3073. 

*Note from the writer: The column as we know it has come to an end. Thank you to the dozens of readers offering their support, praise and encouragement along the way.