Lewis, aka, Alice Broadwell Lewis is a noted regional painter hailing from South Carolina, best known for her diverse artistic talent. Her work includes summer vacation landscapes, commissioned portraits of grandchildren, and abstract pieces.
Lewis has noted the particular difficulty in achieving a compelling composition in abstract painting. Her technique, evident in the featured below painting, strikes a balance between careful planning and spontaneous, improvisational execution. She utilizes a variety of brushes to create sweeping gestural marks, incorporating subtle touches like small patches of antique gold and delicate gold lines, seemingly drawn with a fabric pen/marker, alongside other painted lines.
Lewis's passion for nature is strongly expressed in the massive abstract piece in our collection, which we've affectionately titled "Grand Prismatic Spring." This nickname references a series of Yellowstone-themed paintings Lewis created after a vacation trip, specifically nodding to the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park’s Midway Geyser Basin. The spring is famous for its striking colors—a deep blue center surrounded by rings of red-orange, yellow, and lime green, produced by thermophilic bacteria—and the characteristic white clouds of steam. These natural colors are echoed in the painting, complemented by colored squiggles and jagged lines that appear alongside brush strokes that sometimes fade away. The work suggests dynamic elements, featuring bubble dots rising to the surface and cloudy skies that seem on the verge of a storm.
Through her spontaneous process, Lewis incorporates recognizable imagery into the abstract composition; a horse is discernible on the lower right, and some observers perceive the outline of a fish in the upper left corner. She skillfully manipulates color theory, juxtaposing dark burgundies and hot reds with forest greens that transition into yellow. This artistic choice uses complementary colors to create a vivid visual effect, making the hues "pop" off the canvas.
In her latest work, "Shimmering Blue", Lewis merges landscape and abstraction, evoking the Impressionistic style of Claude Monet. This painting, which is illustrated below, features a luminous finish achieved through a durable, textured layering of mixed media, specifically acrylics, oils, and cold wax.
Lewis has noted the particular difficulty in achieving a compelling composition in abstract painting. Her technique, evident in the featured below painting, strikes a balance between careful planning and spontaneous, improvisational execution. She utilizes a variety of brushes to create sweeping gestural marks, incorporating subtle touches like small patches of antique gold and delicate gold lines, seemingly drawn with a fabric pen/marker, alongside other painted lines.
Lewis's passion for nature is strongly expressed in the massive abstract piece in our collection, which we've affectionately titled "Grand Prismatic Spring." This nickname references a series of Yellowstone-themed paintings Lewis created after a vacation trip, specifically nodding to the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park’s Midway Geyser Basin. The spring is famous for its striking colors—a deep blue center surrounded by rings of red-orange, yellow, and lime green, produced by thermophilic bacteria—and the characteristic white clouds of steam. These natural colors are echoed in the painting, complemented by colored squiggles and jagged lines that appear alongside brush strokes that sometimes fade away. The work suggests dynamic elements, featuring bubble dots rising to the surface and cloudy skies that seem on the verge of a storm.
Through her spontaneous process, Lewis incorporates recognizable imagery into the abstract composition; a horse is discernible on the lower right, and some observers perceive the outline of a fish in the upper left corner. She skillfully manipulates color theory, juxtaposing dark burgundies and hot reds with forest greens that transition into yellow. This artistic choice uses complementary colors to create a vivid visual effect, making the hues "pop" off the canvas.
“Grand Prismatic Spring”
Acrylic on Canvas, 48” X 48”
Signed LLC: Alice Lewis, 20
The painting's resemblance to the Grand Prismatic Spring, as shown in the aerial photograph below, is clear. The Spring functions as a natural abstract composition; if its colors were more intermingled, it would mirror the painting. Just as nature uses irregular lines, flame shapes and patches of color to create a composition, Lewis's work demonstrates that abstract art can effectively capture nature's essential qualities and essence.
"Grand Prismatic Spring"
Yellowstone National Park
Aerial Photo provided by the National Park Service
Lewis continues her abstract work, exemplified by the two newer pieces below. She maintains her signature style, featuring jagged lines that slice across the canvas and intersect with sharp, irregular shapes plunging in various directions. Her large-scale compositions evoke vast expanses, flashes of lightning, gestural richness and explosive energy. These abstractions are characterized by a vibrant, "drunk" use of color, aiming to generate a palpable sense of tensile energy. Her colors reach the soul.
"Shimmering Blue"
mixed media: acrylic, oils and cold wax
36" X 36"
Like Monet, who built up his paint and mixed colors directly on the canvas—resulting in close-up views that reveal abstract sections—Lewis employs similar techniques. However, Lewis modernizes the process. Her technique involves starting with an acrylic base before layering on oils mixed with cold wax, which she likens in consistency to "Baker's Crisco." This wax finish can be treated to achieve a matte, textured surface or polished to a high shine, depending on the desired effect. Lewis's artistic repertoire for this technique includes brushes, palette knives, and scrapers.
The captivating landscape surrounding Lake Greenwood serves as Lewis's primary site-specific muse for inspiration. She often uses the lake as a setting for her plein air studies, capturing its essence by focusing on the reflective light on the water.
Bio:
Lewis, originally from Calhoun Falls, SC, found inspiration in New York City while studying briefly at Parsons School of Design. She went on to earn a fine arts degree from Lander University in Greenwood, where she credits professors Gene Shirley and Robert Poe as significant influences, coaches, and mentors. Good professors stay with you for a lifetime.
Shirley encouraged Lewis toward abstraction, demonstrating techniques like pouring liquids and dyes onto canvas and controlling the paint with brooms, brushes, or fingers. He taught her to embrace and manage the "accidents" on the canvas and to enjoy the movement of color. Shirley once stated: “How far can you push it and still keep the composition where you want it? Don’t be afraid of art. Just jump into it.”
Lewis's style also echoes Robert Poe, who is famously quoted as saying, "every good abstract begins with a doodle."
For years, Lewis has been an active presence in the Greenwood art community. She has maintained a studio at the Arts Center of Greenwood, where she also served as an Artist-In-Residence, and previously had a studio at the Jon Holloway Gallery. Her colleagues frequently acknowledge her outstanding works with ribbons. She also actively participates in "Battle-of-the-Brushes," a fundraising event where teams compete for viewers' votes and bragging rights.
Beyond her fine art, Lewis is a designer and decorator, known as a great seamstress and for offering paintings tailored to complement a client's decor.
Shirley encouraged Lewis toward abstraction, demonstrating techniques like pouring liquids and dyes onto canvas and controlling the paint with brooms, brushes, or fingers. He taught her to embrace and manage the "accidents" on the canvas and to enjoy the movement of color. Shirley once stated: “How far can you push it and still keep the composition where you want it? Don’t be afraid of art. Just jump into it.”
Lewis's style also echoes Robert Poe, who is famously quoted as saying, "every good abstract begins with a doodle."
For years, Lewis has been an active presence in the Greenwood art community. She has maintained a studio at the Arts Center of Greenwood, where she also served as an Artist-In-Residence, and previously had a studio at the Jon Holloway Gallery. Her colleagues frequently acknowledge her outstanding works with ribbons. She also actively participates in "Battle-of-the-Brushes," a fundraising event where teams compete for viewers' votes and bragging rights.
Beyond her fine art, Lewis is a designer and decorator, known as a great seamstress and for offering paintings tailored to complement a client's decor.
References:
Main & Maxwell website, Listed Artists.
Carolina Arts, Shoestring Publishing Company, 511 Hildebrand Drive, Bonneau, SC 29431, November 2023.
Alice Broadwell Lewis is the October artist at Howard’s on Main, St. Claire Donaghy, Lakelands Connector, a paper of the Index-Journal Company, Sept. 30, 2018.
Paintings on view at Good Times, Mill House by retired professor working artist, Bob Poe, St. Claire Donaghy, Lakelands Connector, a paper of the Index-Journal Company, Dec. 2, 2023.
Arts Center: “Movement in Color” Celebrating 80 years with Greenwood artist Gene Shirley, St. Claire Donaghy, Lakelands Connector, a paper of the Index-Journal Company, Sept. 11, 2025.
Alice Broadwell Lewis Instagram Page.
Photos of artwork by Alice Lewis and Anthony Waller.
Alice Broadwell Lewis is the October artist at Howard’s on Main, St. Claire Donaghy, Lakelands Connector, a paper of the Index-Journal Company, Sept. 30, 2018.
Paintings on view at Good Times, Mill House by retired professor working artist, Bob Poe, St. Claire Donaghy, Lakelands Connector, a paper of the Index-Journal Company, Dec. 2, 2023.
Arts Center: “Movement in Color” Celebrating 80 years with Greenwood artist Gene Shirley, St. Claire Donaghy, Lakelands Connector, a paper of the Index-Journal Company, Sept. 11, 2025.
Alice Broadwell Lewis Instagram Page.
Photos of artwork by Alice Lewis and Anthony Waller.
Photo of Alice Lewis by Jennifer Smith, Gallery & Marketing Director, Arts Center of Greenwood.
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©2026. Waller-Yoblonsky Fine Art is a research collaborative, working to track artists that got lost and overlooked due to time, changing styles, race, gender and/or sexual orientation. Our frequent blogs highlight artists and art movements that need renewed attention with improved information for the researcher and art collectors. The blog was created by Mr. Waller and all written materials were obtained by the Fair Use Section 107, of The Copyright Act. #alicelewisartist, #alicebroadwelllewis, #greenwoodscarts, #alicelewisabstraction
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