JD CLARK

JD Clark (often styled J.D. Clark or JDC) is a Sullivan’s Island-based artist in the Charleston area. He grew up in the lake country of the north central Midwest and Great Lakes region. After a 35-year corporate career, he retired in 2013 and launched his full artistic practice around 2017. He began by making and selling art on the streets of Charleston, then started vending directly at the Charleston City Market in 2018.

His work has appeared in local venues including the Piccolo Spoleto juried exhibition, the North Charleston Arts Fest, the Old Exchange Building (where one piece remains on display), and a solo show at the Battery Gadsden Cultural Center on Sullivan’s Island in February 2025. 

His practice blends several approaches: realistic oil paintings of local Lowcountry scenes and architecture, quick on-site charcoal or graphite sketches (often of Charleston streets and buildings), and mixed-media or “imagineered” compositions that incorporate nostalgia, everyday Americana, and occasional social/political satire.