As you may have guessed by now, we love our neighborhood. The Art Mecca of Charleston is at the corner of King and Warren in the heart of the Upper King Design District, and within walking distance of so many fun things to do. Here are our Top 10 favorite things to do on Upper King.

10. Drink Prosecco on the patio at Rue de Jean (especially if it's raining).
9. Buy fresh pasta and veggies at the Saturday Farmer's Market in Marion Square.
8. Get a to-go pint of vanilla bean yogurt and granola from the Black Bean Company.
7. Browse the iconic Blue Bicycle Books and buy something we didn't know we wanted.
6. Have a quiet moment in the sanctuary of historic St. Matthew's Lutheran Church.
5. Sneak in a mid-morning pistachio macaroon from the Macaroon Boutique.
4. Check out the concert and film posters at Charleston Music Hall.
3. See what's new in regional arts and crafts at Surface Gallery.
2. Pat the metallic pigs at Mitchell Hill.
1. Take a free Swing Dance lesson then join in the fun at Prohibition.

Of course, our real favorite thing to do is hang out at Art Mecca and absorb the vibe! This Friday is the monthly 3rd Friday Art Walk in our neighborhood - hope to see you there.

Jonathan Jackson is a Charleston-based photographer who specializes in coastal landscapes and wetlands. However, some of his most popular works are his photographs of local ruins, such as this photo of Prince Frederick's Church, a hard-to-find ruin located in Plantersville, SC. Construction on the church began in 1857 but was interrupted by the Civil War so it wasn't completed until 1877. When the rice industry collapsed after the war, the planter class moved away and the church was left to crumble.

"I started shooting the ruins just out of bizarre sense of preservation," Jonathan says. "While Charleston's preserved historic district is amazing, I noticed so much outside the city that deserved attention. That caused me to find these old ruins that I just found absolutely fascinating. Some of them I have research a ton to find, and others are fairly well known. I love the thought that when you look at a ruin, you can see it as it was, in your own mind. And everyone's view is different. I guess I just found something that exercised my intellectual desire to seek and find, and my photographic desire to record, and document in an artistic way, how beautiful the past can be, even when it's been forgotten."

Jonathan's Tip: To visit the ruins of Prince Frederick's Church, use GPS coordinates 33.505882, -79.180379

While Charleston is always beautiful, there are moments that the landscapes are unearthly or just plain magical. Jonathan specializes in capturing those moments.

Jonathan's work was recently featured in Wendy Nilsen Pollitzer's book, Charleston Salt and Iron.

Artist Reception for Jonathan Jackson
We'd like to invite you to meet Jonathan and learn more about his work this Friday, June 17th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Jonathan's unframed prints range from $12 - $59, and framed prints range from $75 - $250, Photos on metal and canvas range from $125 to $345.

Robin Howard is a Charleston mixed-media artist who has been working in encaustic, or pigmented beeswax, this year.

She melts wax on a heated palette then applies it to encaustic panels with special natural brushes called hake ("ha-kay), After each layer of wax is applied, she carefully fuses it to the one before with a heat gun.

Robin says most of her inspiration comes from nature.

"These photos are from a Sunday morning walk through Chicago's Old Town neighborhood this spring. I liked the way the pink flowers on the sidewalk looked against the whitewashed wall," she says.

Robin's body of work "Memories of Spring" (currently hanging at Art Mecca) was inspired by her Sunday morning walk. (We should also mention because they are made of beeswax, they smell really good, too.) 

"I love working on 6" x 6" panels," Robin says. "You can just hang one, give it room to breathe, and it offers such a visual sense of peace.  Or, you can hang several in a group or in a straight line down a hall or over a sofa for more energy and interest."

Robin's upcoming body of work "Capri" is inspired by the colors of southern Italy.

"These pieces are much more playful than the work I've done in the past. I'm really into simplifying life and enjoying the little things," she says.

Robin's 6" x 6" panels are $49 each and can be shipped. Learn more about Robin here.