Imagine the troubadours of old as they walked the back roads of … some quiet place, with mandolins or banjos in-hand, a song on their lips and through those songs telling stories.  Not of fantasy or fiction.  They sang stories of lives simply lived.  That is the imagery conveyed by a conversation with Clay Rice about how music influences his visual art.  You see, Mr. Rice is famed for his silhouettes of children, nature and life along the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

He carries on a family tradition, first made notable by his grandfather, Carew Rice.  Most of the biographies I found about the Rices emphasized their artistry with paper, but during our brief chat, Mr. Rice made it clear that music has always been a part of his family’s life, and that songs have always been woven into his work, especially his children’s books.  Read more of our conversation