As a part of our August/September Southern Style cover story, we introduced a talented group of artists, craftsmen, and designers—a cross-section of the South’s thriving new creative class. While the region has long proved fertile ground for artists, now more than ever, many are choosing to put down roots in Dixie rather than setting their sights on the big city.

But what is it about our landscape that makes it so conducive to creativity? To find out, we asked featured painters Kiki Slaughter and Rebecca Rebouché to snap photos via Instagram (our latest social media addiction) of the people, places, and things that inspire their own work. Take a look:  

Kiki Slaughter - Charlottesville, VA

Photo: Andrea Shirey

Things that inspire:

The beach: "I love the beach - the sand, the ocean, the colors, the textures, the pure joy of being at the beach inspires me to paint. This photo is of my golden retriever, Brother (he loves the beach too)."

Surroundings: "I find inspiration in my surroundings. This picture of water on sand captures so many elements that inspire my work - texture, light, composition, nature. I especially love the golden glow of the image and how it appears to sparkle."

Paint: "Paint is both a medium and a muse for my work. This photo is a detail of the tarp in my studio, which becomes a piece of art itself after it catches all of the excess paint that is poured, scraped and layered onto my canvases."


Rebecca Rebouché - New Orleans, LA

Photo: Amy Dickerson

Things that inspire:

Kudzu: "I know it is a nuisance vine, but I love the view of an undulating pillowy landscape covered in Kudzu. I am currently on a road trip across the American South where I am painting the flora and fauna as a metaphor for the stories told in Southern Gothic literature. The Kudzu vine is such a great metaphor in the way it covers the landscape, smothers the land and grows inches overnight."

Passion Flower: "On a recent photo shoot, I was stopped by a sweet Cajun man who picked these passion flowers for me and told me they were the most beautiful flower in the swamp. I love their other-worldlyness."

Thai Wish Lanterns: "I throw these big parties out at my country house and friends and family come from the city to camp out on the land and we eat, drink and play music into the night. At the last party we gathered in the horse pasture at midnight and released Thai wish lanterns into the night sky. They dotted the indigo expanse like fireflies."


To see more of Kiki and Rebecca, plus meet our other Southern tastemakers, click here. And for more snapshots and inspiration check out G&G’s instagram feed.