March's Photo of The Month - Palmetto Bella Magazine

ShellyMarshall Schmidt

March 1, 2020

The healing power of horses.

“This photo is from the Silent Witness Exhibition, which is on display in the Brooks Gallery of the Aiken Center for the Arts, opening March 26. It represents the remarkable healing “connections” possible between off-the-track Thoroughbreds and military veterans suffering from the unseen wounds of post-traumatic stress. It is one of my personally favorite examples of this phenomenal relationship between horse and human – relationships that I have been privileged to witness through a number of programs and organizations to which I have been devoted for years.”

Shelly Marshall Schmidt

ShellyMarshall Schmidt

Shelly Marshall Schmidt is a commercial and fine art photographer known for her sensitive and insightful work – from portraits to action photography, both breathtaking in their composition and execution – and her innovative printing on a vast array of materials and fabrics. Shelly is particularly well known for lending her remarkable talent to a variety of rewarding and life-impacting programs. While her early career was fueled by “mechanical horsepower,” focusing on thoroughbred cars like Ferrari and Porsche, and championship racing at LeMans, LaGuna Seca, and other world-renowned motorsport circuits, this theme gradually shifted to “equine horsepower,” when she became a valuable collaborator with such groundbreaking and notable programs and organizations as Aiken’s Horseplay, Women Beyond Cancer, Aiken Equine Rescue, Saratoga WarHorse, the Silent Witness Exhibition, and New Bridge Polo Magazine; most recently, her work is featured in the upcoming national conference in Aiken, “HeART of the Horse.”

ShellyMarshall Schmidt

In the know

Brooks Brown | Photo Of The Month

A note from Brooks Brown: My goal in retiring here was to spend my full time dedicated to creating art in and around Aiken, to be with horses either with the Great Oak Theraputic Riding Center or on the sides of the road, and to put my artographs in the Aiken Center for the Arts exhibits. I like being surrounded by horses, equestrian eventing, and polo riders that afford me the opportunity to use my iPhone to capture their beauty wherever I see them. I love being in the moment where it’s me, my iPhone in hand, with a horse, or nature, gardens or flowers or rolling hills on country

Once Upon a Time Book Club

Editor’s Note: The answers to the questions below were written by 11-year-old Liyla without any help from an adult. What is the book this month? The book The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige took me on an adventure like no other. This Book Club is outstanding. It sends you a box with a book and 4 gifts. The gifts go along with the book. The Ravens is a story about sorority girls who are actually witches. Not the green and old warty kind. The girls are divided into 4 groups: water, earth, air, and fire. Vivian and Scarlett are the main characters and are trying to find out

Love Is All That Matters

Our love stories are a testimony to the best part of our lives. My first boyfriend was in my kindergarten class. He came to my house one day and we sat in the garage on a stack of newspapers that were waiting to be recycled. He said, “Let’s kiss on the count of three.” I puckered up and never forgot the thrill of that first kiss. My dad told me that he had kissed 50 women before our mother appeared in his life. I did not really believe that because he was a quiet and reserved man. Even so, I asked dad, “How did you know when you found true

How to Protect Your Energy

Have you found yourself in a bad mood but you can’t pinpoint exactly why you feel that way or where it came from? When that happens, something negative has invaded your energy field or spirit. Let’s talk about some practical ways to protect your energy from negativity. Protect Your Ear Gate What you allow yourself to hear affects your energy. Ever listen to the news and feel fearful afterwards or like the world is coming to an end? Or perhaps you listen to a particular song that triggers certain feelings within you and changes your whole mood? What about listening to salacious gossip? How about hearing the same negativity over