Hog Heaven
Hog Heaven is a work of art unto itself. Giltner faux-finished the entirety of the structure, both interior and exterior, to replicate an early 1930s home. He then created two paintings that capture Hog Heaven during this period, when hogs were raised and a natural spring-fed well flowed continuously.
For more information on the faux finishing click here.
Cahill's Market
Tucked away on the back road between Bluffton and Savannah, Cahill's Market is a 70-acre farm, produce market, and farm-to-table restaurant. Mules, chicken coops, a sugar cane press, and fields of sunflowers and collards delight locals and visitors alike.
In 2007, Robbie Cahill commissioned Giltner to create the sign in front of the restaurant. Later he asked if Giltner could do a series of chicken paintings to decorate the restaurant's interior, where diners enjoy fried chicken with sides like squash casserole and okra and tomatoes that often come right out of Cahill's fields. Giltner was reluctant at first - chickens are not his preferred subject matter - but eventually he completed several dozen vibrant pieces that add to the old-timey atmosphere of Cahill's. None of the works are for sale, despite visitors' frequent requests to purchase.
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Widespread Panic at the Red Rocks
This tryptic is one of Giltner's largest commissions: 7 feet in height and 17 feet long, with a total of 17,136 square inches. The rich color palette was created using oil on canvas, and many of the 300 hours Giltner put into this work were spent mixing the hundreds of different hues needed to capture such a complex scene.
Furman Rochester
Furman Rochester, an elderly gentleman from Western South Carolina, drove through Bluffton one day and stopped at Cahill's Market for lunch. While eating a plate of chicken and waffles, something caught his eye. It was a painting Giltner had created at the beginning of his career.
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Entitled "Storm from the West," it filled Furman with nostalgia for his country youth. He got Giltner's contact from the cashier and called to request a custom painting that would depict his early years riding a wagon on the farm. After numerous phone calls in which Furman described his life and vision to Giltner, the details were finalized and the painting was begun.
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This was Giltner's first commission with a detailed cloudscape, as Furman wanted a storm rolling in from the distance. It was a challenge for Giltner, who had only recently begun working in oil, and he would go on to refine his cloud technique in later pieces. Furman was delighted with the painting and received it personally from Giltner, who delivered it to Furman's 80th birthday party and family reunion.
