Folly mourns the loss of beloved local artist Osee Koger
by Miranda Steadman | Contributing Writer
The Folly community said goodbye last month to a talented and well-loved local artist. Osee Koger, a Folly Beach native whose colorful work became a familiar sight around the island, passed away last month in Ohio, where she was staying while her mother was in the hospital.
Her father, Ricky Koger, announced her passing on Facebook on Aug. 1 and the outpouring of love and sympathy continued throughout the month.
Koger, who typically sold her captivating art on Center Street in front of Mr. John’s Beach Store, loved the water. Friend and fellow artist Kelly Kane Wood recalled Osee creating many pieces that captured her spirit, such as mermaids, ocean waves, fish, and crabs.
“Osee liked to capture the Lowcountry. These paintings came easily to her because she lived and saw most of what she painted every single day,” Wood said. “Folly Beach was her true home. She was born and raised on this island. She loved capturing in her paintings the wildlife that Folly has to offer such as the ocean, birds, sea turtles, dolphins, crabs, egrets, herons, and butterflies,”
“Anytime she had the opportunity, she would jump off a dock, swim in the creek, or just take a dip in the ocean,” she said.
Wood and Osee started selling art together outside in the elements during a chilly Black Friday at Crosby’s Seafood. They went on to vend together many more times, including in front of Mr. John’s Beach Store.
“I remember swinging by to say hello and check in on her progress when she was working on the mural at Lolo’s. I did this on many different occasions. She had several murals around Folly and was proud of her projects,” Wood said. “Osee loved to paint. Every piece she made was made with passion and love. She cherished every piece and knowing that her paintings put a smile on someone’s face or bring back a Folly Beach memory is priceless,”
Wood and Koger bonded over art; even though their techniques were different. On nights when they would get together and paint, Wood said they would bounce ideas off of each other.
“She would often recommend what colors I needed and I would tell her to paint faster,” said Wood.
Osee inherited her artistic eye from her father, Ricky, who creates illustrations in pen and ink carves tikis out of Palmetto trees
“She’d sit in my lap and critique my drawings,” said Ricky, who also sold old surfboards downtown during the early 1970s before he began driving the engine for Folly Beach Fire Department. He did this for 15 years and served with the City of Charleston Fire Department for 25 years.
“Osee and I were always really tight. We were either on our bicycles, fishing, shrimping, or surfing,” he said. “Painting was her release, a way to share with the world what she saw and her own personal style. Landscapes, marsh scenes, Morris Island lighthouse, oak and palm trees, sunsets and waves… She had a unique way of doing these.”
It was actually Osee who taught her father to paint.
“We shared that bond. I always said my apple didn’t fall far from the tree,” says Ricky.
“Osee always wanted to be around her friends, and I am just going to miss her presence,” said Wood. “When I see a painting by Osee, I feel love but I also feel sad. She was a friend who left us too soon, and many will miss her.
There will be a celebration of life for Osee Koger on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. at Crosby Seafood, located at 2223 Folly Road.
