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18 June 2026 | BeaufortLifestyle.com When Stacks died in 1991, Clyde carried on, building a reputation over time for the range of his skills and the care he brings to each piece. Today, his projects include oil and acrylic paintings, fabrics, frames and gilding, photographs, furniture, sculpture, ceramics, rare books and more. %u201cClyde does it all,%u201d says Norma, who joined the business seven years ago and currently handles communications, client relationships and certain aspects of the restoration work. Clyde%u2019s son Je%u2019Clyde came on board two and a half years ago at age 22, the same age Clyde was when he first began, and Claudia is involved as well. Together, they operate out of spaces in Beaufort and Columbia, serving families, collectors and institutions. %u201cBusiness grew by word of mouth, and now everybody knows,%u201d Norma says. %u201cConservationists are hard to find in this area. Penn Center and the Savannah College of Art and Design call us; otherwise, they might have to send pieces to Chicago or New York.%u201d What sets Clyde apart is not only the breadth of what he restores, but the complexity of the work and the precision of what he sees. Subtle variations in color and damage that might escape another eye are things he identifies quickly, often before anyone else notices them. %u201cHe sees things no one else can see,%u201d Claudia says. %u201cAnd he sees them right away.%u201d Each piece arrives with its own history, and often, its own story of loss. A carousel left outdoors was nearly destroyed by salt spray and exposure. It had been a gift to a mother from her late son, and when she saw it fully restored, she was in tears. One fire-damaged painting arrived with a water-streaked, blistered surface; Clyde called it one of the worst cases he%u2019d ever seen. Another painting, carefully rolled up and carried beneath a transatlantic immigrant%u2019s dress to avoid confiscation, had deteriorated so badly the material itself needed to be stabilized before restoration could even begin. Then there was the shattered figure Clyde, Norma and Claudia call %u201cBuddha in a box.%u201d Laughter rippled around the table as they remembered how many pieces filled that box. All of these pieces seemed beyond repair. They were not. %u201cClyde is meticulous about his work,%u201d Norma says. %u201cHe treats each piece with the utmost respect and care, and he won%u2019t settle for less than perfect. When you see the before and after photos, there are just no words.%u201d The goal is never to make a piece of art look new. Time leaves traces that are part of the object%u2019s life, a patina that comes from everyday stressors like dust, smoke, grease and sunlight. Clyde says he feels a sense of responsibility to bring back what the artist intended, not impose his own vision. %u201cI don%u2019t add or take away,%u201d he explains. %u201cI bring it back to its original state.%u201d That process requires technical knowledge, but also an innate ability to interpret a piece at a deeper level. When something is missing, he studies the work closely, considering what the original artist would have done. %u201cEvery piece is unique,%u201d he says. %u201cI think of the artist as I restore it to how it was, and I%u2019m respectful of their work.%u201d The pieces retain their material value, but they carry meaning that goes far beyond that. They represent legacy and memory for families, and they will continue to be handed down for generations to come. %u201cWhen I restore them, I%u2019m restoring something precious,%u201d Clyde says. %u201cYou see the expressions on people%u2019s faces. They have tears in their eyes. I get hugs. It means a lot.%u201d Some of these clients gift certain restored pieces back to him, and he has collected works with special Lowcountry connections. Among them are pieces connected to Joseph %u201cCaptain Crip%u201d Legree Jr. (1924-2017) and Thomas %u201cSam%u201d Doyle (1906-1985), beloved artisans from St. Helena Island%u2019s Gullah Geechee community. He also continues to create his own artwork, taking on commissions when time allows. %u201cPortraits are my thing,%u201d he says. %u201cAnything to do with people is my favorite, and landscapes with beaches and driftwood come next.%u201d And he still loves restoration%u2014even when DIYers bring him pieces that are distorted or further damaged by failed home-repair attempts. %u201cI have to undo what they%u2019ve done, and then restore the piece the correct way,%u201d he observes with a shake of his head. Clyde says he never thought this would be his life. As a young man, he thought the culinary world was his future, but that single newspaper ad set him on an entirely different path. %u201cIt%u2019s amazing, what he can do,%u201d Norma says. Clyde smiles. %u201cOne thing I can%u2019t do is turn back time.%u201d To learn more, visit artrestorationbyclyde.com or call 843-575-2301.Clyde with wife, ClaudiaClyde with sister Norma