Scenic Coastal Highway 30A is best known for its sugar-white shorelines and progressive beach living. The once quaint, scarcely populated, beautifully forested road has given way to a popular vacation spot now known worldwide. One thing that has remained constant is the inspiration this eco-diverse coastal highway delivers to those who choose to receive it. For as long as it’s been on the map, 30A has attracted creatives of all types. Some are original locals, and some have come from afar to make this rare jewel of a place their permanent home. As a writer, artist, and photographer I can assure you the beauty of this place will act on you like a haunting muse. 30A has officially and organically become a hot spot for local artists of all types. I consider myself lucky to call some of these co-artists my friends. Here are just a few not to be missed:
Doug was raised in Miami and has been painting and drawing since childhood. He has a Bachelors of Environmental Design and Bachelor of Architecture from Auburn University. Doug thinks of his work as “interpretive” and says, “I find great peace and power in nature. I am fascinated with water and light and believe composition is king. I see graphic form and shifting light in almost everything, and try to open new views of the expanse and details of the coastal landscapes. It’s less about the way a place looks than the way it makes me feel.”
Doug currently has work hanging in private and corporate collections from Seattle to the Bahamas and Northern Europe.
Doug owns SaltCrust Studios in Santa Rosa Beach.
Websites
www.dougfoltz.com
www.saltcruststudios.com
For inquiries and commissions, contact:
404-435-8816
[email protected]
Andy grew up on the Emerald Coast, and loves surfing and spending as much time in the water as possible. Andy says, “I create one-of-a-kind woodcut mixed media wall sculptures that incorporate recycled materials and found objects, as well as colorful, expressive paintings and large mural installations. I love surfing and spending time in the Gulf. My work is heavily influenced by he colors of the water, sky, and the sea life I encounter, along with the joy I get from riding the waves.”
Andy owns The Saczynski Gallery in Grayton Beach.
Website
www.andysaczynski.com
For inquiries and commissions, contact:
850-502-0072
[email protected]
You may recognize Allison’s name as the premier painter of the iconic Western Lake Longleaf Pine Stand. She is an active artistic member of the 30A area and stays busy in her studio. She says, “I have been painting on 30A since 2007 and specialize in coastal landscapes, sea animals and abstracts. My medium is Venetian plaster and acrylic paint on wood for a textured, timeless look. I work daily at my studio and you can come by or contact me for an appointment to discuss current work or to order a commission. My work can be seen at Lovelace Interiors in Inlet Beach, at Amavida Coffee in Seaside and Rosemary and at HELLO FAIRHOPE gallery in Fairhope, Alabama.”
Allison owns A. Wickey Studio in Santa Rosa Beach.
Website
www.allisonwickey.com
For inquiries and commissions, contact:
850-420-8419
[email protected]
Justin’s unique pieces can be seen all along 30A. He says about his art, “Fine art is an obsessive balance shared between technique and the materials used in final composition. My artistic observations have instructed me to create meaningful objects defined by layers of texture, distinctive color juxtapositions, and self-taught experimentations with mind-changing outcomes. My ‘free association’ consists of self-made heavy texture paints and dimensional subjects, often defying existing gravitational conventions found in tube paint. Sculptural painting is my art form, my beloved community, and my family practice.”
Justin owns Justin Gaffrey Studio in Santa Rosa Beach.
Website
www.justingaffrey.com
For inquiries and commissions, contact:
[email protected]
Chris is an originally born Georgia boy with music in his blood and paint on his mind. He has traveled the world professionally with his guitar, and now spends most of his time creating his signature works. Chris says, “Using mostly my hands, I create minimalist images that reflect my love of history and the Old West. When I had my first studio, I painted three figures together, and a story unfolded. The warring soldier, the pioneering cowboy, and the native who was here first,” he acknowledges the multi-faceted troubled history of our country. “I put them together in postures of unity and I called it ‘The Alliance’.” Now Chris is expanding his images to include subject matter he finds intriguing. He paints and creates music in his current home studio and has an online gallery.
Website
www.chris-coleman-creative.myshopify.com
For inquiries and commissions, contact:
See website.
Kim’s sculptures are a sight to behold. He keeps his studio on his home property near the east end of 30A. Kim says, “My artwork has been in interpreting mass in relation to negative space and observing how light hits it as one walks around it. I seek to sculpt a feeling or emotion by suggesting movement in the work. The lines and curves of a sculpted form can suggest movement, easily done with clay but also in smoothing out the chiseled cuts of stone and wood.” He is currently showing work at The Foster Gallery and J Leon Gallery. Kim also shows pieces in juried art shows and is pursuing additional gallery representation in Atlanta.
Website
www.kimsculpt.com
For inquiries and commissions, contact:
[email protected]
Susie recently purchased her own gallery in Grayton Beach. As an artist herself, she says she not only enjoys showing her own works, but the works of others. “I’m excited to take the helm of the beloved Studio Gallery as it embarks on its 25th year in business in the same charming cottage location. It has such a wonderfully curated and eclectic offering that is so uniquely Grayton. I hope to keep what is so cherished about the gallery while also launching the next chapter. Established, emerging, and award winning fine artists from Florida and around the Southeast are represented in the Studio’s 1400 square feet of gallery space. Featured are contemporary and traditional works in a variety of styles and media from watercolor to oil paintings along with unique handcrafted gifts and jewelry.”
Susie owns The Studio Gallery in Grayton Beach.
Website
www.thestudiogallery30a.com (coming soon)
For inquiries and commissions, contact:
[email protected]
Jonah photographs our rare coastal dune lakes and waterways. His aerial captures of the gulf display the beauty of the area’s diverse ecology. “Growing up landlocked away from the ocean, I never felt like I truly belonged. After discovering the transformational power of water through surfing at age 12, I always longed to be near the sea. I felt quite lost in my life until I finally decided to live next to the ocean and began creating artwork. Once I moved to Florida, my life and art craft transformed. Every time I go into the sea, I feel immersed in the present moment, which is one of the purest feelings I’ve ever experienced because I feel connected to the universe and the divine.
Through my artwork, I share these feelings of serenity and oneness so anyone can feel what I feel in the ocean,” said Jonah.
Jonah owns a studio in Santa Rosa Beach.
Website
www.jonahallen.com
For inquiries and commissions, contact:
850-739-0929
[email protected]
The next time you visit 30A, make some time to call on the local artists and think about taking home an original piece of fine art along with your tan. As for myself, my career as an artist photographer, and writer has grown leaps and bounds as a result of not only the beauty of this place we call 30A, but because of the quality time I have spent with some of these extraordinarily talented people. We are not automatically born artists. It is not always the school where we learn it, but rather a small something with which we ARE born that evolves when we reach into ourselves, exercise the organic pen, brush, clay, instrument, or lens until it flows up and out from the deep. It is the ability to release the craft and connect with others in a visceral way that is the soulful beauty of art. True art is not all about ego, but rather discovery, fearlessness, and love. It is only through making that connection that we become true artists.
