Beachy art can allow you to escape right within the four walls of your own home. When I was landlocked and living in Atlanta, I had a giant print framed above my bed that allowed me to pretend I could step right out on my porch and breathe in the salt air. And now, even though I can see the real beach right out my third-story windows, our home is still filled with beachy art because it brings us so much joy.
It can be easy to click on over to online mass market retailers who are always running 15% or 17% or even 20% off sales on every imaginable type of home decor you might need. Yeah, you know the kind of sites I’m talking about.
But…I’m all about supporting artists who are out there trying to make a living on their art. Even if you can’t afford to spend thousands on original artwork, most of these artists also offer hand-embelished giclees (a print the artist has added paint or texture to give the print an original touch) and high-quality prints of their beachy art. So, you can support an artist while also snagging something for your home that none of your friends or neighbors also bought during that big sale on GiantHomeDecorRetailer.com.
Beachy Art from my Favorite Artists
Don’t know where to start? You’ve come to the right place! Not only do we decorate our house with all sorts of beachy art, but my husband writes about art for Forbes and we travel all over the country scouting art and meeting artists.
Sarah LaPierre
We discovered Sarah LaPierre back in February on a trip to West Palm Beach, Florida painting in a The Garden Shoppe in Rosemary Square. This is the painting we watched her paint…and ultimately couldn’t resist buying for our own collection! It now hangs above our living room couch and allows us to dream of sailing away into the pink cotton candy skies of a beautiful sunrise.
If you love thick gobs of paint on the canvas (aka, impasto), Sarah is your gal! Her Instagram handle says it all: @ThickPaint.
Originals: $450 – 3,200
Mini Originals: $70 – 80
Prints: $25
Laura Browning
I spotted my first Laura Browning original in a gallery in Ponte Vedra, Florida several years ago. I wanted it SO badly, but I just didn’t have a few thousand dollars to spend on original art that day. So, trust me…I get that collecting original art is an expensive hobby.
The good news is her prints are just as captivating and extremely affordable. She also offers a wide variety of sizes, so you can customize a print to fit your space perfectly.
This is the original piece I saw that day, which I ordered in a 36″x36″ square print that currently hangs in my master bedroom. It reminds me of looking down into my grandparents pool, a place where I spent some of my very happiest childhood days. It brings me such calm and joy every day, while barely denting my wallet.
All of her paints are of water, in varying shades and inspired by her own travels. So, if there’s a particular place in the world where you want to capture the ocean vibes and bring them home, she probably has a print for that! Although mine is called “Mediterranean Coast,” it reminds me of my grandparents pool. Go find the water that inspires you!
Original art: $500 – 2,950
Original minis: $55 – 100
Canvas prints: $110+ (framed or unframed)
Paper prints: $30 – 85
Cat Tesla
Cat Tesla’s art is available in a gallery here on Amelia Island where we live, Art of Centre. The crazy thing is that although I discovered her here, she lives in the town where I was born and raised: Lilburn, Georgia. Talk about a small world!
Cat has been participating in the #artistsupportpledge during the pandemic and has been painting some small originals priced at $200. Great way to snag an original painting from a very talented artist.
#artistsupport Pledge Paintings: $200
Prints on canvas or paper: $85 – 130
Claire Kendrick
Claire Kendrick is another artist available here on Amelia Island at Art of Centre. For those of you who’ve spent time in the barrier islands of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina may associate marsh scenes with some of your favorite vacation memories. One of my favorite things about living on an island is having the beach on one side and the marshes on the other, making it the best of both worlds.
In my opinion, beachy art takes many forms, and Claire is one of my favorite painters when it comes to marsh scenes (my other is William Weyman below). There was a painting of hers when I first started going into Art of Centre a few years ago, and it will always be on my “one that got away” art list. If you start really looking at original art, you’ll have a list of your own before long, haha!
The easiest way to snag a Claire Kendrick original is through Art on Centre. I love that they carry some of her small originals ($500) so it can be more accessible to own an original piece.
Eileen Corse
Eileen Corse is yet another artist I first discovered at Art on Centre. Although she has some gorgeous landscapes, I’m partial to the unique style she uses to depict people enjoying the water. Here’s one of my favorites…
Many of her people in water paintings depict children, so if you love watching your kids run around at the beach, check out some of those.
She also currently has a floral at Art on Centre that is on my personal wish list: Blue Bundle. Blue hydrangeas are my favorite!
Eileen seems to have just started adding hand-embellished giclee prints, which you can find here.
Contact Eileen or Art on Centre for pricing.
Christine Lyons
Another on my “one that got away list” is this one Christine Lyons (as seen below). This is the closest I’ve come to buying something on that list. I went back and looked at it during an art fair about a half dozen times. I still kick myself for not buying it. I blame my husband…because, you know, that’s what wives do, haha!
Sadly, you can see a comment I left from my travel writing account with my hubby (@travelingwithoutkids) having some serious remorse about not buying it at the show…but it had already sold. *sobs into my pillow*
I did, however, get a small colorful palm tree against a hot pink background for my home office gallery wall. So, I didn’t go home completely empty-handed!
If you want something more abstract that’s got a good beachy vibe, I’m a sucker for a triptych (but don’t own any because hubby does not feel the same) and love this one.
Original art: $1,900 – 2,600
Hand-painted Decorative Trays: $95 – 200
Follow her on Instagram, where she often offers discounts and smaller originals
Jacqueline Carcagno Weyman and William Weyman
One of our favorite galleries is Daedalus Gallery in Savannah, Georgia. If you ever visit Savannah, you must stop in!
Here you will find the art of french painter Jacqueline Cacagno Weyman and her late husband William Weyman. They met in France – how romantic, right? And although their styles are different, they are both insanely talented painters. We own one of each, a French market scene from Jacqueline and a marsh scene from William (the main image at the top of this blog).
The painting below is on our list of “ones that got away,” bought by someone else before we could save up for it. I’m not exaggerating when I say this piece is museum quality. Its absolutely stunning, and this photo doesn’t even begin to do it justice.
If you’re ever in Savannah, stop by and say hi to Jacqueline and let her know I sent you. She is incredibly sweet and will spend as much time as you’d like talking about her and her husbands art. A visit with her is always a highlight of our trips to Savannah!
Here’s one of Jacqueline’s I love:
Original art: Contact for prices
Giclees on canvas: $780 – $1,900
Giclees on watercolor paper: $55-65
This is obviously only a small sampling of all of the amazing artists out there with beachy art. So, next time you’re tempted to snag that print from a mass discount online retailer, hit me up for some recommendations on working artists you can help support while getting something unique all your friends and neighbors will drool over next time they visit!
