On March 5th, Walton County art teachers visited seven South Walton art galleries (including Andy's) as part of their professional development. During their Q & A session, Andy may have gotten a little emotional talking about Dr. Vivian Komando of South Walton High School. She was his high school art teacher many years ago, and he still uses a lot of what she taught him. South Walton High School is lucky to have her! Want to take the same art tour as the teachers? Here you go...

Walton County Art Teachers - Gallery Tour

GORDIE HINDS ART GALLERY 90 Spires Ln, #9A

CHROMA | KATHLEEN BROADERICK STUDIO & GALLERY 3925 W County Hwy 30A

JUSTIN GAFFREY ART GALLERY 21 Blue Gulf Dr

SACZYNSKI GALLERY 26 Logan Ln, Unit B

MARY HONG STUDIO GALLERY 26 Logan Ln, Unit F

A. WICKEY STUDIO GALLERY 27 Hub Ln (closed in Fall 2019)

ADARO ART & DESIGN GALLERY 21 Hub Ln

Andy with art teacher Vivian Komando

We are excited to announce that Andy was commissioned to create a mandolin assemblage piece for Mandolino's Artisan Pizza, which opened last month. It's in a beautifully restored space located in the heart of Davidson's Historic District, about 30 minutes north of Charlotte. Executive Chef Bill Schutz has created a menu of carefully-sourced ingredients reflecting his Italian family heritage. The sheet pan pizza is scratch-made and brick-oven baked, a style historically known as "Grandma's Pizza." When you have an opportunity to visit, you'll see Andy's mandolin piece hanging in the dining room!

Mandolino's Artisan Pizza

206 South Main Street, Davidson, NC 28036

(980) 231-5615

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Mandolino's Artisan Pizza

Mandolino | 24x49 inches

Although he didn't officially launch his art career until March 2010, can you guess when Andy's first art show in South Walton was held? If his dated outfit and hairstyle don't give you a clue, I'll tell you... March 4, 2005! Andy and I grew up on the Emerald Coast, but moved away for a few years after we got married. When we moved back to the area in 2004, we reconnected with Arix Zalace, our friend from high school. Andy and Arix were both experimenting with mixed media assemblage art and discussed doing a show together. Arix had a connection with a homeowner in Seaside who was excited about opening her home for an art show. Of course, art was still only a hobby for Andy back in 2005, but this was a good opportunity to get his feet wet in the business.

I get nostalgic looking at these old photos. Andy has developed his skills so much in the past 13 years! If someone had told me that night that we'd someday have a gallery in Grayton Beach and that Andy would be a full-time artist, I don't think I would have dared to believe them. We're thankful for these humble beginnings. 

If you've been to the Mirror Maze in Pier Park, you've surely noticed the gigantic mural on their walls. This was one of Andy's first big commissions. He painted it in October 2008, long before being a professional working artist was on his radar. (I'd say that painting this mural was what really motivated him to pursue being a full-time artist, although his first official introduction to the public was at an art festival in March 2010.) Andy's mural at the Mirror Maze in Pier Park is 12 feet tall and 65 feet wide. It's loosely based on Pier Park itself, featuring coastal architecture, palm trees, and the nearby beach. His signature can be found beside a palm tree by the front door.

Next time you visit Pier Park, stop by Mirror Maze and check it out!

South Walton artist Kyle Paxton is currently working on “FACES of SANTA ROSA.” It’s an exhibit featuring between 10 to 20 portraits; sharing the stories of the day-to-day people of Santa Rosa Beach/South Walton. He desires to capture the people who make Santa Rosa Beach what it is today; as a unique place to live, work, and visit. This is part of his mission for culture care; to leave a deposit of work to benefit his community and even those beyond. He desires this show to be one of the most significant exhibits for his local community. It will be his biggest show to date.

In Kyle's words: "I’ve known Andy as a fellow artist, friend, and surf buddy for the past couple years. Andy is considered one of the most well-known artists in South Walton. I guess it makes sense he received the 2013 South Walton Artist of the Year and Best Local Artist three years in a row. Not only is Andy highly acclaimed in the local arts, but he is a great person. I can’t imagine the faith it took for him and his wife, Lori, to jump from a stable job to pursuing a fine art career with their 5th child on the way. His faith, his commitment to family, and his craft inspires me. Though his art is obviously important, one must appreciate his passion for surfing and his connection to the ocean to fully understand him. This permeates his work and life - being in the moment and letting each wave take him where he needs to go. I must add that Andy is probably the best surfer I know. Andy, the great artist and the inspiring person. I believe he deserves such recognition."

We are honored that Kyle selected Andy as one of his portraits for FACES of SANTA ROSA! We can't wait to see who else will be represented in this collection. Given Kyle's incredible talent, it's going to be an amazing show. Kyle is a kind, genuine, and humble guy. We are excited to see the opportunities this project will generate for him. As the date for the exhibit approaches later in 2018, we will be sure to share the details with you so you can make plans to attend the opening. In the meantime, check out Kyle and his work:

web site | facebook | instagram

The 2018 30A Songwriters Festival will be held January 12th-15th! The ninth annual weekend event will feature over 175 artists performing at multiple venues along 30A in South Walton. Tickets can be purchased here. For those attending, be on the lookout for Andy's backdrop, shown below. If you see it at The Lakehouse in WaterColor (one of the 25+ venues), be sure to tag Andy in your social media posts. 

Andy's new backdrop for the 2018 30A Songwriters Festival

Captain Cliff Cox runs Sweet Jody Fishing, one of Destin's most popular deep sea fishing boats. When he and his wife April approached Andy about featuring his art on their Sweet Jody Fishing shirts, Andy happily agreed. They requested a "funky red grouper," which made Andy even happier. If you look closely, you can see that Andy included squid and octopus tentacles, tiny fish, shrimp, hearts, waves, and a crescent moon. Andy gave Cliff and April the original artwork to keep, and they had their designers put it on their new line of short- and long-sleeve shirts. The shirts are available in a variety of colors (see photos below). Short-sleeve shirts are $25 and long-sleeve shirts are $30. To purchase a shirt, stop by their booth at 210 Harbor Boulevard in Destin. Not local? No problem! To order, contact Sweet Jody Fishing at SweetJodyFishing@gmail.com or (850) 650-2500.

Andy's original sketch

Follow Sweet Jody Fishing on Facebook.

If you pick up a copy of the VIE Magazine November 2017 "Art & Culture" issue, you'll probably recognize the art on the cover! It's Andy's Poetic Composition, which is assemblage art measuring 26x48 inches. We are so thankful and honored to have been chosen to represent this issue. Tori Phelps wrote a wonderful 6-page article about Andy, which we feel really captures the heart of who he is and what he does. And Brenna Kneiss' photos are beautiful! Thank you so much, ladies. We really appreciate it! The magazine is on newsstands now, so be sure to grab a copy. You may also read the article here.

Last week, Andy participated in the Harding Art Show 2017. This was his fourth time to do this show, now in its 42nd year. This is Harding Academy's biggest fundraiser, and it attracts over 3000 visitors. We were honored to have Andy included again! Plus, it was a great excuse to visit our daughter, who now lives just outside Nashville. Below are some of our artist friends, both new and old.

Andy Saczynski

Amber Wallace

Amy Crews

Blaire Wheeler

Brian Nash

Caleb Groh

Cassi Wright + her boyfriend

Christina Cohn

Grant Garmezy

Hannah Lane + her husband

Jacqueline Saporiti

Kent Youngstrom + his daughter

Lauren Dunn

McKenzie Dove

Melanie Morris

Sarah Kaufman

Valentina Harper

Vicki Denaburg

Check out this custom snowboarder art Andy just finished! A family gave Andy a photo of their daughter in Park City, Utah. They said they wanted a mixed media piece based on this photo. Luckily, a friend had donated an old snowboard to Andy awhile back. Lucky coincidence, huh?

This life-size piece is 37 inches wide (with the board), and 63 inches tall. The Chicago Blackhawks logo is attached to a record player and still has the ability to spin. Pretty fun piece!

Andy's most recent assemblage art is a mahi mahi mixed media piece. In addition to layered wood and house paint, a few unusual and unexpected found objects were included. If you take a closer look, you'll find items such as...

• antique luggage
• antique egg beater
• old vise grip
• door lock
• parts of one of Andy's "tree easels"

This is one piece you definitely need to see in person to fully appreciate. Come by Andy's Grayton Beach gallery during regular business hours (weekdays 10 AM - 5 PM or Saturdays by appointment).

Join us on April 7th, 5:30-9:30 PM, at Destiny Worship Center for LIVING LOVED with guest speaker Lysa TerKeurst! $10 raffle tickets may be purchased at the event with an opportunity to win this original painting valued at $1800. Winner will be announced at 9:30 PM. Proceeds will go to local pregnancy support and adoption support via Bethany Christian Services on Florida’s Emerald Coast.

original painting by Andy Saczynski

It's hard to see everything that's happening in Andy's assemblage art pieces when I take a straight-on photo with the camera. So, sometimes I like to take photos from different angles so you can tell how many layers and what sort of objects each piece includes. This post highlights three of his mixed media assemblage pieces.

Napoleon the 2nd contains layered wood, metal scraps, keys, and other found objects. He resides at The Bay, one of our favorite restaurants in South Walton. You can see him proudly displayed in their private dining room.

Anglerfish contains layered wood, a functional light bulb, a crutch, piano keys, pipe organ parts, a paintbrush, metal, parts of a Christmas tree stand, and other found objects. 

The Professor contains layered wood, scrap metal, a toy airplane, lawn tools, a record, piano keys, pipe organ parts, and other found objects. He was recently the guest of honor at South Walton High School. 

Andy as a high school senior and Andy now 

Yesterday Andy and I visited the South Walton High School art department. Their instructor, Dr. Vivian Komando, was Andy's art teacher many years ago at Niceville High School. We have kept in touch, and she recently asked us if we'd be willing to speak to her AP and Pre AP art students.

If you read this blog post and/or this article in VIE Magazine, you know how influential Dr. Komando was in Andy's life. Much of what she taught him, he still uses every day. So, we were happy to visit her classroom and share with her students about life as an artist.

Andy told them about what inspires him and what kind of materials he likes to use. We showed them examples of his work on his web site, and he brought one original so they could see how he creates mixed media assemblage pieces.

Since I handle the business aspect of his gallery, I spoke to the students about how to have a career in art. I provided them with 12 important steps, information I wish someone had handed us when Andy was their age.

Hopefully we inspired these young creative minds. We want them to know how their unique talent is valued in the world. We want to see artists thrive.

When people first meet Andy and find out he's an artist, their first question is usually, "What kind of art do you make?" And we usually reply, "It's easier for us to show you rather than tell you." His work is loosely called mixed media art, but that term is so broad. Mixed media art refers to a work of visual art that combines various traditionally distinct visual art media. More specifically, his work can be described as assemblage art, or sculptures that can be hung on a wall. This post highlights some of Andy's most recent mixed media art. The pieces can be as simple as layered wood. Or they can include objects such as scrap metal, antique kitchen appliances, deconstructed musical instruments, and working light bulbs. What might look like worthless junk to some people, Andy can manipulate and connect in impressive ways. For example, can you tell what objects were used in the four faces (masks) below?

And what about these three saltwater animals - an anglerfish, an alligator, and a sailfish?

If you're interested in purchasing any of these unique pieces, call Andy at (850) 502-0072.

Happy New Year! Andy's art gallery moved into Shops of Grayton in March 2015. I can't believe we've been in our little blue cottage almost two years! We are so thankful to have this space for Andy to create and share his work. He started pursuing art as a full-time career seven years ago and opened his first gallery five years ago. In this way, 2017 feels significant to me. I'm looking forward to what this year will bring. We wanted to share some of what's been going on lately at Andy's art gallery. Although you usually hear from me (his wife) on his blog, in this post you'll hear directly from Andy...

What do you usually listen to while painting? I always listen to Pandora on shuffle. Some of the random artists I like are John Coltrane, Soulive, The Sea and Cake, Groundation, Brent Berry Band, ALO, Galactic, The New Master Sounds, and Jimi Hendrix. The list goes on, but that's what has been in my shuffle most recently.

How long does it take to complete a piece of your art? It always varies based on the complexity of a piece. Some stuff I begin months, even years, ahead and then put it aside for awhile. A lot of the sculptural assemblage pieces tend to take longer. I have between three and seven pieces going at once.

What do you think influences your work the most? Over the past few years, I have settled into my own style. I can't think of anything specific that influences my work. It's more like my art is an extension of me. It's a form of communication... an inward feeling and an outward expression.

What have you been working on most recently? I ended 2016 and began 2017 with some figurative paintings (seen below).

To purchase any of these pieces, call Andy at (850) 502-0072 or stop by his gallery during regular business hours.

It's been almost seven years since Andy started to pursue art as a full-time career, but he was an artist long before 2010! He fell in love with drawing way back in elementary school and never stopped creating.

Andy in 1985

Below are a few of Andy Saczynski's earliest works.

Andy painted this colorful piece in 1993 while he was in 10th grade at Niceville High School. According to Andy, this is the piece that changed his life. His teacher was Mrs. Vivian Komando, and he credits her with teaching him how to paint a smooth line. It's a technique he still uses in all of his pieces today.

Andy in 1995

Based off a photo he took while we were in Colorado, this was the first piece Andy painted while he was a student at Okaloosa Walton Community College (Painting 1 in Fall 1995). He attended the college on a fine arts scholarship, and took four art classes under the teaching of the late Arnie Hart, including Painting 1 & 2 and Drawing 1 & 2. Hart taught at the college from 1966 until his untimely death in 1999. His wife Jean and several friends established the Arnie Hart Art Scholarship Endowment in his memory to honor his longtime devotion to his students. Andy feels fortunate to have learned from such an incredible teacher. During his Drawing 1 class (Fall 1995), Andy had an opportunity to complete two 20-minute sketches of Mr. Hart, as you see below (unfortunately, something spilled on one of them).

Also in the fall of 1995, Andy drew this face during his free time, which he named Split Personality.

In the spring of 1997, Andy took 2D Design with Lynn Rackley at OWCC. Here are two of the paper collages Andy completed while in her class.

Much of what Andy learned in both his high school and college art classes set the foundation for him. Since leaving OWCC in 1997, he has been self-taught.

National Cat Day was founded in 2005 and is celebrated every year on October 29th. This "holiday" seems like the perfect time to introduce you to Mr. Hill and his girlfriend Blackie (no, I didn't name either of them).

Over the years, we've spotted quite a few feral cats hanging out around Shops of Grayton and Mystic Porte. Most of the them are shy around humans, so you can only see them from a distance. However, Mr. Hill is friendly and loves people.

You can usually find Mr. Hill relaxing in the shade near Andy's art gallery and the other cottages. He gladly accepts petting and sweet talk, and shows his appreciation by purring.

Earlier this year, Mr. Hill got friendly with another feral cat, and she appears to now be his girlfriend. Blackie is very shy. She's only let me pet her once! A couple weeks ago we were open late and had the doors propped open to enjoy the breeze. Mr. Hill walked right into the gallery, with his girlfriend following. She immediately got scared and walked right back out, so he followed her after saying hello to everyone.

Next time you visit Shops of Grayton, be on the lookout for Mr. Hill. Be sure to tell him he's handsome and scratch behind his ears!

I could surely think of many more, but I've narrowed it down to my top 7 reasons to buy original art. I've also included photos from some of Andy's past customers.

#1 - Show Your Personality - What does your art say about you? Are you serious or playful? Fancy or fun? Does your art communicate a memory or emotion? Art is a great tool to show your personality throughout your home.

#2 - Share a Story - Every piece of art has a story behind it, which is why many people connect with art on a personal level. This can be a special reminder for yourself, or a conversation starter with guests.

#3 - Choose the Size - Perhaps you have specific size limitations... no problem! When you buy art directly from an artist, you can request a custom size to fit your space perfectly.

#4 - Select Your Colors - When you buy art directly from an artist, you can also request your color palette. Many times, we have a customer or their decorator provide us with paint and/or fabric samples so their art truly has a custom look.

#5 - Own a One-of-a-Kind - Pieces of original art can be similar, but never duplicated. When you own original art, you can be sure that no one else in the world has exactly the same piece.

#6 - Grow Your Collection - Sadly, we've had a few family members pass away this year. From our personal experience, most things don't have much sentimental value. However, original artwork and family photographs are certainly items that are cherished. Not only can you enjoy your original art, but your loved ones will also appreciate your collection for generations to come.

#7 - Support an Artist - Those who create are a special gift to society. Whether their medium is art, music, or design, supporting these creative people enables them to continue making beautiful things for all of us to enjoy.

If you've followed Andy for the last year or so, you've probably seen several of his octopus paintings. His octopus art has been pretty popular, so he usually has at least one original piece in stock, in addition to 11x17-inch octopus prints. Right now he has three pieces of octopus artwork available, with each style being quite different:

If you are interested in purchasing one of Andy's octopus paintings, call him at (850) 502-0072.

Cool facts about octopuses:

• Young octopuses learn almost no behaviors from their parents. Why? Dads die shortly after mating, and moms die within weeks or months after their eggs hatch.
• The typical life span of an octopus is between 3–5 years.
• They are highly intelligent. Maze and problem-solving experiments have shown evidence of a memory system that can store both short- and long-term memory.
• They have soft bodies, with no internal or external skeleton, so they can squeeze into impossibly small cracks and crevices.
• Though octopuses can be difficult to keep in captivity, some people keep them as pets. They often escape even from supposedly secure tanks, due to their problem-solving skills, mobility, and lack of rigid structure.
• Mimic octopuses are capable of changing their body shape to mimic other animals.
• Octopuses have four pairs of arms. If they lose an arm to escape a predator's grasp, they can re-grow it later with no permanent damage.
• All octopuses are venomous, but only the small blue-ringed octopuses are known to be deadly to humans.