Modern Coastal Art made in Florida
How is started and how it’s going
Call me Jules. Some years ago – never mind precisely how long – I was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, miles away from the place my family lived at the time and where I now call my forever home. Flagler County is comprised of three cities, all nestled together on the east coast of Florida, each with its own history, vibe, and charms. Of the three, Palm Coast is where I live and create my art; Flagler Beach is where I find the shells, driftwood, and inspiration to create it.
My artistic/creative journey has been a life-long endeavor, but only in the past few years has it culminated in the art that you see in these pictures. My mother was always the most creative in our family and her shell mirrors and driftwood mirrors, as well as pottery, needlepoint, and stained glass still adorn this home that I was raised in. They all surround me with her love and memory.
I moved back home almost 10 years ago to care for my father whose Parkinson’s disease had progressed past independence and safety, necessitating someone to be always with him. Losing my mother broke my heart; caring for my father and spending my time creating beautiful art has helped to heal it.
Behind our detached garage is a small studio my father built for my mother. Within it, in baskets and boxes, drawers and shelves, all bursting with treasures – not only the shells and driftwood I was expecting, but journals filled with inspirational sketches and magazine clippings, bones and carapaces from marine life, ropes, nets, sea beans and mermaid’s purses, coral, sea sponges and sea fans, and thousands upon thousands of coquina shells.
A lifetime of walking in the sand, breathing in the sea air, and cherishing the bounty of nature the ocean gave up.
Starting with her collection and slowly amassing my own, I’ve taken what she taught me and continued to grow and learn this beautiful way of bringing nature inside, making it a part of a home.
As a business of one, I’m managing my growth so as never to lose sight of my foremost priority – my father’s care. To that end, I do not have an online store that remains stocked with rows of inventory. There is one listing in my Etsy shop: a Coquina Shell Mosaic Kit. I love the idea of making it easier for someone else to make something beautiful of their own.
For now, as I write this in August of 2022, I have taken on individual commissions and continue to create and make pieces for the Palm Coast Fall Arts Festival at the end of October.
You can keep in touch with me on many of the social channels or sign up for my newsletter (as yet unwritten but will be a place for new releases and updates about sales and available pieces).
Thank you for reading this and being here.
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