FOR ARTISTS WHO WANT TO DISPLAY THEIR WORKS IN THE GALLERY
Our gallery in downtown Foley showcases around 75-80 artists. We have about 150 members and artists are rotated on a timely basis to ensure everyone has a chance to show. Each month during February - October, we feature an artist on our large gallery wall. The featured artist also has an artist reception one evening and all are welcome to come! On this page you will find a list of the current members displayed in the gallery.
David G. Rickman
David Rickman grew up around art his entire life. From a family of artist including his grandfather, who was an artist/cartoonist. David grew up studying his grand-fathers artwork and sketches early on in life. After receiving his Art degree from the Memphis College of Art, David continued to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and began painting and creating his own style of rhythm for painting by his early teens. He has won numerous awards over the years for his paintings and design work in galleries and in the marketing industry. David has shown in many galleries throughout the south. David lives in LA (Lower Alabama) with his wife Sandy, on the beautiful Gulf coast of Alabama. His present work is influenced by the coastal landscapes, and years spent on the Tennessee River.
Artist Statement My abstract expressionism process is fluid and changes occasionally meaning “no boundaries”. The color selections for my paintings may seem a lot at times but really have a small orbit of carefully chosen hues that are never about the individual colors but how these react to one another. Once I start developing a piece, it really takes on a life of its own. I am not replicating what I see, but to feel and see through color, motion, and the movement when painting. It’s been said that art resembles life and life resembles art. What I am doing is showing the best of both worlds infused together. Something that will stir the soul and move the viewer into the work itself.
“THE CANVAS IS LIKE A ROADMAP WHERE WE SEE OUR ART AND OUR HEART MERGE AND INTERSECT”
Cindy Sprute
Hello everyone, my name is Cindy Sprute. I have been a Louisiana native my whole life. My husband and I relocated to Foley in 2018, after I retired from a 39-year nursing career.
I am a self-taught artist, so I believe dabbling in various forms of art throughout my life has developed my Eclectic art style. Gaining a true "honed in" art style has always been a challenge for me, due to so many interesting materials, mediums and techniques. God gave each of us unique talents, interests and abilities, so an artist doesn’t really fit a mold!
I enjoy experimenting with my art, anything from acrylics on canvas or reclaimed wood, driftwood and shell flower pieces, driftwood and bead mobiles, and the whimsical assemblage of found objects in my Tiki Masks and character paintings. Those make my heart chuckle! I also enjoy fishing with my husband (I’m usually beachcombing for treasures) and spending time with the grandchildren and extended family and friends. I am a member of Morgan’s Chapel UMC, in Bon Secour, and serve as church organist, which brings great joy to my spirit.
Sandra Evans
When Nature Meets Art!
Welcome to Pecan Cottage Press, we are a local mother daughter team based out of Alabama. We are excited to offer our unique wood home decor, seasonal items, farmhouse accents, gifts and more.
We are passionate about creating something unique and creative out of a piece of blank wood, fabric and other items and we take great pride in our craftsmanship.
We hope you enjoy our creations as much as we enjoy making them!
Aimee Wissman
Beachin' Vibes Jewelry started as a small hobby that quickly turned into a passion. I was intrigued by the endless possibilities of polymer clay, being able to create a custom color whether it is solid or translucent. Growing up in Massachusetts I've always been drawn to the beach and creating pieces with a beachy vibe that others can enjoy has been a lot fun.
Linda Scott
I began painting in my early 30's in Tennessee. It was a wonderful outlet for me as I raised my 3 children before I went back to work again. Even among the mountains, my heart was at the beach.
Many of my paintings in the early years depicted palm trees and sea birds. We moved to the Eastern Shore, making a home in Daphne, 20 years ago, and I now get to live the life that I love to paint. I call my style "Southern Coastal." Along with crabs, oysters, shrimp and herons, I love our cotton fields, flowers and boats. I am now a full-time artist, and I enjoy participating in the art festivals in this area.
I was honored to be the poster artist for both the Jubilee Festival of Arts and Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival. You can also find me at the Peterson Anderson Festival, Annual National Shrimp Festival and Art in the Pass. Teaching "fun art, not fine art" classes at different venues along the Eastern Shore allows me to share my love of painting and creating with new artists. As the saying goes, if you love what you do, it's never work.
Linda B. Schmitz Spangrud
Linda B. Schmitz Spangrud is a local resident, Alabama sea turtle volunteer, and international author, known most recently for her Turtle People Series. Her third book in the series, “Miss Linda and the Turtle People Celebrate Mardis Gras” was recently released. Previously she published two other books in the series: “Miss Ella and the Turtle People” and "Miss Sandra and the Turtle People”. Her books are available in two languages, German and English, and sold in three continents. Every May local businesses and individuals present over 700 copies of "Miss Sandra and the Turtle People" to 2nd graders in local elementary schools. Books are available in Tacky Jacks , Cosmos, Cobalt's, GT‘s, Gulf State Park Camp Store, Fort Morgan Gift Shops, Souvenir City in OB and more along the coast.
“Miss Linda” grew up in Iowa and spent her career as a teacher, principal, and school district administrator in Illinois. She is passionate about reading and learning. Her zest for living includes writing, reading, golfing, music, and travel. She also writes grants, newspaper and magazine articles. She and her husband Tom are active in the community. They have been sea turtle volunteers since 2006. Linda is also the executive director of Foley Sister Cities International which has a partnership with the city of Hennef in Germany. Additional information about Linda and her books can be found at www.spangrud.com
Jane Lee
Jane Lee is the artist and owner of Coastal Creations. She moved to the Orange Beach area from Slidell, Louisiana nearly ten years ago.
She began doing different coastal art and crafts, inspired by her love of the beach. She incorporates natural elements of the Gulf Coast to create one of a kind works of art!
In addition to offering her art in shops along the gulf coast, Jane offers classes to individuals and small groups in Orange Beach, Alabama.
Denise Bourgeois
Denise Bourgeois is a Gulf Coast artist and resident who receives inspiration from this beautiful area as well as her extensive travels.
To see more of her work and stay up-to-date on all her happenings, please follow her on: facebook.com/ArtbyDenise Bourgeois/ or send an email to:
Barb Nassar
Barb was a full time art educator and visual artist, majoring in studio art at Michigan State, and completing undergraduate and graduate studies in Georgia. Barb found the joy of clay soon after beginning to teach children. Their love of clay building inspired her to incorporate this medium as her own. Working in clay since 1988, specializing in the raku glaze firing process since 1990, her sculptural art pottery has been in numerous exhibitions, galleries, and juried shows. After teaching for almost 30 years in the Atlanta area, retirement called and Barb moved to the Gulf Shores, Al. region, still working in clay and teaching a variety of students.
"The world, for me, is one of beauty and constant change. I fully believe that every one has the potential to enjoy this wonderful creation, nurture it, and create something for themselves. I think of myself as a primitive realist. Creating original designs with the fanciful appeal of the real world, adding realistic details with which each takes on a personality of its' own."
Kristin Pierre
Award-winning Contemporary Impressionist, Kristin Pierre, takes you on a journey of beautiful landscapes through her original oil paintings. Kristin’s use of vibrant colors, brilliant textures and deep perspective will captivate you as she brings depth and life into each of her paintings. Kristin strives to bring a sense of peace to her viewers through her oil paintings and finds much of her inspiration from our beautiful coastal landscapes. Along with creating original oil paintings, Kristin teaches various classes & participates in many outdoor art shows. One of her favorite outdoor shows every year is "Art in the Park" here in Foley, AL.
Carol Edington
Subject matter and how it affects me emotionally are at the heart of what I paint
or assemble from natural materials. Whatever I make has to evoke feelings of
peacefulness, hope, whimsey and/or joy in me as I go through the process. It is
my hope that whoever seeks reminders of these feelings will resonate with my
creations. The collection of my various forms of art I have named “Bein’ a Bird:
Artful Gathering.” This name is inspired by the way birds gather anything they can
find to create something useful and beautiful. Watercolor, acrylics and the
combination of natural materials are my current media. I especially gravitate
toward the subjects of birds, nests, feathers and eggs since my husband’s career
has taken us all over the Southeast and we are often “nesting” with new people in
new places.
James and Summer Tankersley- Ocean Ave Photography
As a dynamic photography team, We possess a unique ability to go beyond the ordinary and create stunning, timeless images. Our approach is far from a simple point-and-shoot; instead, we strive to deliver heavily creative and artistic results. With an unwavering passion for our craft, we capture the true essence and emotion of every moment, ensuring our clients have beautiful and unforgettable images that will withstand the test of time.
Included photo of Summer taken by James
Jerome Greene- Hand carved wooden jewelry
Jerome Greene is 87 years old. He has a degree from RIT in furniture making. His "wood shop" is a 4ft X 6ft storage closet attached to his apartment. He makes jewelry out of a variety of woods using the natural color and grain in his designs. Jerry's jewelry can be acquired through Foley's Art Center on Main Street in Foley.
Roberta Speh- RJM Designs
I am a mixed-media artist creating unique two-and three-dimensional fiber and fabric designs that incorporate a mixture of craft techniques, such as beading, crochet, knitting, pyography and macrame.
After several years of creating art quilts, I've changed direction to explore tapestry weaving on small hand-held looms. These designs range from the colorful underwater life of jellyfish and coral reefs to the midnight beach adventures of newly hatched sea turtles scrambling across the sand into their new life in the warm Gulf waters.
My art journey began with galleries and weekend craft shows in California and continued after moving cross country in 1974 and connecting with galleries and shows in Alabama and Florida. It's been a grand adventure that included one-man shows in all three states and ribbons for some of my art quilts.
Michonne Henthorne
Hi, I have lived in Foley since 2017.
I call myself a sewing hacker because I love to design and create using beautiful fabrics. I have made some quilts for family but I mostly enjoy creating new designs with pretty colors on smaller projects. I am always looking for quilt shops on our travels because they will have a good variety of quality fabrics.
I also love spending time with family & friends, gardening, reading, and playing tennis.
DOROTHY SHERMAN
Dorothy has had a lifelong love of painting. Growing up on a farm in Northern Indiana was a start to experience the beauty of nature. And in her adult life having homes overlooking lakes continued to connect to the beauty of landscapes.
All of these experiences have inspired her to paint serene landscapes that she hopes will transport her viewers to a state of peace and tranquility.
Dorothy has studied art through art classes and various workshops presented by renowned watercolor artists as Tom Lynch and Karlyn Holman. She has been active in Art Leagues in the Chicago area, Hayward Wisconsin and now in Foley and Gulf Shores. At times she even teaches painting classes at her home.
The annual TRIM A TREE also finds an entire tree filled with over 100 of her original paintings on ornaments. Scenes of traditional as well as lighthouses, golf, Jeeps, Flamingos, beaches & palm trees, Cardinals, Grinch and even special orders.
As much as her love of painting has filled her life, she has enjoyed a fulfilling career as a registered nurse.
Linda-Bell Schorer
Linda-Bell is a local clay artist. She gets her inspiration from the beach. Her functional wheel thrown and hand built pieces are all food safe.
Kevin Cobb
Kevin LOVES to create art! An expression without words. Today Kevin works with primarily three different mediums; soft pastels, acrylics and watercolors.
His art allows him to bring smiles to others with his creativity and imagination.
A stroke of a pastel, a sweep of a brush, a blank canvas, all these elements combined with an idea become an expression of Kevin. They become his art. A piece of his heart.
As a high school student, Kevin found his niche in art class. He found his voice.
A passion that over time has grown and evolved. What began as doodles in grade school, became projects in art class, to expressions of his heart today.
For Kevin, every beat of his heart comes with art folded in. He has found sharing the love of art feels almost as good as creating it. Seeing a person connect with one of his creations is amazing. When their eyes shine and their face lights up. They found the piece that fits within their heart. Again, there's a little art in every heart.
As our everyday normal evolves, Kevin hopes that his art brings happiness and comfort. That everyone gets that little piece of art that speaks to their heart.
Art speaks to us all in different ways. We may look at the same piece of art at the same time, but we will all take a different piece from it. Kevin's wish is that his art brings with it a 2022 that is beautiful and kind.
Art: creative visions emerging for the world to see
Steve Ricker
My interest in art began at an early age growing up in Hamilton Illinois. One day in third grade our teacher had us do a finger painting of the school's playground. When I presented my painting to my mother, she said "You are an amazing artist". This was the start of my life long passion for art.
For many years I painted only occasionally. In my late thirties I enrolled in college to pursue a degree in Computer Graphics. It was there that I met an art professor while taking an elective course in painting. We became friends and he mentored me in many aspects of art. He encouraged me to display my art in galleries and to enter into juried shows.
Years later I retired and moved to Spanish Fort Alabama, where I met many local artists and joined the Eastern Shore Art Center as well as The Foley Art Center.
I get my inspiration and visions from nature. My primary medium are oil colors and charcoals. My style has evolved from realism to abstract/realism, which I hope draws the viewer into the painting to see the message that I want to express. I paint high key with intense colors and in my recent work I've utilized large brushes and palette knives. This provides me with bold marks and the illusion of detail.
Art gives me much satisfaction and my hope is that it also provides enjoyment to others.
JIM HAYGREEN
I'M JIM HAYGREEN AND HAVE BEEN DOING STAINED GLASS FOR OVER 30 YEARS. MOST OF THAT TIME DOING LEADED GLASS WINDOWS AND DOOR PANELS.
SEVEN YEARS AGO I STARTED TO ADD WARM GLASS TO MY ART. NOW I DO MAINLY WARM GLASS & WIND CHIMES WITH SOME LEADED GLASS MIXED IN. THIS IS A SEVEN INCH BLACK/CLEAR CUSTOM PLATE WITH BUBBLES.
PICTURE DOESN'T DO IT JUSTICE!