YETIs and the beach go together like sweet tea and sunshine, but look a little closer and you might just find a local connection to everyone’s favorite outdoor gear.
Andy at Saczynski Gallery
Local artist Andy Saczynski has lived on the Emerald Coast long enough to be considered a local. His family moved to Niceville right before his third-grade year. He later graduated from Niceville High School and attended Northwest Florida State College on a fine arts scholarship.
“I knew I wanted to be an artist from the time I was in third grade but I wasn’t sure how to pursue a career in it,” said Saczynski, whose mediums run the gamut from wood to mixed media. “I started doing local art festivals in 2010 and we opened my art gallery in Grayton Beach in 2012.”
Saczynski and his wife are raising their five children at the beach, a place that has inspired many of Saczynski’s projects — and his personal life. His style includes components of cubism, folk art, and outsider art, using everything from house paint to recycled musical instruments.
“I’m inspired by surfing, music, Florida’s coastal landscape, and wildlife,” Saczynski said.
When asked about his favorite way to spend a day on the Emerald Coast, he offered a similar response: “Surfing and painting, all day, every day.”
Saczynski’s art recently caught a wave of its own when YETI tapped him for a collaboration.
Photos courtesy of Lori Saczynski and Alex Lewis
“Believe it or not, YETI discovered my work on Instagram and emailed me,” he explained.
The YETI Artist Series is a combination of original artwork, YETI gear, and non-profit support. Launched in 2020, artists are hand-selected by the company to put their art on a variety of YETI pieces with a portion of the proceeds benefiting various charities. Saczynski’s work involved hand-painting 60 20-oz. tumblers, which were sold only at YETI retail stores in South Florida. His work supported Heroes and Horses, an alternative program that helps combat veterans with physical and mental scars.
“We were thrilled to partner with YETI to support this wonderful organization, especially since [Andy’s] dad served in Vietnam with the U.S. Air Force,” the artist’s website said. “I think my sea life paintings made me a good fit for their Fort Lauderdale store, which is where my … tumblers were sold.”
It’s likely too late to get your hands on one of Saczynski’s hand-painted tumblers, but it’s never too late to support local artists. Stop by his art gallery in Shops of Grayton in Grayton Beach or visit his website, where you can peruse his full inventory, at andysaczynski.com.
