Artist Spotlight: Sandra FitzSimmons

Artist Spotlight: Sandra FitzSimmons

This week, we’re thrilled to feature Sandra FitzSimmons, a coastal artist whose work is steeped in storytelling, memory, and the beauty of the Southern landscape. Sandra is one of our Art Source artists here at The Green Room at 831, and her paintings capture the essence of life along the coast, from tidal pools and oyster beds to sweeping sunsets and magnolia blossoms.

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Meet the Artist

Sandra’s journey with art began at just 10 years old. “My mother caught me drawing on the lining of her fancy living room drapes,” she laughs. Instead of discouraging her, Sandra’s mom enrolled her in art classes, the first step on a lifelong creative path.

She went on to earn her BFA from the University of Georgia and continued her studies in decorative painting and fine finishing techniques in Toronto and New York. For many years, Sandra worked in interior design, founding Griffin Interiors, a firm that completed luxury residential projects across the country.

But her heart kept pulling her back to painting. “Eight years ago in Savannah, I decided it was time to paint for ME, full-time.” Today, she paints daily from her sunlit studio in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, overlooking a lush lagoon filled with inspiration.

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Artistic Style & Inspiration

Sandra describes her style as rooted in storytelling. “My stories come off the swish of a brush, a smudge of my hand, and washes of vibrant handmade colors,” she says. Her paintings often layer memory and place, sometimes even incorporating fragments of paper or dried flowers.

“I grew up in the deep South and coastal Lowcountry, immersed in marshes, oysters, sunsets, and tidal pools,” Sandra explains. “Each painting feels like a story waiting to be told.”

"Sassy Gator in a Magnolia Lagoon" 15"x 40"

"Preening Flamboyance" 18"x24"

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The Role of Place in Her Art

Sandra’s paintings are inseparable from her surroundings. “Oysters, shorebirds, magnolia blossoms, gators, mysterious lagoons, sunrises, and sunsets, all of these influence my palette,” she shares. “The natural world of the South is my home and my muse.”

"Ibis Luncheon in my Orchid House"  36x36

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A Favorite Piece

When asked about a favorite subject, Sandra immediately returns to a lifelong muse: oysters. “Oysters and I go way back,” she says. “When I was a young girl wading in Hilton Head’s Calibogue Sound, I would scoop them up in the skirt of my sundress to roast at the cottage. That fascination has never left me.”

To this day, oysters remain central in her work, often paired with shells, baskets, and coastal textures that carry both personal and regional significance.

"Slurper Hug" Coming soon to our Fall Collection - Mariners Season: Autumn on the Water

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Quick Favorites

  • Favorite color to paint with: “It’s impossible to choose just one, but I find myself drawn to pinks, corals, and blue-greens. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with creamy whites, adding small touches of aqua or coral to bring balance.”
  • Favorite coastal spot: “Any place near the water, any water.”
  • Favorite art supply you can’t live without: “My handmade brushes. They allow me to make unique marks that bring individuality to each painting.”

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Anything New?

Sandra is always exploring new opportunities to grow as an artist. This fall, she will be traveling to New Orleans for an Abstract Immersion workshop. “I’ve been part of an online Art Partnership group for two years, and this will be the first time we’re meeting in person. It feels like such an exciting new chapter.”

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Connect With Sandra

We are honored to have Sandra as part of our Art Source roster of artists. You can follow her journey and explore her work further below:

✨ Sandra’s art reminds us how memory, place, and story can be woven into every brushstroke. We’re thrilled to share her voice in our Artist Spotlight series and can’t wait to see what’s next for her.

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