Artists showcase their work at Summer Art Mart

By Ian Swaby
| 10:20 a.m. August 24, 2026

Lisa Moynihan of Scandinavian Wallpaper unfurls a community art project created on wallpaper. "We are flattered to be here to share our wallpaper as art," she said.

Sarasota
Neighbors

Randy Simonian has been across the beaches of the Gulf to locations that include Sanibel and Captiva islands, Venice, South Lido Beach and North Longboat Key, collecting shells he incorporates into artistic displays.

However, the Lakewood Ranch resident had not taken his project to an art show until Sunday, when he was one of the vendors at the Summer Art Mart at Art Ovation Hotel.

Art Mart events have been held twice a year since Robyn Holl, cultural curator at Art Ovation, joined the hotel in 2022.

"I was thinking about just giving lots of artists opportunities to come out, and having this experience for the community to check out local vendors," she said. "I mean, some of these places don't have their own shops. They don't sell in any public shops, so they don't get that many opportunities to come out into the public and offer their products and arts."

Simonian began turning his enjoyment of collecting into art between nine and 12 months ago at the suggestion of a friend.

"I just love nature and the outdoors, and I walk the beach a lot, so why not walk the beach and find some fun shells?" he said. "Usually at sunrise, the birds are chirping and the waves are crashing. It's like beach therapy, and to be able to find shells and make it a little side business, I don't think there's anything that could be more cool than that. I mean, we already live in paradise. Why not capitalize on it?"

For Roxane Gabriel, who recently moved from California, the event was a chance to gauge interest in her thick-textured impressionist paintings, which have been a side business to her career in IT.

Gabriel started painting when her mother began developing dementia 10 to 15 years ago. She uses paint from Gaffrey Art Material, creating three-dimensional elements from the heavy texture.

Her work includes flowers, which she creates by inserting the paint into a canister for decorating birthday cakes. She has previously been involved in shows and has work on display in a Tampa deli.

As guests began to browse the market, she said she was looking forward to finding out the level of interest.

"If I get interest, I like that," she said. "I'm not doing it to make money, obviously, but it's fun when people people like it. It makes you feel good."

Roxane Gabriel of Roxane Gabriel Art showcased her three-dimensional impressionist-style paintings.

Aranka Fazekas showcased her colorful artwork.

Luka Butorac, 5, explores jewelry at Tiny Cottage Designs. He was visiting the market with his brother Beau Butorac, 2, and father Brett Butorac, to buy gifts for his new siblings, newborn twins Declan and Abigail Butorac.

Gail Saraceno of Spiritual Dots showcased her mandalas. She creates each one individually. "You don't know what you're going to end up with, which I think is what makes makes it all fun to do, because you don't know what it's going to be," she said.

Randy Simonian of RangoonArt showcased the pieces he has crated with shells collected along Florida's Gulf Coast, including this piece incorporating shark's teeth he found in Venice, Florida.

Roxane Gabriel of Roxane Gabriel Art decided to have some fun with one of her art pieces, incorporating sailboats and life preservers.

Jim Salter and his significant other Donna Cipolla talk with Randy Simonian of RangoonArt.

A community art project by Scandinavian Wallpaper allowed individuals to make their own artistic contributions to a slice of wallpaper, filling out the pattern of blank frames originally intended to showcase polaroids and photographs. The banner received signatures and illustrations from hotel guests and community members beginning on Wednesday the previous week.

Robyn Holl, cultural curator at Art Ovation Hotel, organized the event.

A seashell oil lamp by Susan McKamey of North Port sits illuminated at the maket.

Animals from Camille's Crochet are displayed at the market.

author

Ian Swaby

Ian Swaby is the Sarasota neighbors writer for the Observer. Ian is a Florida State University graduate of Editing, Writing, and Media and previously worked in the publishing industry in the Cayman Islands.