Artist's work finds inspiration in beauty, romance and the sea

Mark Partington likens himself to a craftsman. His craft happens to be art.

"It's about the art of living," Partington said nonchalantly.

Partington said his works of art find basis in poetry and writings that he likes.

"My work tends towards beauty, romance and the sea, which is what life is about, with some magic hopefully along the way," the artist said rather poetically.

With his artistic roots in expressionism and contemporary realism, the Ohio native was surprised at the different styles of artwork he found on his first trip to the area.

"I knew that Panama City and Fort Walton had a reputation as ‘airbrush heaven,'" he said.

But when Partington first visited South Walton, he went back and told his wife "all you needed to create artwork was to paint a woman in a blue dress with a banana on her head and a gold sky."

"But that type of artwork seemed to always sell," he said incredulously.

Another type of art Partington found flourishing at the beach was outsider folk art.

"I thought folk art was just a movement in the ‘70s that came and went. I told Robin (his wife) it looked like people will buy any kind of art here," he said.

The Partingtons added their traditional style of artwork to the mix with their move to the area in 2001.

"My paintings look back to simpler times to the ‘pastoral painting' style or with an 'Arcadian feel' in method and subject," said Partington.

He uses Belgium linen on high-end commissions and the more expensive and archival Winton oils.

Partington's subject matter ranges from portraits and nudes to local landmarks. 

Most days, his models are his wife or daughters.

"Someone told me when I first brought my art down that my whole body of work is like a tribute to the love I feel for Robin and my girls, all of whom I paint often," he said.

In addition to painting the loves of his life, Partington has garnered clients and patrons that include Honda of America, Luxor Hotel & Casinos, The Limited, Aevida, Disney for Orlando airport, Todd Rungren, as well as several senators, governors and judges.

Partington creates from his home studio at historic Bunker Creek north of South Walton, where it's only five minutes to The Seabar by boat, he said. 

"This is old Florida. No one need lock their door; very quiet here. Great place to work," he said.

And occasionally Partington can be found painting onsite, a bit closer to the beach where kids gathering shells from the sand, the canopy of pines at Western Lake, Seaside Chapel or the old Seagrove Village Market serve as inspiration.

Partington's work is carried exclusively by Big Mama's Hula Girl Gallery in Grayton.