There’s something about water that calls to makers: the rhythm, the reflection, the endless ebb and flow that provides a wellspring of inspiration. In honor of that ceaseless creation, we’re celebrating artists across the U.S. and beyond, who turn everything from salvaged buoys and driftwood to freshly milled wood, rope, and metal into stunning pieces that reflect their deep connection to the water.
We scoured coastal galleries, social media, and online shops to find a mix of the practical and the purely beautiful – hand-carved wood that captures the motion of the water, rope art inspired by seascapes, salvaged materials given new life, and coastal pieces that carry the texture and spirit of the shoreline.
Whether you’re looking to add a maritime touch to your home, boat, or gift list, these handmade creations remind us that nautical art is a way of keeping the spirit of the water close, wherever you are.
“I was born in a small Wisconsin town on the banks of Lake Michigan, and moved to Clearwater, Florida, in 1988,” says artist Corey Hudson. After several years living along the New Jersey coastline, he’s now back on the “pristine beaches of the Clearwater/Tampa Bay area.”
“I specialize in coastal modern salvaged wood art, for both residential and commercial,” he explains. “I try to salvage wood with a history or a story to tell. I like to bring new life back to something that has been discarded.” His reclaimed wood includes some dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s, salvaged from Superstorm Sandy and historic coastal buildings.
Hudson’s work draws calm from the sea itself. “Nothing calms the soul like gazing out over the ocean, as the waves meet our beautiful coastline,” he says. His art now appears in homes and commercial spaces across the country.
“Each piece is conversational yet inspirational,” he says, “as this wood has survived to tell the story.”
The Montana-based artist, climber, and designer transforms colorful retired ropes into nature-inspired art that reflects her love of wild landscapes and water through her company Hyalite Designs. “Climbing and being outside is my main form of inspiration,” she says.
Her creative journey began in Boise, Idaho, and ultimately led her to Bozeman, Montana – home to Hyalite Canyon’s frozen waterfalls and alpine lakes. “The exhilarating experience of exploring Hyalite Canyon and mastering the delicate balance of strength and technical ability in climbing continually inspires me,” she says.
Whether scaling ice, sketching by a river, or shaping rope into sculptural form, Stylos draws from the same current of energy. “Beautiful places have always been a steady source of inspiration flowing through my art and life.”
“I started my studio in 2008 with a high-mileage sedan, a box of hand tools, a newborn daughter, and – most importantly – a supportive wife,” says fine woodworker and artist Greg Klassen. “The recession was in full swing, and I was chasing a dream with more hope than sense.”
He got by on small commissions and long hours. “We built by day and wondered how to keep going by night. I showed my work in galleries, sold at art fairs, joined studio tours – anything to keep the lights on. Some pieces won awards. Others gathered dust. But I kept making.”
Then came the table that changed everything. “The River Table – born from two live-edge slabs and a piece of hand-cut glass – went viral in 2014. Suddenly, the world took notice. My inbox blew up, and so did demand. That one idea became a collection. The collection became a career.”
Today, Klassen works from his handcrafted studio in Washington, creating his signature collections. “The ‘River Collection’ is inspired by rivers,” he explains, “and the ‘Archipelago Series’ draws inspiration from the San Juan Islands, where I often explore by water in my SeaSport 2200.”
“I created this piece specifically for my solo exhibition ‘Waste Not’ at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in the summer of 2025,” says artist Erik Olson. “‘Waste Not’ was a collection of 17 works dealing with the effects of plastic waste on our waterways.”
A former advertising creative who grew up on a hog farm in northwest Iowa, Olson now works from his home studio in Plymouth, Minnesota, transforming discarded plastic into provocative, quilted, layered art. “In my continual quest to achieve zero waste,” he explains, “this piece was made from all the clippings and sweepings I’d saved from 2023 to 2025. I keep a bucket of clippings in my studio and use it as fiber fill.”
The result? An impressive wall-size sculptural “rope” of discarded plastic tied into a bowline – a nod to the boating world and a powerful metaphor. “It represents all the plastic waste we create,” Olson says, “and how it becomes an anchor in our lives.”
“I paint and etch on things that have had another life,” says the Sitka, Alaska-based artist. “A lot of it is old fishing gear: fishing buoys that have washed ashore, glass floats, pieces of antlers, skulls, insulators, and other things that have outlived their first use.” Raised in Washington, Spurlock moved to Alaska to fish almost 10 years ago after feeling “the pull to try the boat life while I was still living in the city.”
“I came here for commercial fishing, and I did that for a few years. My most recent job was working at a marine hardware store, which I loved. But now I make things full-time. I’ve had my art as a business since 2021. It just kind of started by accident and grew into my current job.”
Because the objects she uses as her canvases are found, she adds items to her shop as she finds the pieces and is always adding more. “I love making things that reflect life in the fishing town where I live and the wildlife nearby. Creating big, one-of-a-kind pieces is one of my favorite things. The subsistence lifestyle on our little island requires everyone to make the best use of what they have, and that’s what I love about making art out of things that have outlived their original purpose!”
“The craftsmanship of boats and the sense of freedom that comes with being at sea have always been a source of inspiration for me,” says Turkish metal artist Polat.
What began as a hobby has evolved into a business and a way to share that love of the sea with others. “I’m inspired by the elegance of boats, and the stories carried by waves. My goal is simple,” the self-taught artist says of his metal work. “To bring a piece of the sea into the living spaces of everyone who loves boats.”
Now, Over to You! While we’ve searched high and low, we’ve only just skimmed the surface. Do you know, or are you, an artist creating uniquely beautiful or practical nautical pieces? We’d love to see your work. Email us at Magazine@BoatUS.com for a chance to be featured in a future issue.
Published: January 2026
Contributing Editor, BoatUS Magazine
Ann Dermody is the former managing editor of BoatUS Magazine and now runs Cloverland Communications, a marketing and communications company for tech scaleups and associations. She and her late husband spent two years living aboard their 48-foot Chris Craft, Desperado, in Central and South America.