Island Love Story ❤️ 2/14/26

Let me tell you how this one came to life.

Island Love Story, 40” x 30” acrylic on canvas by Maggie Ruley

Back in January of 2025, I hosted a New Year’s party in the studio. Not the fancy kind. The fun kind. Lots of friends and a little buzz in the air, and that feeling of a fresh start.

One of the activities that night was a “word of the year” exercise. I handed out worksheets, we took it seriously for about five minutes, and then everyone chose a word that felt right for them. Hope. Freedom. Health. Courage. Joy. Whatever felt right.

Then I asked everyone to write their word directly onto a canvas.

All of them.

Layered together.

Thoughtful. Overlapping. Honest.

I told them I would turn that canvas into a finished painting. And I meant it.

Friends writing their word of the year on the canvas. 

For a year+  that word-covered canvas sat in my studio. It had energy. It had intention. 

But underneath it was something real.

Connection. Community. New beginnings.

I had a small  6” x 9” sketch on paper that I had been itching to turn into something larger.  I wanted to use that idea to transform all those layered words into something cohesive without losing the spirit of them. ⤵️ That little sketch became my roadmap.

Small abstract palm tree sketch.

Fast forward to Valentine’s Day, 2026

I spent a lovely Saturday in the studio working on what became Island Love Story.

Thirty by forty inches. Big enough to hold all those intentions.

As I painted, the original words started to dissolve into color and movement. Some are still visible if you look closely. (Especially from the back of the canvas) Some are buried under layers. Kind of like life.

It felt right that it came together on Valentine’s Day. Not in a romantic way. In a bigger way.

Love of community.
Love of fresh starts.
Love of being rooted here in Key West.

There’s something powerful about taking a shared moment and transforming it into a lasting piece of art.

Island Love Story on the easel. 

This painting isn’t just about what it looks like.

It’s about what it holds.

A room full of people at the start of a new year.
A simple exercise that turned meaningful.
A promise made casually that turned into something substantial.

That’s the part I love most. The evolution. The way a 6 x 9 inch sketch and a messy word-covered canvas became a 30” x 40” finished piece with presence.

That’s the real island love story.

If you added your “word of the year” to my canvas at that New Year’s gathering, you’ll find your word hidden somewhere inside.

And I kind of love that.

❌⭕️🩷 Maggie

A Still Life Inspired by Key West Happy Hour

This painting ⤵️ grew out of curiosity rather than experience.

A playful Key West–inspired still life celebrating happy hour, seafood, and the over-the-top charm of a loaded Bloody Mary. Acrylic on gallery wrap canvas by Maggie Ruley.

Update: This painting has already found a home, which confirmed for me that this direction has legs. It sparked a whole series of cocktail-and-seafood still lifes inspired by Key West’s love of good food and a good drink.

I enjoy a good Bloody Mary, 💯 but I’ve never actually ordered one of the currently trending “loaded Bloody Marys”. 

But I can’t stop looking 👀 at photos of them.   Drinks stacked with:

•  shrimp,
•  celery, 
• olives, and 
• sometimes an entire meal balanced on the rim.

I’ve been wanting to paint more still life paintings that feel right at home in Key West. 

This subject clicked. It blends happy hour culture with our love of good food and seafood. The stone crab claws were a must. They’re a treasured local delicacy, harvested by local fishermen and deeply tied to island life. 

To me, they ground the painting in place, even as the drinks themselves flirt with excess.

The result feels playful and very “Key West.” A little indulgent. A little tongue-in-cheek. And definitely celebratory.

Details:
16” x 20” x 1.5”
Acrylic on gallery wrap canvas
Painted edges with the image continuing around the sides
No frame needed

This piece is all about island flavor, visual fun, and the joy of a good happy hour—served with a sense of humor. 🍹🦀

❌⭕️ Maggie

⤵️ Scroll down to catch up on more recent posts from the studio.

First Tuesday Painting Class of the 2026 Season 🎨

 

First Tuesday Painting Class of the 2026 Season 🎨

Yesterday kicked off my first Tuesday painting class of the season, and it was such a good one.

This group did an amazing job. Two of the painters were picking up a brush for the very first time, and another student was only on her second painting ever. That’s one of my favorite mixes—experienced enough to trust the process, and new enough to be fearless.

Everyone painted a colorful parrotfish, and while we all started from the same design, no two paintings looked the same. That’s exactly how I like it.

No Rules About Color

I always encourage my students to make their own color choices if they want to. You don’t have to match my painting. You don’t have to match your neighbor’s painting. And you definitely don’t have to worry about getting it “right.”

Painting works best when you relax into it. Once people let go of comparison, the fun really starts—and it shows in the finished work. This group leaned into that, and the results were lively, confident, and full of personality.

(That group photo says it all.)

Maggie Ruley Key West Painting class, January 6, 2026

See all of the upcoming classes HERE

Mixed Media Palette Knife Beach Painting Series

 

Sea and Sand: Palette Knife Paintings from Fort Zachary Taylor Beach

This Sea and Sand series is a collection of coastal themed acrylic palette knife paintings created at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park beach in Key West. Each piece combines thick, expressive paint with real beach sand and shell fragments gathered directly from the shoreline. 

On days when I take my paints to Fort Zach, I get to combine two of my favorite things:
the beach and painting.

I set up outdoors—often at one of the picnic tables—with the water nearby and the breeze moving through. Painting there slows me down. It turns the process into something quieter and more connected to place.

Painting with Texture and Place

These paintings are built using a palette knife, layering acrylic paint to create movement and depth in the water. What makes them different is what’s embedded in the surface—actual sand and tiny shell bits collected from Fort Zach beach itself.

I’ve loved collecting seashells since I was a child. Any beach visit usually includes a little wandering and looking down. But here’s the honest truth:

Key West isn’t known for perfect beaches or an abundance of intact seashells.

Shells and coral fragments collected at Fort Zachary Taylor beach in Key West—simple beach finds that become texture and shoreline in my Sea and Sand paintings.

What Makes Fort Zach Beach Different

Our sand is made up of rough coral bits and small pebbles. The shells are often broken or tiny. What you do find are pieces of branch coral, worn shell fragments, and the occasional speck of sea glass.

It’s subtle. Textural. And very real.

Shells, coral fragments, and pebbles collected at Fort Zachary Taylor beach in Key West—materials I use to create my Sea and Sand paintings.

Instead of idealizing the shoreline, I wanted these paintings to be accurate representations of Fort Zach. The materials in the paintings reflect what the beach actually feels like under your feet. The sand and shell fragments aren’t decoration—they’re part of the story.

About the Sea and Sand Series

This series includes:

• Two large paintings at 16 x 20 inches

• Three smaller paintings at 8 x 10 inches

  

  Two Sea and Sand acrylic palette knife paintings by Maggie Ruley, inspired by Fort Zachary Taylor beach in Key West and finished with real coral sand and shell fragments.

  
  

  

  Three 8 x 10 Sea and Sand paintings by Key West artist Maggie Ruley, created with palette knife acrylic and real sand collected from Fort Zachary Taylor State Park beach.

The smaller works were started outdoors at Fort Zach on January 1, 2026, then finished later in the studio. They carry that first-day-of-the-year feeling—fresh, calm, and quietly optimistic.

These paintings aren’t about dramatic waves or postcard perfection.
They’re about texture, place, and paying attention to what’s really there.

If you’ve spent time at Fort Zachary Taylor beach, you’ll recognize the sand in the paintings immediately.

I wanted these paintings to capture the beautiful colors of the water and the distinct texture of the sand. 

The materials in the paintings reflect what the beach actually feels like under your feet. The sand and shell fragments aren’t decoration—they’re part of the story.

Holiday DIY painting class with video instructions ❗️😊

 

New Winter & Holiday Painting Tutorials — Creative Fun for the Whole Family

If you're looking for something fun and cozy to do over the holidays, I’ve got you covered. I’ve added six new winter and holiday-themed painting tutorials to my website — each one comes with digital instructions and video access, so you can paint at your own pace, anytime.

These designs are beginner-friendly and great for:

• Family art time during winter break

• Kids who need a creative indoor activity

• A quiet afternoon of “me time”

• Virtual paint nights with friends

• Grandkids visiting for the holidays

Each tutorial includes:

• Step-by-step written instructions

• A pre-drawn tracer in two sizes

• Access to a video lesson

• Supply list

• Instant digital download — nothing ships, so you can start painting right away

  Get information and tutorials HERE
  

Black Friday BOGO: Two 8x8 Canvas Prints for $79

Holiday Sale on my most popular 8x8” prints on canvas 

It’s Black Friday, (almost) and I’m running a very special BOGO deal on my 8x8 canvas prints — two for $79, shipping included. Regular price is $75 each, so this is a sweet treat for collectors and anyone who loves a little Key West color in their home.

How it works

• Browse the numbered images in my website listing 

• Pick any two

• Enter your numbers at checkout

  See the listing HERE

These small prints are bright, joyful, and full of island charm. They look great on a gallery wall, work nicely as gifts, and make it easy to add a pop of Key West color to any room. Perfect for holiday gifting, stocking stuffers, or treating yourself to a little sunshine as the days get shorter.

Each print is made to order. The image wraps around the edges, they come wired on the back, and they’re ready to hang. Since they’re printed just for you, please allow  production time before they ship.

Important details

• BOGO price: Two for $79

• Shipping: Free in the continental USA

• Unframed: Canvas wrap with finished edges

• Made to order: 9–12 day production

• Estimated shipping time: 14–21 days

• Sale ends: Saturday, November 29, 2025

• Order now to receive them before Christmas

I’ve added clear numbers to each print so it’s simple to pick your favorites. These designs are some of my most loved — roosters, cottages, beach bikes, palms, and tropical views that carry that easy Key West energy.

If you’re not in Key West this season, this is a fun way to bring a little island warmth home.

Visit my website to order yours today.

About the Artist
Maggie Ruley is a studio artist living in Key West, Florida. Her colorful, island-inspired acrylic paintings celebrate the charm, light, and character of Key West life. Maggie’s work is collected worldwide and can be found in island homes near and far.

She has been featured in The Key West Citizen, New York Daily News, and other publications.

Visit her studio and gallery, Maggie Ruley ~ Island Inspirations, at 933b Fleming Street in the Historic Seaport area of Old Town Key West.
www.maggieruley.com

Let’s Go Sailing

 

Skimming Through Summer Seas

There’s something timeless about a sailboat gliding through turquoise waves under a bright sky. I painted this small piece to capture that effortless feeling of freedom that comes with a sunny day on the water.

The blue-green-white color palette is one of my favorites — cool, calm, and clean. It’s the same range of colors that makes island life so refreshing and beautiful, from the sea to the clouds overhead. A little painting like this brings that breezy Key West energy right into your home.

Island living and coastal decor in one small package.

Details:
8” x 10” acrylic on canvas panel, framed – $325

See more or purchase HERE

Wishing you all smooth sailing, ⛵️ Maggie 

Regarding yesterday’s blog post: Before and after photos.

I had to make a few small tweaks to the paintings. I think the only one I didn’t “fix” is the flamingo.

AFTER⤵️

BEFORE ⤵️

See if you can spot the difference? 

Read yesterday’s blog post HERE

Some People Aren’t Afraid of Bright Colors. #MyKindOfPeople

  A Happy Butterfly Finds a New Home 🦋

There’s nothing better than seeing one of my happy paintings find the perfect home! These two lovely ladies stopped by the studio and instantly connected with this big, bright butterfly. With its sunny yellows, playful brushstrokes, and tropical pops of color, it’s sure to bring joy and energy to any room.

And how fun is this — their sneakers match the painting! Clearly, it was meant to be. 💛💙💚

Sometimes all it takes is one piece of art to lift the mood and add a burst of color to your home.

Two happy collectors and their new Key West butterfly painting, by Maggie Ruley— look how their sneakers match! 🦋💛💙💚

All for now, Maggie

I just love "before and afters", don't you?

I'm always sucked in by those "before and after" articles in magazines like Coastal Living. 

There's just something I love about the transformation process.

Maybe it's because that's what happens when I paint.  The canvas goes through a transformation. From nothing but white to whatever I want. "iheartmyjob

Lately I've been experimenting with what I call "complicated backgrounds".  

Sometimes they're super complicated, like this series. 

And sometimes they're just a little wild and crazy.  

I'm getting ready-to-get-ready to start a new series of Key West cottage paintings, for a show I have coming up in February. So, I've been fooling a round with the wild and crazy concept to see if I can use it to get some interesting (not your usual ho-hum) cottages. 

I've still got to tweak it some, but there are some fun aspects to painting this way.

Here's the before

What I love about this start is it's feeling of movement

And here's the after

I ended up covering up more of the original layer than I would have liked. But that's the joy of painting. Each painting is a lesson!
Corner Cottage with Cat

This painting is 16" x 20", so it's too small for the show, but like I said, I'm getting ready to get ready.

And it's always good to work out the problems on a small scale before you pull out the big canvases. #learnedthehardway

Have a great day,

hugs

Maggie

By the way? Are you getting my updates by email?
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Have you signed up for my free class? Click the link below.

Pricing your art: a free online mini training.

Maggie Ruley is a studio artist living in Key West, Florida. Her studio and gallery, Island Inspirations, showcases her artwork and is a creative learning center for her students.

When she's not in the studio, you can find her volunteering with local non-profit arts organizations, teaching classes and workshops, or at the beach.

Her colorful paintings and tropical pottery are collected world wide and can be found in many island homes. She has been featured in the Key West Citizen, the New York Daily News, and other publications.

Her handmade ceramic flip flops have been sold in gift shops all along the east coast and in California and Hawaii.

Her studio and gallery is located in the Historic Seaport area of Old Town Key West.

Maggie Ruley~Island Inspirations

933b Fleming St.

Key West Florida 33042

www.maggieruley.com

Wild Papaya

Papayas are growing in wild abundance in the Florida Keys

And they are PERFECT for painting!

About 4 months after Hurricane Irma, papaya plants started to spring up everywhere in my neighborhood as well as others.

They are a super interesting plant. There's a male plant and a female plant.  The male plant has the flowers and the female plant has the fruit. And there are different varieties growing.

In my yard I have lots of male plants and only two female plants. And what's interesting is the two females have different kinds of papayas on them. One has small pear shaped fruit and the other more oblong fruit.

I've been admiring them for months and finally got around to painting them, (after taking tons of photos)

This is a male plant. The flowers are starburst clusters on long stems.

However, I did not paint them from the photos. I took the leaves, the fruit and the flowers into my studio and painted directly from my observation of them.

I had so much fun painting one, that I did a second one.

Each painting started on one of my "complicated backgrounds"  where I put thin layers of multiple colors all over the canvas.

Here's the set up for the first one.

You can see what I mean about a complicated background painting.

I think it's beautiful and amazing that the interior is in the shape of a star.

Detail: you can see where I'm using paint lines to sketch in the fruit.

Detail: I'm starting to add some greens to the leaves.

Here are the finished paintings

Wild Papayas no.1

Wild Papayas no.1
 30" x 24", acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, 2018
$975.00

Wild Papayas no.2

Wild Papayas no.2
24' x 18", acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, 2018
$695.00 

I'm not sure I'm finished with this series yet.  I think I want to paint one with a red background.  The challenge for that would be to not make it look too Christmas-y, with the green leaves.  I like a challenge

By the way? Are you getting my updates by email?
If not sign up HERE.
All for now, have a lovely day.

Have you signed up for my free class? Click the link below.

Pricing your art: a free online mini training.

Maggie Ruley is a studio artist living in Key West, Florida. Her studio and gallery, Island Inspirations, showcases her artwork and is a creative learning center for her students.

When she's not in the studio, you can find her volunteering with local non-profit arts organizations, teaching classes and workshops, or at the beach.

Her colorful paintings and tropical pottery are collected world wide and can be found in many island homes. She has been featured in the Key West Citizen, the New York Daily News , and other publications.

Her handmade ceramic flip flops have been sold in gift shops all along the east coast and in California and Hawaii.

Her studio and gallery is located in the Historic Seaport area of Old Town Key West.

Maggie Ruley~Island Inspirations

933b Fleming St.

Key West Florida 33042

www.maggieruley.com

Olivia Street Cottage, from en plein air to commission

I encourage my painting students to paint from life as much as possible.  It really accelerates their learning speed. Painting from photos is fun and easy, but you see everything in 2D and there are a few other challenges.

To keep up my painting skills I like to go and paint en plein air (fancy French term for painting outside) occasionally. The lovely lanes and cottages that abound here in Key West make great painting subjects.

Plein air painting sessions tend to be shorter than indoor sessions. Not only is the light always changing, but wind, bugs, heat, and other elements can work your last nerve.  In order to complete, or get close to completion in a short amount of time, plein air paintings tend to be on the small size.  But not always.

Many artists use these smaller, quicker paintings as studies for larger works.  I recently turned a small 11" x 14" plein air painting into a larger work because a customer liked the painting but needed something larger to fill her space. 

A studio piece is never going to be exactly the same as the outdoor study. What I like is that it gives the painter a chance to make some changes.  I changed the light and shadow under the porch because I wanted to. (I think slashing diagonal light is more interesting)  And I changed focus to the front door and the plantings along the fence line because the customer said that was what she liked about the original painting, the color she saw in the plants.

Lovely on Olivia

SOLD

16 x 20"

Lovely on Oliva Street - Study

acrylic, 11' x 14"

$345

Painting in the works

In other exciting news.................

I have a new gallery assistant and now I am able to get into my pottery studio 2 days a week and there are new pieces ready to go into the kiln. 

It was so much fun to make the pottery, I can't wait until it's finished. 

If you are reading this is your inbox thank you for being a subscriber.  If you want to read it in the original blog format which can connect to other fascinating blog posts click here.

Maggie Ruley is a studio artist living in Key West, Florida. 

Her colorful paintings and tropical pottery are collected world wide and can be found in many island homes. She has been featured in the Key West Citizen,

the New York Daily News , and other publications.

Her handmade ceramic flip flops have been sold in gift shops all along the east coast and in California and Hawaii.

 Her studio and gallery is located in the historic Seaport area of Old Town Key West.

Maggie Ruley~Island Inspirations

933b Fleming St.

Key West Florida 33042

www.maggieruley.com