Hi, I’m Abby- I’m the owner and creative heart behind Nautilus Brush Craft Studio on Anna Maria Island, and art has been woven into my life for as long as I can remember. I’m a former art teacher with a background in fine arts and illustration, and I spent 12 years teaching in the classroom as well as online in art history. Helping people feel confident creating something with their own hands has always been my passion, and opening Nautilus Brush Craft Studio felt like a natural next chapter.

I grew up shelling and enjoying the beaches of Longboat Key, Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach, and Anna Maria Island. Over the years, I collected countless shells—each one tied to a memory—but they mostly lived scattered around my home with no real purpose. Nautilus Brush Craft Studio finally gave those shells a purpose. I wanted to create a space where beach finds and creativity could come together in a meaningful, hands-on way.

Nautilus Brush Craft Studio is designed to be one of the most unique things to do on Anna Maria Island—a fun, relaxed studio where visitors and locals can take a creative break from the sun (especially when your skin is a little too red from the beach!). Guests of all ages can decorate and decoupage boxes, wooden canvases, hairbrushes, and more, transforming collected shells into one-of-a-kind keepsakes. It’s an inviting, laid-back option for activities on Anna Maria Island, offering all ages crafts that turn beach inspiration into a personal souvenir you’ll treasure long after your toes leave the sand.