Art Tour St Maarten – St Martin: The Artists
Our Artists
We have 15 artists partaking in our Around the Island Art Tour, 5 of whom were born in the Caribbean. The others have come from overseas – some already decades ago – to settle in our balmy bays and paint our vibrant local scenery, taking advantage of the bright Caribbean light. The various backgrounds of our artists have created a wonderful palette of styles and techniques which can be enjoyed during our St Martin Art Tour.
The St Martin Art Tour is a unique opportunity to meet the artist, to admire his or her work (most artists can normally only be visited by appointment) and to buy originals or reproductions if you wish so.
FYI: Seagrape Tours supports the artists and does not charge the artist for the visit nor do we take commission on any art sales.
Take Your Pick
Please let us know which 4 artists from the listing below you would prefer to visit. Our St Martin Art Tour has a maximum of 6 guests per tour, so chances to see at least some of your favorite artists are pretty good.
For more practical info and bookings go to Art Tour St Martin.
Sir Roland Richardson
A descendant of an old plantation owning family on St Martin, knighted by the Dutch Queen for his part in registering the views of and on the island for decades. You will both admire his paintings of St Martin’s national tree the red flowering Flamboyant as well as this artist’s flamboyant character. Bear in mind that Roland Richardson’s Art Gallery is not open on Sundays and the master himself can only be met on Thursdays.
Nicolas Esparon
ESPA is a self-taught artist born on the Reunion Island and raised in the suburbs of Paris, France. After moving to Saint Martin with little savings and an ever-growing passion for street art, ESPA began to help local businesses to redesign their menu slates, interiors, and storefronts. During the first COVID lockdown, with the absence of street art opportunities and wanting to lift up spirits on the island, ESPA launched his poster project centered around Saint Martin’s identity. ESPA opened the Pop-Up Store in Marigot to exhibit part of his artwork and showcase his murals. The Pop-Up Store’s concept constantly evolves to follow the artist’s inspirations and is best described as a laboratory of curiosities in which you will find original creations and limited editions, on a variety of mediums.
Carla Templeton
Born in Mozambique, Africa, Carla arrived on the island of St. Maarten in 1989. She was first introduced to pottery and hand building in 2011. She is an artist, who draws her inspiration for her raku clay work from her Caribbean beach surroundings. Focusing on her surroundings she tends to create sea life and is influenced by the different coral formations which she encounters on her many hikes along the sea shores. All her work is 100% hand molded, air dried and glazed, using brilliant Caribbean blues, and other brightly colored glazes.
Maximiliaan Phelipa
Born in the Dutch Caribbean Max displays his colourful oils, pastels and acrylic works around his house in a very neat and lush garden in the center of Philipsburg. His favourite subjects are tropical flowers, local scenery and portraits.
Dame Ruby Bute
Born on Aruba from St Maarten parents, is a wonderful story teller, poet and painter and has been knighted by the Dutch Queen for her work as a self-taught artist and art teacher, teaching prisoners and children on the island. Her colourful paintings depict life on St Martin as she remembers it from when she was small. Ruby Bute is always happy to tell the story behind whichever painting you prefer, in the art gallery next to her home.
Zdenka Kiric
Originally from Croatia, this powerful woman who sailed across the Atlantic on her 28-foot boat and on her birthday lost the boat in the hurricane. She designs and handcrafts fine jewelry on St Maarten. The pieces are created with pearls, rare gemstones, gold, silver and vermeil. Each piece is unique and easy to wear. At a pearl bar you can select your own pearl and with Zdenka design your own special piece.
Zdenka runs The Art Box Gallery and next to her own work she displays the largest selection of fine arts and crafts of other St Maarten and Caribbean artists and artisans. In this eclectic space acclaimed names like Jean-Michel Lengrand and Poirier-Nkpa Florance stand besides Jean-Pierre Straub or Sir. Roland Richardson.
Alexandre Minguet
Born in March 1937, Beziers, France. Passed away in 1996 in Saint Martin. He was a painter of l’Ecole du Louvre & l’Ecole de Paris. The colorful paintings and handmade lithographs of the late Alexandre Minguet are shown in his former studio, by his daughter Catherine. Growing up on the island she remembers her father painting the bays, life and flowers of St Martin. Also, early works of Minguet can be admired, depicting the French country side of Normandy, with a clear difference found in the use of colors.
The gallery exhibits also many other Caribbean and French artists with colorful artworks.
Timothy Dowling
Born on Sint Maarten, is a versatile artist and art teacher whose inspiration comes from his heritage (Caribbean; Saba and Suriname) but also from his nostalgic and vivid childhood memories of St. Maarten. He has worked for almost 20 years in the animation industry, he paints, designs, knits, crochets, sculpts, makes ceramics, does wood work, writes and makes children books including art work.
In his gallery you will find his artwork; original oil paintings and one-of-kind handmade ceramics as well as works of other local artists.
Christiane Ladéon
This great watercolorist, born on Martinique, only discovered her talent in 2015 when writing her first novel on the subject of endometriosis, a chronic illness she is enduring.
Christiane started taking art classes and was inspired by her teacher to develop her talent and expose her work.
Painting now offers her an escape from her pain and illness and has given her new meaning to life.
Mark Templeton
Sailing from South Africa in the late eighties, he landed in St Maarten/St Martin, which became his home. Mark is well known in the marine industry as a custom fabricator in stainless steel and aluminum. He creates his sculptures in stainless steel, aluminum, steel and various types of wood. His outdoor sculptures are bold, while creating, finer elegant indoor sculptures. Mark is a chef by trade and has mastered the art of welding and fabricating with his years of experience.
Tessel Verheij
Born in the Netherlands, she decided to follow her life’s passion by becoming an artist in her own right and help others on the same journey by becoming an art teacher. She creates art on different mediums with a fascinating variation in materials such as local sand and a very rare medium combination, vitrail with resin.
Paul Elliott Thuleau
Tropismes art gallery, located in the famous gourmet capital Grand Case, is run by artist Paul Elliott Thuleau. It showcases his vibrant and minimalistic paintings of local Creole houses.
The gallery also exhibits famous contemporary Caribbean painters, sculptors and photographers such as Nathalie Lepine, Antoine Chapon, François Castelain, Christian Saba, Mario Benjamin and Alejandro Ulloa.
Laurey-Ann Fairbairn
Sint Maarten national, originally from South Africa. She is an artist inspired by taking what nature created so perfectly, clay, and remolding it into new organic forms. Her popular Urchin series reflects bubbling surf and intricate coral filigree. Every piece is hand built as seen by the spiraling indentations of her thumbprints.
Francis Eck
Bright and abstract oils of Caribbean seascapes as well as snowscapes, since this French artist grew up in the French Alsace. All his works, including the more detailed paintings of musicians, are made with palette knives. Francis Eck displays his works around his pool at his home in Orient Bay, a peek into his studio is part of the visit.
Antoine Chapon
Light and airy watercolors of St Martin seascapes in different hues of blue are Antoine Chapon’s trademark. Antoine was born in France in 1952 and sailed to St Martin in 1981, he’s lived at the foot of the hills in Colombier and now creates his wonderful works at his home in the bay of the French Cul de Sac. During the tour we’ll meet Antoine in Grand Case, at Art Gallery Tropismes.