When Renée Salvat was a child, she loved making cards for her family and friends and dreamed of becoming an illustrator someday. She remembers being told she would need to be hired by a large company, like Hallmark, to do so. After graduating from Indian River State College, she was working as a graphic designer and began delving into painting again when she had a realization. “It hit me that I could do it on my own,” she says. “I could start my own stationery business.”
In 2017, she started Salty Kai—the name pays homage to the sea-related artwork she began selling at craft shows and pop-ups around Florida. Two years later, she opened a brick-and-mortar boutique in Jensen Beach, stocked with a selection of stationery and art prints featuring her whimsical designs. Her work is inspired by a life spent on the Treasure Coast, in addition to her family and friends. “When painting new pieces, I always have someone in mind,” she says. “I think that makes the connection to the art even greater.” She soon plans to expand into notebooks, notepads, journals, and stickers. Salty Kai also offers a curated selection of ceramics, jewelry, and wooden art from other local artists and small businesses. 3291 NE Indian River Drive, Jensen Beach; 772.444.3176
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