850 GOOD NEWS: How painter Justin Gaffrey turned his 9-5 into a nationally recognized art career

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - We’re taking you inside a place where every wall, every room, and every brush stroke tells the story of an artist who never wanted a “real job” and built a life and business much more colorful because of it.

Just beyond the exterior of this gallery, you’ll get a peek inside the life of a now nationally recognized artist. And you might just find Justin Gaffrey-- still painting-- inside the place where it all began.

“I like to create things and make things,” said Justin Gaffrey.

It started in his twenties-- when he decided he didn’t want a traditional career.

“Being an artist, I think, was the best choice to do that,” said Justin Gaffrey.

Back then, he was building furniture.

“This room right here was my woodshop,” said Justin Gaffrey.

But a single experiment changed everything.

“One day, I decided to paint a painting on a piece of furniture, and the next day I painted a painting. I haven’t stopped painting since,” said Justin Gaffrey.

That was in 2001. His first piece sold fast and gave him the confidence to keep going.

“That just propels you. It gives you the confidence to keep going,” said Justin Gaffrey.

Soon, his style began to shift.

“My style has just kind of evolved into my own style of impressionism, working with textures,” said Justin Gaffrey.

That signature texture-- the thick, sculpted paint-- is what set him apart.
But paint companies weren’t making anything thick enough.

“I always wanted to learn how to make my own paint,” said Justin Gaffrey.

So in 2019, he started making his own.
By 2020, Gaffrey Art Material was born-- right here in Santa Rosa beach.

And this gallery-- filled reminders of paintings-past-- used to be his actual home.
Gaffrey built it himself in the ’90s for his family.

“I think I drew it in 24 hours, and then we built it,” said Justin Gaffrey.

He moved out only a few years ago, but the memories still live in the walls-- the scratches, the paint, the stories.

Today, he sells hundreds of paintings a year.

“I always consider myself a prolific artist because I can’t stop working,” said Justin Gaffrey.

And as he prepares for his next chapter, he says some feelings never change.

“I feel pretty lucky to have this career. I still get excited,” said Justin Gaffrey.

From the house he built to the gallery he filled to the art he can’t stop making, Justin Gaffrey’s story comes full circle inside these rooms.

Justin says he plans to build a gallery out in new Mexico. That way, he can draw inspiration from both our beaches and the mountains.

His latest series is called Liminal. To view those works of art, visit justingaffrey.com/pages/liminal-collection.

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