OCEANS

The otherworldly rhythms of the sea are like a call to Home, beckoning me.

I love being in the water. There is nothing quite like getting to explore an ecosystem that is equally astounding and daunting, nothing in the world like taking in the magic shimmering down around you from the surface, of sharing space with the countless species that call the world's oceans Home. 

I have been working on The Global Chapters for a few years now. At first it was simply a space to have my work, with my name attached to it, all in one place. I love stories and how each chapter is different and expands the story out more all the time. The Global Chapters is, in many ways, the story of my life's adventures and all of the different chapters that unfold over time. And because so much of my life is about adventures and travel with my loved ones and by myself, these are the stories that mean the most to me and that I want to always be able to look back on and remember. The Global Chapters felt like a natural way to do this. 

I am an artist to the core and I have been taking photos and drawing artistic inspiration from the time I first went overseas to New Zealand back in 2015. When I was brainstorming ways to expand and evolve this passion project of mine into something bigger, I knew that I wanted to create pieces that we will have in our own home and that others could fall in love with, too. Finally, the first collection for The Global Chapters is here!

Oceans encompasses what I think most fondly of when I get to go on adventures in and on the seas; the intricate ecosystem of Apex predators and prey, the Depth of the deepest oceans in the world, the Affinity of how each species in the sea flourishes and thrives in alignment with one another and that wild and wonderful feeling of being Anchored to the ocean in the best way. This collection means so much to me and I am overjoyed to share this with you all (and, in all honesty, a bit of nervous energy).

I have never created so openly like this before. My art has always been for me and my loved ones. Now, I can feel that this is the right time to take this leap of faith. Some of the best and most wildly wonderful adventures and experiences happen on the other edge of a leap of faith. How magical is that? This is unlike anything I have ever done and yet it feels so natural. I cannot wait to continue to work on The Global Chapters. I love stories as much as art and something that I love is seeing not just the finished products of artists but also the process that went into creating them. With this in mind, I wanted to give you an insight into everything that went into bringing this collection inspired by one of my favourite places to be, to life. 

Expanding The Global Chapters in a new direction

I knew that I wanted to release collections based around different experiences, ecosystems and parts of the world. Because I am an artist, it made so much sense to me to kickstart this new trajectory with the first collection mirroring one of the places in the world that I love most. Oceans. Throughout the last few years, we have been fortunate enough to be able to dive into this ecosystem in some extraordinary destinations. We have been gifted adventures to swim with whales right off the coast of our Home. We have whirled around the crystal clear waters around Indonesia and taken leaps off boats as they have come to a halt, to share the water with manta rays. We have swam among schools of fish and alongside beautiful sea turtles. We are both PADI Open Water Certified. Every time I immerse myself in the salt water of the ocean, I love to practice my breath holds so that I can stay under the surface longer before having to come up for air.

The ocean is one of both of our absolute favourite places of Earth. And it seems like the best source of inspiration for my first collection. So, it is. I still cannot quite believe that this is finally happening. Truthfully, I don't know what this is going to evolve into. Just like when I started this website years ago for myself,  this expansion of The Global Chapters is for me and my loved ones. But you know what? It is also about creating beautiful pieces that inspire people and that they fall in love with and want to have in their space, too. When I was a little girl copying my Pa as he drew, I never imagined that I would even be this brave and believe in myself this much. This is more than I ever imagined I could create and bring to the world. I truly hope you love this new direction of mine.

Bringing The Global Chapters' first collection to life

Oceans has been in the works for around a year now. Being a creator to the core, it has been such an epic process for me to get to know this new side of myself and what I can do. I know that this is a constant learning curve. And I have never had so much fun. Each piece for The Global Chapters started out as a moment of inspiration that spiralled into (very) rough drafts to get ideas down on paper. My work is very much an intentionally slow process so that I can bring the (admittedly quite simple, at that first point) vision in my head to life. I draw from colours, patterns, cultural symbols and adventures from specific parts of the world to create each piece. What you may notice is that the mixture of traditional cultural patterns and my own patterns intertwines. I never really know exactly what a final piece is going to look like. I love that feeling of excitement seeing that last line join and seeing the entire piece for the first time.

I use our photos or images from some of the ocean's most spectacular species as the undertones. I then began to draw on my iPad, adding the details and line work over digitised versions of the rough drafts. This entire process is freehand. Each drawing can take up to forty hours or so to complete. And after each of these pieces is finished, I started solidifying my suppliers and organising samples to ensure that the pieces were going to have the feel and quality that I want them to. There are two elements of the process that I was most invested in and that are non-negotiable  for me. First, the eco-friendly standards of my suppliers. And second, the quality. This of course includes the drop ship framework. For both my prints and apparels, I wanted to make sure that I was choosing and working with suppliers that did not contribute to unnecessary waste. I want The Global Chapters to start out as en eco-friendly brand because this is so important to me. I will always be searching for ways to enhance and improve this approach.

Leftbank Art Group is a phenomenal print company based here on the Gold Coast that I actually found through an incredible line work artist, Jess Lambert. I recently picked up my samples and I was - and if I am being honest, still am - blown away by the print quality and the sharp detail. Leftbank has gone above and beyond to make this process as easy and fun as possible for me. I cannot wait to work with them more! (artists, if you are looking for a print supplier, this is your sign...Leftbank are the best out there). And my apparel has been carefully selected and worked on for a year now with Printful. Guys...when I tell you that holding my first apparel samples in my hands was one of the coolest moments in my life, I am not joking. And finally, of course my website is Shopify. As far as ecommerce goes, no one is doing it as well or as fun as Shopify is. While The Global Chapters is all mine, I would not be able to evolve it in this direction without those three fantastic companies. 

Bring the magic of the oceans home

Any time there is a chance to be in the sea, to explore parts of the world under the ocean's surface, that is where I want to be the most. I am always left in awe by the quiet movements of the octopus, the effortless depth of a whale, the graceful affinity as manta rays dance around one another, the powerful beauty of a shark...there is nothing in the world quite like the ecosystem of the world's oceans. Find yourself practicing your breath holds while you try to keep up with a fever of rays or simply spend more time watching the sun play with the ocean. Magic is everywhere - especially in the sea!

It has been a journey to get here. And while I am so proud of what I have created I also know that there is always room for improvement. So please be honest with your feedback. Let me know how I can do better and be better. Tell me if you have ideas. I love it so much when people are so excited by a concept because it is literally a blank page. You can create anything in the world. What is more fun than that? And finally, if you would like to, you can also purchase custom one-of-a-kind pieces from me as well (just send me an email to kickstart the adventure!). 

Thank you

 This little venture is so much more than I ever could have dreamed of for myself. I have been working on this for nearly a year now and I am so proud of it and so excited to share it with you all. Finally, Oceans launches this week. I truly hope that you love this first collection as much as I do. I cannot wait for this wildly wonderful adventure! ✨