Sea Soul Studio.

 

Tell us about Sea Soul Studio and how it all began.

Sea Soul Studio has been in existence for about six years now and is the identity and umbrella under which all my points of inspiration coalesce into clay forms.  I have always been a maker (thanks Mum for dyeing endless packets of macaroni for my sisters and I to make necklaces with!) and when I eventually got around to clay it felt like my universe exploded… Today I am still excited and brimming with new ideas; the possibilities seem endless.

My main points of inspiration are our dear old cottage by the sea here in Tasmania, location and lifestyle. Also travel, roadtrips and general gypsy wanderlust. Gosh, that’s not very concise is it? Ok, as an example I recently created a cicada wing pendant which came about on one of our jaunts in our campervan “Madeline”; I found a deceased one and took it home, it brought back so many memories of my childhood summers at a shack by the beach that I wanted to create something to always keep those memories close.  On our property we find lots of pieces of old china and you can see that referenced throughout many designs, particularly in my favourite blue and white. All my pieces and collections have a story.

 

 

What can’t you live without in your studio?

A ceramicist is only making mud pies if she doesn’t have a kiln to fire with and I’ve just bought a second one; hopefully this will help my cramped studio run a bit more efficiently.  Kilns are treacherous things and opening the lid after a firing is equal parts anticipation and terror, so much can go so very wrong. So I always say a little prayer as I set her up; so far we mostly get along.

What inspires you creatively and keeps you motivated?

I’ve just returned from a rather grand elopement to Santorini and 7 week jet-setting honeymoon! I have thousands of photos, many of which will form points of inspiration for new designs. I have already started a new pendant I want to call The Aegean and there’s a backlog of other things all jostling about in my head trying to be the next one to get formed. Other than that, I am focussing on meeting retailers whose aesthetic and lifestyle-promotion most closely ties in with Sea Soul Studio. It’s so important that the right products are in the right place to be found by the right people! That sense of continuity and connectedness from maker to owner, often via the experience of a lovely retail space, feeds my soul.

What is it about Hustle&Scout that made you want to be a stallholder?

Hustle&Scout coming to Hobart is so exciting. I’m looking forward to showcasing some of my more out-there and one-off pieces and hopefully finding an audience for them. It’s also nice to bring the focus back to my jewellery as over the last 12 months I’ve been kept busy with the homewares side of my business (greedy plates and spoons taking up all the space in the kiln). Oh! And of course, the opportunity to meet and buy from some of the makers whose work I know of but haven’t seen in the flesh yet.

 

MY FAVE THINGS

Guilty pleasure:

Black Russians as a night cap; it’s my new chocolate.

 

What I wanted to be when I grew up:
All the predictable things, hairdresser, vet...

 

Fave fashion piece:
A beautiful, locally designed and made leather jacket I bought on my honeymoon in Mykonos, I’m sure it was made just for me.

 

Fave place to unwind in Hobart:
On top of my stand-up paddleboard! I also like brunch at Ginger Brown cafe in South Hobart.

 

Role models:
I really like the deconstructed styling of Sibella Court and particularly when I’m travelling I try to focus on the unusual and unexpected; at the Trevi Fountain in Rome I’ll be the one with my back to it taking a photo of a rusty window grate.