In my last post, I shared the first five milestones of South Island Art's decade-long journey (you can read that here). In this post, we’re looking at how the business has evolved and grown.
6 First homeware range: designing for more than a wall
My first homeware range of mugs, coasters and placemats felt like making art more real. Going beyond the wall to add a special finishing touch to kitchens, dining rooms, and living rooms, filling our homes with memories. A mug on a home-office desk to bring a smile in the middle of a hectic day. Beautifully set - and protected!-dining tables to bring everyone together, sharing memories over a meal. It took months of research and prototypes to find the right manufacturers, all based in the UK, with products that would last.
The original collections focused on London Cityscapes and Global Beaches, before I introduced the London Landmarks Collection, which has since become my bestselling collection! At an event a few months ago, a lady came by to let me know she’d bought some of those original collection coasters and that they were still going strong in her home.
See the current collection here.
7 From studio to street: contributing to a historic milestone
What do you do when a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes up, just when you’re about to go on your already-delayed honeymoon?! Luckily, I had the most incredible support from the trail organisers and everyone around me to make it happen.
In 2022, I was commissioned to paint a Corgi for a Central London art trail celebrating Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. It has to be one of the most exhilarating moments - not only being involved with a historic milestone, but to be part of a public art trail in my home city and a piece I was so incredibly proud of. There was so much research in creating the concept - a jacket made of seven stripes, one to represent each decade of the jubilee. Each stripe was filled with places The Queen had visited during that time, and the colours of each segment were inspired by her outfits from that decade. The feedback and public response were just wonderful!
8 Finding solace in nature: collections inspired by the natural world
When I started South Island Art, I envisaged creating art that would fall under three core collections: The Beach Collection, The Cities Collection, and The Floral Collection.
Why nature?
Two of my teenage art passions were the sea and florals, so I knew I wanted seaside locations to be one of my first collections, bringing the relaxing, soothing effects of beaches and water into our homes. The effects of changing light and climates have fascinated me since I was a teenager, such as how the blue hues at different locations and times of year can differ. The sparkling cerulean of the Mediterranean Sea that instantly relaxes us, the indigos and turquoises of the Indian Ocean, perfect for daydreaming, and the grey-greens of the North Sea that immediately make you stop and pause - all feature throughout my art.
From simple florals to whole gardens
It took me some years to develop the florals into a collection - months of experimenting and understanding exactly what I wanted to share. Florals became the Garden Collection, growing from a love of simply photographing flowers and studying their colours and shapes to discovering a love of birds, butterflies, and botanical gardens all over the world.
On a recent holiday to Mallorca, I saw the distinctive Eurasian Hoopoe for the first time and am dreaming up how to bring this beautiful bird into a piece!
9 An evolution in style
My shop opened with minimalist snapshots of London, North East England, Spain’s Costa Cálida, and Portugal’s Atlantic Coast—and with options on colour palettes, the pieces were designed to capture the different moods of a place. Today, that vision has grown into a collection of around 60 unique destinations across landscapes, landmarks and skylines.
My style has evolved from simple lines and shapes into richly layered, highly detailed works. Through years of mixing and pouring experiments, I’ve developed hand-painted textures that bring a tactile warmth and depth to individual pieces, comfortably sitting alongside minimalist pieces too. For the collector looking to create a meaningful home, these layers do more than just fill empty spaces; they encourage a viewer to take a second, closer look, sparking stories of past travels and dreams of the next escape.
10 Growing a collection across a decade: repeat commissions
The final milestone story I’d like to share is one rooted in collaboration and stories - those ultra-magical repeat commissions. It’s that connection over how a place can bring people together with shared interests and cherished memories.
Amanda, based in Melbourne, Australia, got in touch looking for a unique wedding gift for her sister. She’d seen the Story of Us and thought it would be a lovely idea for her sister and husband-to-be, who had travelled a lot together. We filled their skyline not just with their travels, but with the place they met, where they got engaged, and even their wedding venue.
We’ve since expanded the story with two more chapters as the family has grown.
Seeing my work grow alongside a family on the other side of the world has been one of the greatest privileges of the last decade.
If there is a 'hidden gem' from your own travels or you’d like a skyline to hold your memories, I’d love to help you bring it to life. You can find out about bespoke commissions here, or get in touch.
Looking ahead
There are so many destinations I want to add to the collection - from Mallorca to Bangkok to more London tube maps. As part of the 10th Anniversary Collection, new London skyline prints as well as locations in Canada and Sri Lanka have been added.
And I’d love to know, where would you like to see next?