“I wasn’t born here, but I moved here when I was one. Kangaroo Island is all I remember. Because there is so much open spaces and nature, you are always kind of outside at the beaches. Growing up, that had a huge impact on my inspiration, my work, and what connects me back to my childhood at those places and the energy I feel there. It reinspires me; it is extremely special.
When I was younger, I used to love the sticker books you opened up, putting stickers in there, colouring in books, and creating and writing my own books; that was huge. I suppose I always had a creative gene in my body. The first ever time I created something that people loved was my first calendar, straight after finishing high school. I couldn’t find a job anywhere, and I wanted to get more creative because I was very drained academically at the time. I aimed to inspire people and show my creative side, so I released my first ever 13 watercolour paintings in that calendar.
After my gap year, I went to Uni for a year. I initially studied philosophy and creative writing but changed my major five times. During this time, I also travelled to Tasmania, studying Uni online. I felt very isolated in my studies and travels, and having Covid thrown in the mix didn’t help. My biggest learning experience from that year was understanding I am the only person who has the power to find my passion and pursue my dreams. In the end, no one else can do that for you.
Creativity and art have always been a big part of my life, and I knew they were something I wanted to pursue. I realised it might take me a long time, and I would have to sacrifice a lot of things to financially support myself in this, but I knew long term I would be building a very fulfilling life – emotionally, financially and everything in between.
In February 2022, I opened my gallery, Bloom by the Ocean. I wanted a space where I could create bigger works and film the process as well, hold exhibitions, workshops and grow within that space. The first year of that has been a bit of a rollercoaster. I didn’t really have an art style, and I feel like that is really important to find going forwards. Knowing what you want to say through your art. I didn’t have that and didn’t have any art skills, so I kind of had to build my foundations. I didn’t know how to market myself or create content. I had to learn that along with basic business skills and understand different income streams that can help me grow and pay the rent.
When I won Entrepreneur of the Year at the KI Business Awards, it felt pretty cool to get recognition because sometimes you think you are doing so much work and wonder, ‘Are people really seeing or appreciating this?’ You don’t realise how many people are watching behind the scenes.
During the second year, I found my art style. I like to create whimsical landscapes and portraits with watercolours that connect you back to your inner child, the wonder and excitement from that, and I want to inspire you to do that in your life right now. Bring back the nostalgia of those times and recreate them in your life through small things or big dreams you have. I draw lots of inspiration from Kangaroo Island, the books I read as a child, and the places I visited in my imagination, which have influenced what I create now.
I am 22 now. Once I discovered my art style and knew what I wanted to say with my work, illustration projects and commissions started coming in, and I grew an audience quite quickly.
Most of my commissioned work comes from off the island through Instagram and TikTok. Some people find me in the gallery and say, ‘Hey, I follow you on social media,’ which is so cool. So much work goes into video and content creation, and to see that pay off, with people coming to visit you, is awesome. I would love to travel in the near future. I definitely need to go and learn from others, gain more experience, and meet other artists to connect. It’s a really big thing for me. I will have my first interactive solo exhibition in Adelaide on the 12th and 14th of January 2024 and can’t wait to showcase what I have created over the last year, so I hope plenty of people will come and support me. I have sacrificed a lot to make my dreams happen, but I have always kept looking at the big picture and all the small steps that have taken me so far, making you wonder where you will head next. Where are you going to be in the future? You have to look at your big goals, remind yourself that all this hard work has gotten you somewhere already, and know that it will pay off.”
Find out more about Chantal and her work by visiting her website.
