The studio in a tropical garden

With my partner Marie I work from a studio at home where wooden louvres open onto a lush tropical garden. Parrots squabble under the shade of palm fronds and rainbow bee-eaters swoop into the transparent spaces between house and foliage. Time-out in the garden is often a spiritual experience.. It helps me come to terms with the cycle of our lives. Seeds borne by the wind and birds bring small pieces of our lives into other places and other lives, making new, if unseen, connections.  I have created a jungle; verdant green, dozens of palms, ginger plants, heleconias with bracts of beautiful flowers, staghorn ferns and orchids, bananas, papaya.

We are illustrators/graphic designers immersed in creative projects throughout the day but, every now and then, I find myself gazing out of the window at the garden. My body is sitting in front of a computer monitor but my spirit is riding a bicycle through Patagonia or sailing across the Pacific Ocean.  Wandering, I believe, is a genetic human condition. It is coded into our DNA and buried deep in our subconscious. But I ask myself why then do some people choose to live out their lives within a few miles of their birthplace while others clamor to escape their roots in an evolving effort to reinvent themselves? 

Sunbirds nesting outside our window

We’ve been working from home in a virtual studio for many years. There’s freedom, flexibility, a relaxing work environment and the benefit of living a more balanced life.  I dress casually, listen to the music, I enjoy and find time to work on personal projects. Often my day starts before sunrise - not fighting against my inability to sleep but using the extra time productively.  Our designs travel the world - a trekking company in Papua New Guinea, a fishing business in Costa Rica, holiday cottages in the English countryside, a bicycle shop in Canada, a crocodile farm in Queensland, live-aboard dive adventures in the Pacific ..... although in principal I’m a luddite, cyberspace carries me away from a parochial client base to a world of opportunities.

Rainbow lorikeets washing in our birdbath

A small hand written note above my desk says “today is called ‘the present’ because it’s a gift.”  I read it every morning and smile .... life goes on.

Our toucan letterbox