Our look was recently described as Coastal Bohemia. I love this description ~ as my childhood days of beach combing & coastal living influenced both my life & style. I’m a true coastal boho! The elemental quality of the ocean & all it’s offerings just speaks to me. Beach glass, driftwood, sand, sea. Arbutus branches, sea anemones, sand dollars & starfish. As a photographer/nature lover how could I resist these forms?

How could I not bring these elements into my shop as well?  Tones of white to grey, beige to silver, blue to green and every nuance in between just elevates and inspires me. 

 

When it comes to an actual summer getaway, I like casual, cottagy, beachy.

Flaked bleached wood, brittle shore treasures on a windowsill, sand dollars, the smell of reed grasses meets sea salt meets barbecue. Slightly rosy skin from a day on the water. The sound of the ocean at night while bright stars sparkle above a dark vast moving swell. I’ve been fortunate to shoot some lovely homes for HOUSE&HOME, many of them situated near the sea.

 

The common appealing trait of all these places, whether humble surf shack or luxurious waterfront  was a relaxed, intimate, textural, inviting, open summer put your sandy feet up sort of feel. ( I actually don’t prefer a residential waterfront view from afar or from high up some urban lookout. It can feel too vast, cold, empty at times. Nor am I a fan of “Nautical’ which tends to feel predictable, formulaic and almost sterile at times which is just not interesting to me. It seems too ‘formal, country club,  contrived, trying hard to impress the weekend guests sort of thing! ) Without the sand and crusty barnacles and old fade twisted rope I find it loses it charm. 

I guess that’s where the boho part of me comes in.  Vancouver Magazine described us as “Heather Ross Natural Eclectic continues to evoke her artists roots by fusing nature finds, modern ceramics, globetrotting treasures and he own paintings for a seaside/flea-market/art gallery vibe that’s anything but contrived” It’s this unconventional creative Bohemian touch brought in to the mix keeps it fresh and inventive.  Versatile. Interesting. Authentic. Personal. At least to me!

We’ve been scooping up Japanese fish floats wherever we can find them as they seem to all of sudden by hot property, going up in price and getting harder and harder to find.

It’s difficult to imagine these glass spheres served the practical purpose of making fishing nets buoyant. Surprisingly durable, they have been floating onto our West Coast shores for years, but now they are trickling down to a rare few. They delight me in the same way blowing bubbles in the summer did as a child. Ethereal orbs glinting in the sun.

I also love oceanic forms in design. Motifs of coral, clamshells, seaweed. Throughout the ages man has been inspired to carve & paint the undulating sea and all it’s bounty in wood, metal, clay, china, cloth, paper, earth.

My paintings are also highly influenced by water in all it’s forms. The pulling tide, rain, fog, mist, cloud.  The currents, the undercurrents. the mysterious watery world.

The coast can be just as beautiful, if not more so, even during a storm! So here’s to summer escapes, a free Bohemian spirit, clamshells, creativity & campfires.