beginnings

Kelpi Studio began by the sea. Above: sailing across the Atlantic as crew, 2022

Living in Cornwall, much of my inspiration comes from everyday moments along the coast. My observations of rockpool worlds, shifting seascapes, and the South West Coast Path became the starting point for my work, shaping both my jewellery and my printed collections. 

But it didn't come together until after my travels in 2022. To truly appreciate the nature on my doorstep, I had to travel to distant places, cross oceans, and volunteer my time to helping the world's struggling nature. 

This is the story of Kelpi. 

wanderings

Above: Clearing up litter from Norway's uninhabited islands. 

I wanted to dedicate time volunteering and learning new skills. So I found myself in an old croft in the Outer Hebrides protecting trees from deer, on Norwegian islands with an NGO to pick up ocean plastic, and crewing on a sailing boat across the Atlantic. 

I wasn’t prepared for the contrast of beauty and damage I witnessed along the way. Deforested Scottish landscapes, plastic washed ashore in uninhabited islands, and coral reefs looking bleached and tired. 

homeward

When Kelpi began, I didn’t know where my journey would lead. I was unemployed after my travels but fuelled with inspiration and more care for the planet than ever. As a designer, I felt a responsibility for whatever I brought into the world. It needed to have sustainability and craft at its core. Otherwise, what was the point?

At the same time, I realised how deeply I loved the nature on my own doorstep in Cornwall. There felt like space for my interpretation of it, using materials and processes that made sense for both the place and the print.

Kelpi is born

Above: Kelp design on a seaweed paper journal.

This kelp design was a result of my early experimentation, inspired by the playful shapes of seaweeds swaying beneath emerald water. Using inks, a square brush and freeform painting, I wasn’t trying to capture a specific species. I wanted to paint the feeling, the sensation of swimming through underwater forests with light catching the seaweed fronds. I wanted to carry this feeling throughout my work. 

where purpose aligns

Above: Kelpi x REWILD collaboration. Image courtesy of Codie Hobbs photography

I never imagined how far Kelpi would go. I would see my ink sketch of Kelp on seaweed paper stationery and, later, on a recycled swimsuit. A hark back to where this all began, when I experienced the extent of the plastic problem in Norway.

Kelpi Studio grew from these experiences. A desire to create thoughtfully, to work responsibly, and to make pieces that feel connected to place, movement, and the sea.