Collected by the Tide
For every tide returns
with open hands.It bears no gold,
nor promise of riches,
only quiet offering.Shell, stone, feather,
and the beauty of
forgotten things.I have learnt
that such gifts are enough.
Collected by the Tide grew from memories of the coastline where I grew up in New Zealand. It wasn’t a polished beach with clear water. It was dark and murky, with broken shells, rusted metal, red clay rocks, thick flax and trees that curved over the water. When the tide went out, you could walk so far it felt like you might reach the other side.That landscape stayed with me. It made me curious about the history of the sea, the objects it leaves behind, and the stories that become attached to them. I wanted to capture the beauty in those quieter places, not just the pristine coastlines people often imagine. To me, they’re just as beautiful, rich with texture, character and wonder.Every piece is made by hand using carefully chosen and collected materials. I hope that when someone carries or uses one, they’re reminded of another place, or inspired to imagine a story of their own. I think those small moments of wandering through your imagination are important.
Exploration
Before the collection became handmade objects, I spent time exploring some of its ideas through small paintings and studies.
The Crossing — Early exploration of maritime folklore and imagined sea stories
What the Tide Returned — Exploring memory and objects returned by the tide
ACEO Series
From The Journal
I write things down wherever I can. Ideas usually end up across different notebooks, bits of paper and whatever happens to be nearby. These are a few pages I managed to find again.
The Collection
Some ideas stayed as paintings or notes. These are the ones that eventually found their way into the collection.
Wayfinder
Not every journey follows a chart.Long before the coastline appears, there comes a point where direction is guided by instinct as much as by map.
Wayfinder draws from the quiet confidence of those moments, where weathered bronze, sea glass blues, amber and moss greens come together like fragments gathered from many crossings.
A reminder that sometimes the journey itself becomes the guide.
Night Passage
Some journeys are measured by the light they leave behind.When the shoreline disappears, the sea takes on a different rhythm. Deep blues, shifting reflections and quiet currents become the only points of reference. Night Passage draws from these hours, where layered blues, weathered bronze and scattered light echo the calm uncertainty of traveling after dusk.
Sunlit Shoals
The tide lingers longest where the water is shallow.Sunlit shoals are places where sand, shell, and sea meet beneath clear, gentle water. Light settles differently here, revealing soft colours, weathered textures, and the quiet details often missed beyond the shoreline. Sunlit shoals comes from these calm places, bringing together warm ivory, honeyed gold, and translucent tones that echo the stillness of the shallows.
Deep Soundings
Some pages feel like open water.Deep blues, weathered ivory and dark glass are inspired by the quiet practice of charting the sea, where understanding came not through certainty, but through careful observation and patience. Deep Soundings reflects those moments of discovery, bringing together colours and textures that echo old charts, deep water and the stories gathered along the way.
Fairway
The channel shifts with the tide.Turquoise glass, weathered ivory and a silver shell are inspired by the quiet channels that weave between sandbanks and shoals. Known as fairways, these changing passages offer a clear route through shallow water, shaped by the movement of the sea. Soft coastal colours and natural textures reflect the calm rhythm of water finding its way.
Siren’s Wake
Some stories stay with the sea.From old sailors’ tales to imagined coastlines, Siren’s Wake is inspired by the folklore woven through life at sea. The bronze mermaid sits among weathered glass and shifting coastal colours, bringing together fragments of myth, memory and the tide.
Mariner’s Keepsake
Some things are found long after they’re lost.Mariner’s Keepsake is inspired by the small objects gathered and kept after long journeys at sea. The antique bronze setting, weathered pearls and warm amber tones recall keepsakes shaped by salt, time and memory, bringing together quiet fragments of a life spent close to the water.
Before the Lighthouse
Where the horizon keeps its silence.There is a moment before a lighthouse appears, when the sea feels endless and direction is held only by hope.
Before the Lighthouse was created for that quiet stretch of water, where darkness, distance and anticipation exist together. Deep black tones, worn metallic textures and soft pearls echo the feeling of navigating by fragments of light before the shore comes into view.
Where the Water Deepens
Where distance becomes depth.As the coastline slips beneath the horizon, the sea begins to change. It grows quieter, darker, and impossible to measure by sight alone.
Where the Water Deepens reflects that gentle descent into open water, where familiar landmarks give way to unseen depth. Deep cobalt, sea-glass blues and soft pearls echo the shifting colours of the ocean as the light slowly fades.
Among the Kelp
Where the light arrives in pieces.Kelp forests quiet the sea. Long ribbons rise and fall with the tide, scattering the light into shifting fragments.
Among the Kelp draws from these sheltered places, where layered greens, weathered earth tones and translucent details reflect a landscape shaped by movement, depth and time.
Contact
If you'd like to get in touch about artwork, exhibitions, collaborations, commissions, or even just to chat, id love to hear from you.