May 2016 I was fortunate to fly to Brisbane to create a "Pearling" theme mural for the Ellies Pearls Workshop/Gallery in the heart of the city. The idea was that the mural would represent the history of pearling and the particular fish and sea creatures that the deep seas divers would encounter while on their dives.
Standing on less than a meter of bench space I balanced my way across the work bench for a best part of a week, listening to my favourite songs often having a boogie when no one was watching.
One of the highlights for me was watching the jeweller create the exquisite pearl jewellery on the work bench behind me. When I was younger I worked on a pearl boat, had many friends who are/were pearl divers and grew up in a town that celebrates pearling and its history. It is needless to say it has given me a huge appreciation of all aspects of the pearling industry, from the very start of the process growing the baby oyster shell in a SPAT farm all the way to watching a jeweller and his client create an original and unique piece of jewellery.