Girl and the Deep Blue Sea | surface pattern designer & artist

Post Image

How I turn travel inspiration into art: a Crete collection in the making

Travel changes the way you see the world - for artists that new colour, light and textures can be the…

https://girlandthedeepbluesea.com/2026/03/02/how-i-turn-travel-inspiration-into-art-a-crete-collection-in-the-making/

creating the summer Sardine T-Shirt I've just released my first t-shirt design - a fun and colourful trio of sardines! I love painting and drawing fish, and after seeing the 'sardine girl summer' trend I was super inspired to paint my own sardines. I've been using a lot of mixed media over the last year or so, and knew that I wanted an expressive and layered look to the sardines.

creating the summer Sardine T-Shirt

I've just released my first t-shirt design - a fun and colourful trio of sardines! I love painting and drawing fish, and after seeing the 'sardine girl summer' trend I was super inspired to paint my own sardines. I've been using a lot of mixed media over the…

A Calm Little Holiday Gift Guide Ah, the end of the year… that mix of warm weather, tired kids, long afternoons, and inboxes overflowing with sales. I wanted to put something together that felt a bit calmer — a simple, beachy gift guide with pieces I’ve made and genuinely love. No rush, no pressure. Just relaxed summer energy and thoughtful things for people who adore colour, nature, and the ocean.

A Calm Little Holiday Gift Guide

Ah, the end of the year… that mix of warm weather, tired kids, long afternoons, and inboxes overflowing with sales. I wanted to put something together that felt a bit calmer — a simple, beachy gift guide with pieces I’ve made and genuinely love. No rush, no…

Physical Pet Portrait

Physical Pet Portrait

Digital Pet Portrait

Digital Pet Portrait

Post Image

Minjerribah Photo & Art Diary

My family recently celebrated two birthdays and we have a tradition where we try to go to an island for birthdays – so this time we went to the beautiful Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island).…

https://girlandthedeepbluesea.com/2025/11/03/minjerribah-photo-art-diary/

Sketchbook Art Play Can you believe it has been over a year since I last blogged about my sketchbook 😬 Which is funny because I consider my sketchbook/s to be probably the most important part of my art business - it's where I improve my drawing, experiment with colour, and basically just play around and create ideas. For quite a few months now I've been practising a daily sketchbook routine - I might make my next blog post about this, how and why I started a daily sketchbook because it is so good!

new blog post!

Iluka Photo Diary It's not often you find a spot that offers something for everyone in the family (including the dog!). Iluka is a beautiful quiet coastal town in Northern NSW that we first discovered last summer. It has an amazing blend of beach, river, rainforest, and laid-back charm. Iluka is located on the north side of the Clarence River - opposite the more popular town of Yamba which you can visit easily with a ferry.

Iluka photo diary 💙

my sketchbook lately #art #sketchbook

Pass it on.
#StandWithUkraine

Sketchbook illustration of a tropical fish in colours of purple, yellow, pink & white

my sketchbook this week.. I have a routine where I fit 5-15min drawing in each morning before any screens - this fish took me 3 mornings, the paint swatch I already had in my sketchbook. I’ve used watercolours, fineliners & coloured pencil over acrylic paint #marinelife #sketchbook #mixedmedia

Hello! I'm Anna - the person behind Girl and the Deep Blue Sea 🌊🐚✨
I love drawing, creating patterns, photography, travelling and searching for wildlife!
I live in beautiful sub-tropical Brisbane and am lucky to be surrounded by so much inspiration ☀️🌸🐠

love the colours 😍

Hi Daryll! yes thank you that would be awesome! 😊

inspiration vs #art - six-banded angelfish and a crab claw from Fitzroy Island off Cairns.... I just had to turn these into a pattern! #surfacepatterndesign #marinelife #tropicalfish

my art desk this morning 💙 #art

I made a starter pack for illustrators and surface designers so we can find each other & connect! Let me know if you’d like to be added (or removed)!

go.bsky.app/QNy4Z82

do you keep a daily sketchbook? this is one of my favourite sketches of 2024 🌟 #art #sketchbook #sketchbookart #sketchdaily #sketching

the best inspo 😊

love the fish 😊

aww thank you!

wow the patterns are amazing 😍

amazing drawing 😊

wow that is stunning!

a drawing of a pink and yellow fish with blue and white details in the background

a watercolour illustration of a shell - checkerboard bonnet - which is white with brown patches, on a blue watercolour background

which one do you prefer - the fish 🐠 or shell 🐚? #art #illustration #watercolour #natureart #shells

an underwater photograph of a large colourful giant clam mantel

a photo of a colourful fabric with an abstract pattern inspired by the colours and shapes of giant clams. The colours are purple, blue, yellow, and pink.

my inspiration vs. the art - the giant clam 🌈✨ #art #surfacepatterndesign #underwater #marinelife