Meet Traveling Artist Ceri of Tropicool Studio
Tell us about yourself and your creations
Hello! My name is Ceri or otherwise known as Tropicool Studio. I commonly refer to myself as a traveling surf artist. My tagline is “between cold seas and palm trees”, as for the past 6 years I have been traveling and living in coastal towns all over the world. Being from Canada I was longing for the tropics, but after 3 years under the sun, I moved to Tofino, Vancouver Island. With summer swells calling for smooth style and single fins, I tapped into the creative world of longboarding and art. I was consumed, I had to express my love for surfing in every way I could get my hands on. I developed myself as an illustrator, ventured back to the tropics for some sunny sliding, and repeated this pattern a few times. With all this traveling between cold seas and palm trees, Tropicool was born.
What inspires the art that you create?
So many things it’s hard to organize it into one basket.
As mentioned above, travel and surf are the foundations of Tropicool. As I travel and breathe in different cultures, art, landscape, and flora, my style naturally shifts and morphs with my surroundings.
I am beyond obsessed with longboarding. I love the feminine approach and touch we have when we slide; so much flair, elegance, and grace. So I tend to keep it simple in honor of our style, with the lady lumps out and rowdy, featuring a wacky limb or two.
Each country has had their effect on my art. Mexico introduced the tropical flora and skeletons, Morocco; the golden palette. Sri Lanka awakened my spiritual consciousness and I became more curious about the universe. It was here that I started to integrate planets, moons, and cosmos into my illustrations.
After spending 6 months in Europe, tripping over cobblestones to the sound of opera looping in the background, falling in love with every old man sweeping the street and boy that called me mademoiselle; this awakened a new piece of my heart. I could spend all day sipping espresso, drawing abstract hands, eyes, and lips; the portals of love.
If you’re to somehow throw these all in a bag, add in my care-free, wild-child energy, a rainbow for good measure, shake it up, you’d end up with this fun combobulation of Tropicool. As the name sort of states, it’s a balance of opposites; a disorganized-organization; it's hot but cold, its surf and cosmos, it’s truly whatever I want.
What is the biggest challenge you face as an artist/entrepreneur?
I’m sure every artist and freelancer can relate to this. It is incredibly daunting stripping yourself of stable income, quitting your side job, and devoting all your energy and faith into your art. And as many artists will know, most businesses neglect the importance of design, so never like to pay according to your worth. It’s really hard to get off the ground with art. And because you’re in need of work you say yes to these underpaying jobs, and this cycle is hard to come out of. It’s super unsettling turning down work when you don’t know when the next project is coming in, but this is the hand we shake when merging into the creative world. It’s risky, unstable, but mega rewarding.
When did you start surfing?
I think my first surfboard and shaka pic was uploaded somewhere around August 2015. But it wasn’t until I moved to Tofino, BC a year later that I got into it more “seriously”.
Longboard or shortboard?
Longboard!!!!!!!
Dawn patrol or sunset surf?
Tricky, tropics - dawn patrol all the way. Coldwater surf - sunset
Where is your favorite surf break (could be somewhere local to you or somewhere you surfed during a trip)?
To keep it sacred, a beautiful right hand point break in Morocco.
Your favorite quote to live by?
How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself? Epictetus
Hidden talent?
Riding horses haha
Current obsession?
Classical music.
Your favorite band?
Devendra Banhart
Follow Ceri @tropicoolstudio and visit her website:
