Meet Tess..
“Little messy Tessy,” as Mum used to say… (still does — not much has changed).
Always covered in dirt, salt water, or some kind of paint — and on a good day, usually all three.
Tess has spent her life bouncing between countries and careers — from Canada to Australia and back again — chasing adventure, a bit of freedom, and just trying to find her place on this spinning rock. Before she could even walk, she was making something: backyard sculptures out of mud, fridge condiments smeared on the walls (sorry Mum and Dad), or sneaking crayons under the doona for a bit of after-hours colouring. Her hands were always busy, her mind even busier.
But somewhere along the way, that creative spark got tucked away. She spent years trying to figure out where she fit into the so-called “normal path” — always feeling like she might be just a little too much. Her twenties were a blur of travel, parties, fitness gigs, scuba diving, and juggling three jobs at once… until somehow, in sheer determination to build a life for herself, she wound up working underground in mining. Not exactly a straight line — but hey, “Messy Tessy” always finds a way.
It was during her weeks off — deep in COVID lockdowns, when the world was quiet and the doors were slammed shut — that she finally picked up a paintbrush again. And just like that, something long buried came rushing back. That thing that had calmed her busy mind for so many years growing up? Yep.. You bet that creative spark came back with a vengeance.
And so began the next spiralling chapter — but this time, the good kind. What started as a quiet escape quickly turned into a full-blown (we’ll call it healthy) obsession. She started mixing textured paint concoctions, sculpting each piece layer by layer, building her own frames… and after a whole lot of hours (days, months, years) of experimenting, trial and error — her very own distinctive style was born.
These days, you’ll find her creating from the home studio she built herself in Margaret River — surrounded by waves, rugged coastlines, towering forests, and her beloved little furry friend Theo. Her art is a nod to all the places she’s been and the moments that made her feel most alive — designed to bring a little warmth, wildness, and a gentle reminder of the places and memories that stay with you.
Thanks to the incredible support of a vibrant online community, Tess’s work is now collected and loved in homes across the globe.