Postcards from the Coast - A quieter way to stay connected to the sea

There’s something about the start of a new year that makes the pull of the ocean feel stronger.

January has a way of stripping things back. The pace slows. The noise drops. And what’s left is often a quiet longing, for space, for calm, for places that make us feel more like ourselves. For me, that place has always been the coast.

Over the years, I’ve noticed how people respond to my work not just as individual pieces, but as something they want to live with. When I used to release my Cornwall calendars, people loved the rhythm of a new image each month — a gentle reminder of the sea woven into their everyday lives. And whenever I’m at exhibitions or events, the postcards I give out are often what people linger over the longest. They keep them. They take them home. They tell me how much they love them. Those moments stayed with me.

I didn’t want to rush another calendar into the world, or create something time-pressured or transactional. I wanted something calmer. Slower. Something that could exist gently alongside my larger works and limited editions.

That’s where Postcards from the Coast came from.

Each month, I’ll be sending out an A6 art postcard featuring one of my coastal paintings, chosen from my back catalogue, along with a short letter from me. In it, I’ll share why I chose that particular piece, the place it depicts, and why it holds meaning for me.

It’s not about collecting for the sake of it. It’s about connection. A moment of Cornwall arriving through the letterbox.
Something tactile in a digital world. A pause. A breath. A reminder of the sea.

Over the year, these postcards will quietly build into a small collection — to keep, pin, frame, pass on to fellow ocean lovers, or even send as postcards themselves. Each one holding a story, a place, a memory.

This offering sits intentionally at the entry point of my work. It’s a way to stay connected over time, before stepping into larger pieces, limited Hyli Edition prints, or commissions. A softer, slower way to be part of what I create.

I’ve loved designing this as a ritual rather than a product, something that feels thoughtful rather than promotional, and rooted in the same sense of connection that runs through everything I do.

If you’re someone who feels calmer near the sea, who misses it when you’re away from it, or who simply wants to invite a little more of that feeling into your everyday life, this might be for you.

You can find out more about Postcards from the Coast here.

Thank you, as always, for being part of this journey and for allowing my work to travel far beyond the shoreline.

With love from Cornwall,
Gemma 🌊