Welcome to Tropicool Studio
Hi I'm Ceri! (Pronounced Keh-Ri), the artist behind Tropicool Studio.
A self-taught creative artist and illustrator born in Scotland, half raised in Canada, and soon to be based in Cape Town, South Africa.
I've been traveling for 11 years, I discovered surfing on year 2 of my travels, and since then have led a very salty-coastal life. Drawing has been a part of my entire life, I am extremely passionate for the natural world above and below sea level, I practice yoga and breath work daily, and likely have sand below my desk from forgetting to wipe them after my morning beach walk. I've managed to merge all of my passions, and have been working remotely as a full-time freelance illustrator since 2020.
My artwork tends to be a blend of earthy-retro colors, hand drawn lines and texture, infused with surf culture and my love for the natural world. I love to sketchbook with mix media, paint, and create digital artwork that still appears hand-drawn.
You can find my work in coffee shops, surf shops, alcoholic beverage labels, marine-life expedition companies, coffee-table books, and boutique hotels across the globe. I've worked with Safari companies in Kenya, coffee shops in Mauritius, whale expedition companies in Tahiti, hotels in Bali, food trucks in Kauai, and many more. My artwork seems to travel as much as I do, and it's so fun to see it scattered around the world, or on the back of a teeshirt while I wait in line to board my flight. I admire kids books for their imagination and unique illustrations. I'm obsessed with the artwork found on craft beer cans and packaging, an organic wine label, or on the bag of overpriced coffee beans. I know that my artwork would add to a very visually pleasing drinking experience, so get in contact if you wish to work together.
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As a passionate surfer and traveler, I move every few months, finding new (or previously visited) sunny beach towns to call home. I’ve been traveling for 11 years, and spent a lot of time in Mexico, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, California, and Europe. I will soon be based in Cape Town, South Africa, an artist and surf haven.
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Yes! I understand that starting a business can require a lot of upfront costs, so I am willing to chat about a payment plan to help ease the process.
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I typically have a waitlist but please get in touch as I sometimes have a gap in my schedule open up. For large branding projects, I would prepare to wait a couple of months as they require a larger window of time available to complete.
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Depending on your wishes and needs, a small project can take 2 weeks from the discovery phase to the final edits, and large branding projects can take up to 8-12 weeks. For this, I’m often booked out months in advance, so reach out as early as you can!
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I do! I have put together a couple of packages to suit a range of budgets and needs, and can customize and add elements if need be. A full Brand Identity Kit starts at $5000 USD and goes up depending on the project and business. Please get in contact for more information and to organize a discovery phone call.
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Appreciation for Nature and Culture: Embracing the beauty and diversity of coastal and equatorial cultures, as well as tropical flora and fruits.
Simplicity and Joy in Life's Pleasures: Valuing the simple treasures found in everyday life.
Freedom and Flexibility: Embracing a lifestyle of living and working remotely, allowing for flexibility and freedom to explore.
Adventure and Exploration: Pursuing experiences by traveling around the world to chase waves and enjoy the sun.
Creativity and Inspiration: Using artwork as a means to uplift and inspire others, particularly through tropical and sunshine-infused themes.
Connection to Nostalgia and Tradition: Seeking to evoke feelings of nostalgia and a connection to simpler times, such as the "good ol days".
Slow Living and Travel: Valuing the concept of slow living and seeking island escapism, with a strong taste of nostalgia.
“Our best collaboration so far!
We are Colors of Surfing, surf and coffee shop based in Biarritz, France.
The collaboration couldn’t be more fluid and easy with Ceri. “
Even though Ceri is always at the other side of the world, in the matter of a 30min call she totally got our ideas, vibes and within the next days we received a precise and concise brief of what we had in mind. She was able to get all our ideas and created unique designs and logos for our upcoming collection.
Ceri was able to keep all the deadlines and able to combine her great talent in term of creations, to her professionalism! She is listens, understands the needs and is a very easy to speak with.
The collab was a great success for our brand. We truly recommend Ceri for any type of artistic missions!”
Antonin & Louisa
Co-founders of Colors of Surfing
Working with Ceri was handsdown one of the greatest experiences I have had. From the initial call to the project work, Ceri was such a kind, welcoming soul who offered far more than I ever imagined. Ceri took my dream, my ideas, my vision and made it a reality. I am now so immensely proud of the product we have created which would never have been possible without Ceri's creativity, influence, ideas, care and passion.
Thank you Ceri - your work has truly made the book MAGIC. Working with you was the best decision I could have ever made!
Annaleise Easle
Author of Keep Swimming ~ Mental Health Book
“We teamed up with Ceri on an Ocean inspired design for our new collection “Be Kind to the Sea”. We gave Ceri full creative control and she absolutely crushed it! Her first creation was all we needed and it was more than we could’ve hoped for.
Ceri was professional, timely, and an absolute dream to work with. We feel like we have a new digital friend :) We’ll definitely be reaching out to Ceri for another collaboration soon!”
Matthew Hickey
Be Kind Vibes ~ California
