Christina Katsiokalis has always had a passion for creativity.
However, it wasn’t until after giving birth, that she decided to seek out a therapeutic hobby and open her own business creating textured artworks.
In an interview with The Greek Herald, the new mother from Adelaide, South Australia, shared how her journey with Ebb and Flow Textures began.
“I started out because it was recommended to me after I went through a bit of postnatal anxiety, to have some sort of creative outlet,” Christina told The Greek Herald.
“I first began experimenting with textured florals and learning that technique, and I would just paint in my lounge room once my baby had gone to sleep, and I found that would help me relax a lot.
“My husband could sort of see that it was helping me a lot, and so he would then come home with pencils, paints, brushes, easels and things like that to encourage me, and then eventually we turned our study into a bit of an art studio.”
The Greek Australian artist said after developing her own art studio, she’d practice her craft with any spare second she had.
“My favourite aesthetic is and has always been Greece,” Christina said.
“As I got better, I would just practice all the things I loved about Greece, like the architecture, the beaches and the food, and I guess that’s where my niche has sort of found its way.”
Going with the flow
Christina founded her small business, Ebb and Flow Textures, in 2023. She named it to reflect her journey of embracing life’s ‘ebb and flow.’
“Starting up my own business allowed me to take my mind off the need to control everything, which I guess is what postnatal anxiety all about is,” the 34-year-old said.
“I was just so overprotective about my baby and I was very consumed in that, and so I decided to name the business ‘Ebb and Flow’ as it’s the opposite of what I was doing, and I needed to just go with the flow more.”
Christina’s art then became an essential part of her identity, allowing her to channel her love for Greece into creative works.
“I just love the way creating art kind of stops time, and you can get lost in it. It just really helps calm my nervous system too,” she said.
Many of Christina’s textured art pieces depict scenes inspired by her travels to Greece, with a focus on the beauty of the Greek islands, their architecture and the delicious food.
“I’ve dabbled in lots of things like collaging, crocheting, textiles, and painting, but texture painting is a little bit different and it’s something I really enjoy. You use palette knives and it’s kind of like oil painting,” Christina said.
“Many of my pieces are inspired by pictures I have taken in Greece, and they feature things like buildings, doors, and beaches.
“In the future, I would love to just go back to Greece and have the main focus to go around and take lots of photos and just have a lot of imagery that I can bring back and paint. I would absolutely love that.”
From the studio to customers homes
Christina said she didn’t expect to see her business boom.
“But I’ve now sold over 15 paintings in the last year and had some commissions as well and it’s just been really nice to have people want to have my work in their home,” she said.
“My friends, my family and my customers have been really supportive too. I’ve also got lots of people from the Greek community in particular who are following my journey on social media and cheering me on.”
Christina hopes to expand Ebb and Flow Textures in the future.
“I’d love to have an exhibition one day, and then see where it leads me,” she said.
“It would be an absolute dream to even take on the business full-time, but for now, I am happy to continue teaching part time as I do enjoy that too.
“Whatever happens, I’m sticking with the name ‘Ebb and Flow’ too, as although I do have high aspirations for the business, I’m just going with the flow and seeing where it takes me and just enjoying it along the way.”
