South West born artist Teagan Carter has Disney princess hair and the kind of patience only someone who grew up in the country could have; best shown through her intricate native flora and seaside inspired designs.

Teagan’s nature-driven designs are inspired by the ocean having always loved swimming and snorkeling, and says “I think this is why I’m drawn to illustrating them. The Little Mermaid probably also had something to do with it”. 

Her weapon of choice? The humble pencil, with hours spent scratching away with 2B graphite, shading and dotting to create beautifully realistic depictions of an octopus, seahorses, banksia and the occasional african beast (clearly also a Lion King fan).

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Teagan moved to Perth after highschool for university, and after trying her hand at architecture, she realised she preferred designing artwork than buildings. Now working as a graphic designer for boutique Subiaco agency Zebra Creative, Teagan fills her evenings and weekends reminiscing with pen and paper of those days growing up down south.

Her favourite subject is landscapes – bushland and beach. And, after spending a lot of time camping and adventuring all over the state, Teagan gained an appreciation of how diverse WA’s landscape truly is. 

We sat down with Teagan at her ‘at-home’ studio, aka the kitchen table, to talk about what fuels her creativity. With the recent launch of Omrah Wines new rosé, its soft pink tones and floral notes seemed to just be Teagan’s glass of wine.

Tell us Teagan, why design?  

I grew up in the country on a bushland property with my parents and two sisters. We were always finding ways to entertain ourselves when we were little, being out of town meant we had a lot of time together. When my sisters and I weren’t exploring outside, we enjoyed creating – drawing, sewing, and cooking. 

My earliest memories of drawing are sketching the Disney characters over and over on the living room floor. Flounder from The Little Mermaid was my favourite character, so I would practise drawing him with different expressions and positions in sketchbook after sketchbook. 

What do you love most about illustration?

My favourite part of being creative is the process. Starting with an idea in your mind and slowly building it with a pencil to become a real thing in front of you that you can hold. 

I always do a bit of researching to find out more about the animal or plant I’m illustrating before I start, which I think helps in trying to capture the essence of it as well.

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What do you love about WA?

My favourite thing would definitely be the landscape – bushland and beach. We spent a lot of time camping and my parents really made us appreciate how diverse WA’s landscape is.

How would you describe your style?

It’s quite realistic, moody and classic I suppose – nothing too crazy going on. I like to try to create emotion and depth to the drawing using shading and texture, which I think can sometimes make the illustrations have a bit of a dark side. Barely using colour in my illustration means I tend to highlight the structural elements of the subject more. 

Where is your favourite place for adventure in WA and why?

Definitely the south coast of WA, anywhere between Augusta through to Albany, filled with beautiful lush forests and perfect beaches. 

Although Exmouth also has some amazing reef for snorkelling and the water is a bit warmer – it’s a tough decision to pick just one place!

What do you think are the 3 key ingredients for a successful adventure?

Good company, the great outdoors and lots of time to get lost.

Fill in the blank: “Wine is best served with ____ “

Friends and family. 

Homegrown in WA, Omrah Wines is a family run winery from the Great Southern region – shop our range.