What started as a hobby to cope with postpartum anxiety, Adelaide primary school teacher Christina Katsiokalis’s artwork has seen her start her own small business.
Christina’s art consists of floral and Greek island inspired acrylic paintings, which she now sells online.
Initially she wasn’t looking to sell but after making an Instagram page, people reached out interested in buying her work.
“I’ve always been interested in art but then after I had my baby, I kind of just lost time I guess and wasn’t able to do much of it,” she told Neos Kosmos.
Going through anxiety with a newborn child, it was recommended she take up a hobby and fit it in where she could.
“So that’s where it came from – I started doing textured painting at night in my lounge room, just to help me cope and it was really helpful for me.”
A third generation Greek Australian, both sets of grandparents came from the Peloponnese region. Her mother’s side from Messenia and father’s side from Arcadia.
She is heavily inspired by Greece when she’s painting, remembering her time spent with her grandparents in Greece.
“I was really close to my grandparents. I’ve only got one left now, but I was quite close to them and a few years ago I managed to get to Greece and be in the village with them,” she said.
“They were holidaying at the same time and I took lots and lots of photos, and that came in real handy when I went back to do my art as well.”
Christina started with flowers but as she grew more confident in her ability, her own style came out, and that was Greece.
“I also visited the Cyclades while I was there, and a lot of the inspiration comes from there, but also my grandparents’ villages and things that I saw there that’s where it all came from.
“I guess because I won’t be going back for a while because I’ve got a toddler, that’s what I like painting.”
At the moment Christina is just sticking with the flowers and Greek island designs but she does have more ideas like painting a Greek table layout with all different sorts of foods.
You can check out the artwork on Instagram and her website at Ebb & Flow Textures.
