Happiness Themes

This design celebrates the happiness experienced when we are able to look beyond the surface of a situation to see the complexity beneath.  "Deep seeing" allows us to develop deeper understanding and more meaningful connection.  It means making the effort to go beyond "looking," as a superficial or passive act, and instead using clarity and perceptiveness with a focused attention that allows for interpretation, recognition of nuance, and seeing beyond simple appearance. 

This series celebrates the happiness that is found through connection— to people, places, or the moments that bring meaning to our lives. Each hand-carved patterned bubble is unique, just as we are, yet intrinsically linked to the others around it.  Together, these patterns create a harmonious whole, a quiet reminder that while we are each distinct, we are also deeply connected—to one another and to the world we share.

Featuring the rich green leafy patterns and colourful blooms of the natural world around us; this theme celebrates the inherent sense of happiness and perspective that comes from connection to the nature.  Nature’s beauty reminds us of our own innate capacity for renewal and growth, mirrored in the continuous cycles of life.  As we use these pieces in our daily life we are encouraged to slow down - to breathe deeply, to take time to appreciate the gentle beauty of a patterned leaf, a tender unfurling frond, a fragile flower bud.

This design celebrates the happiness found in being mindful of the transient nature of all that we experience in life. It features soft cherry blossoms, often interwoven with iconic Australian flora. Cherry blossoms symbolize renewal and hope through the arrival of spring, but also remind us that constant change is the fundamental nature of all we experience in life. Celebrated for their spectacular lavish bloom before drifting away like snow, cherry blossoms remind us to stay present—to appreciate and learn from each moment as it unfolds. 

This series of works celebrates the happiness that is found in allowing ourselves to flow with the natural tides of life - moving gently and gliding, like water, around obstacles on our path.  The Happiness of Flow reminds us that water’s true power lies in patient persistence.  This design encourages us to relax within our sphere of influence, trust in our own resilience, breathe deeply and let life unfold with calm intention.

This design celebrates the happiness found in appreciating moments of pure, fleeting joy—those iridescent bursts of feeling that shimmer like a bubble caught in sunlight. We open ourselves to truly embrace joy when we accept that, like a bubble, it cannot be forced or held. Similar to a rainbow after a storm, it simply arrives—light, unexpected—and then drifts away, leaving warmth and colourful memory in its wake. Joy cannot be trapped, only noticed and cherished in the moment it appears. In recognising its delicate, ephemeral nature, we learn to treasure it all the more.

Without knowing sadness we may never truly understand happiness.  Without loss we may not appreciate all that we have.  This series honours the peace found in honestly and courageously embracing the full spectrum of our life experiences - from colour to shadow. In this way we deepen our understanding of ourselves, develop adaptability and resilience, and strengthen our connection with others.  The Happiness of Balance reminds us that lasting contentment is not found in hiding from or resisting challenges, but from accepting and embracing, the value that all of our experiences bring to the unfolding story of our lives. 

Every moment holds the seeds of future happiness. This series celebrates our capacity to create the fertile conditions in which those seeds can flourish.  Whether through caring for ourselves, connecting with inspiration and support, embracing opportunities, or taking gradual intentional action, we can continually nurture the growth of happiness in our lives.  The Happiness of Seeds of Hope is a gentle reminder that—just as the tallest trees begin from the tiniest seeds—we all have the potential to grow our forest of future happiness -  moment by moment, choice by choice.

This series uses a bird motif to express the happiness found in joyful appreciation of both “the birds in our hands” that represent all that we currently have in our lives - as well as the birds that fly freely through our days – reminding us that beauty need not be possessed to bring us joy. The Happiness of Appreciation invites us to cherish all that is present in our homes and lives, while also opening our hearts to happiness that does not seek to grasp and hold, but simply delights in the wonder of the world around us. 

This piece celebrates the happiness found enjoying a sense of possibility in life.  We can fill our daily lives with opportunities and ideas of all that could be, letting them float around us like bubbles while we wait to see which will burst into reality.  When we trust that there are limitless possibilities in life, we feel a sense of excitement for what may lie ahead. 

This design series celebrates the happiness we can discover when we pause—if only for a fleeting moment—to notice and appreciate a bubble of quiet stillness amidst the flow of daily life. Whether it's gently sipping from a warm cup in the morning light, slowing our step to feel the sun on our skin, pausing to watch a bee hover over a flower, or simply looking up at a passing cloud, these peaceful moments often slip by unnoticed.  Yet when we stop, notice, breathe and appreciate even the briefest instant of stillness and peace, we give ourselves a chance to re-centre, re-balance, and move forward with greater intention, perspective and calmness.

This design series features the lotus—a timeless symbol of wisdom, purity, compassion, and the realisation of our innate potential. Just as the lotus rises from muddy waters to bloom in serene beauty, we too can rise above the distractions and challenges of life to find a clear mind and an open heart.  Even with our roots planted in the mud, we are not defined or limited by what surrounds us. We can grow upward and blossom, embracing the happiness that comes from clarity of thought, self-awareness, and kindness—for ourselves and for others.

This series of works celebrates the happiness found in recognising the interdependent, symbiotic balance of all life. In nature—as in humanity – all exists in mutual reliance on one another. We are only as strong as our most vulnerable parts, and none of us is truly alone or separate from the world around us.  As His Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches:

"Interdependence is a fundamental law of nature. Even tiny insects survive by cooperating with each other. Our own survival is so dependent on the help of others that a need for love lies at the very core of our existence. This is why we need to cultivate a genuine sense of responsibility and a sincere concern for the welfare of others."

This series draws on the colourful beauty of sunrise and sunset to remind us of the happiness found in awareness that, although the same sun rises each day, to two people will ever see it in quite the same way.  Each person sees the world, in each passing moment, through a unique lens of place and time. So too is every life experience is shaped by the ever-changing perspective we hold in that moment.  The sunrise and sunset also gently remind us that all days end, and every ending folds into a new beginning. Embracing the Happiness of Perspective frees us from idea that there is single “right” way to see things, or that things will always be as they are. From this freedom grows clearer understanding, less conflict, and greater potential for happiness.