 Our events this month include the First Friday Art walk, Wednesday Night Market at Alliance for the Arts, and a "how to watercolor" event at Sanibel Public Library! Learn more on our local event page.
On Patreon this month, we will be releasing our next digital zine! This one will be themed Seashells & Sunshine. This will be the month of dolphins on Patreon and in the shop - multiple new dolphin-themed products and artwork will be created and shared. Matt will also be releasing a new incense blend named the Birth of Aphrodite. This was delayed from last month since the artwork is taking Matt a bit longer than expected. Make sure you sign up for our newsletter for details. Photo above: A preview of the Birth of Aphrodite incense artwork
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 Greetings from Fort Myers Florida!
The past couple of weeks have been insane here, to put it lightly. We were fortunate enough to have survived hurricane Ian with very little damage to our personal property and business inventory, but this disaster has hit extremely close to home. Most of our work has been inspired by the beauty and nature on Sanibel Island and the fun vibe of Fort Myers Beach. These past days we have went back and forth with how to move forward. Though it is going to be difficult, we have been inspired by the support of our friends here and the overall optimism of the local businesses and government. More debris is being removed everyday, and rebuilding is already taking place. First order of business, you can find Melissa's new Halloween designs here! We've also added some new Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach designs. A portion of all purchases from these categories will be donated. We are currently investigating where the donations will be directed. A lot of the events and markets we were planning the next few months have been cancelled, for obvious reasons. However, you can still find some Halloween goodies at our Virtual Halloween Market, Estero Farmers Market, Oktoberfest, and Fall Festival at Edison Ford Winter Estates. Learn more on our local event page. This month we are focussing on surviving, participating in the Drawtober art challenge on Instagram, and printing some cards for the upcoming holiday season. Follow our journey on Patreon! This month we are preparing some interesting incenses and ingredients for the Gum Limbo tier, sharing a photo tour of Six Mile Cypress Preserve, creating a Halloween-themed coloring page, and catching up with a few posts from last month due to the storm. Thank you so much to those of you who have supported us during this difficult time! Your kind comments and purchases mean a lot.  We have lots of new arrivals in the shop this month, including the Dog Bakery series, Fort Myers manatee mug, several new illustrations, Neptunian Frankincense and Sea-Kissed Myrrh! Check out all the new arrivals here.
We have a lot of events planned for June, both in-store and throughout Fort Myers and Sanibel! Check out all of the events here. Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be sharing a sunflower coloring page, in-progress artwork, and a sea turtle digital download.  We have lots of new arrivals in the shop this month, including Island Nag Champa Incense and Fragrance, cards, and magnets! Check out all the new arrivals here.
We have a lot of events planned for May, both in-store and throughout Fort Myers! We are also planning a "Can't Wait for Summer Party" for the end of May, which will have a virtual component. Check out all of the events here. Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be sharing a seashell coloring page, in-progress artwork, and early access to some new products! Photo above: A shorebird on Sanibel Island.  Our new shop is now open in Fort Myers! Learn more about the location, and check out the news article about our opening here.
We are still working on photographing and adding some of our new products to the online store. This week, our can coolers will be added, as well as some more cards. We also hope to release a new incense and perfume blend this month! Check out all the new arrivals here. Melissa's next art show will be Saturday April 9, from 9AM-2PM at the Sanibel Community House! Join us for a variety of original art, shell and other crafts, jewelry, baked goods, cards, and more at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957. Melissa will have a selection of her original artwork, prints, and cards available. Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be sharing a bird-themed coloring page, photos of the storefront, some studio shots, as well as a discussion of The Island Octopus Press and incense commissions. Photo above: Mermaid's Dawn postcard by Matthew Gindling  The Island Octopus is excited to release a new Animals of Sanibel Coloring Book this week! Consisting of 34 fun animal illustrations, this book features some of the critters you might find while visiting Sanibel Island, Florida. The coloring book is now available in our online shop, and will also be available in our Bell Tower (Fort Myers, FL) retail space at our grand opening on March 11! The Animals of Sanibel Coloring Book was illustrated by Melissa Rohr Gindling, and features many of the iconic animals found on Sanibel, including the brown pelican, manatee, marsh rabbit, roseate spoonbill, gopher tortoise, Sanibel Island rice rat, junonia snail, and more. This is Melissa's 12th coloring book release. Learn more about The Island Octopus, or join our newsletter!   New arrivals in the shop this month include: Halloween art, incense, and stickers!
Join us for two events this month:
Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be releasing Halloween coloring pages, discussing a recent trip, and sharing behind-the-scenes photos of our current projects! Learn more about Patreon here.  Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be releasing an ice cream coloring page, discussing an incense blend, releasing a new sticker design, and more! Learn more about Patreon here.
A new print & postcard set, Summertime Sweetness, have been released in the shop!  Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be releasing a sea turtle coloring page, discussing some incense projects & experiments, sharing a sneak peek of our upcoming t-shirt designs, and more! Learn more about Patreon here.
Later this month, we are excited to release some Magic Sand incense and a new print/postcard design in our online shop! Sign up for our newsletter to get a notification when these are available.. We now have an Island Octopus Facebook & Instagram page, so give them a follow to see some more fun pictures in your timeline. Welcome to The Island Octopus! We're excited you're here.
The Island Octopus LLC™ was founded in 2021 by husband-wife team Matt and Melissa Gindling. Our store will offer whimsical critters, beachy art, coloring books, apparel, and handcrafted incense. We started this project with the intent of giving our creations a home, while offering clients, fans, and friends an inside-look into the creative process. As we work towards opening a physical storefront, you can follow our journey by joining our Patreon page, and signing up for our newsletter! On our Patreon page this month, we will be releasing a bird-themed coloring page & a digital art background, talking about our Magic Sand Incense, and more. And, later this month, you can expect to see our online shop open! |
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