OUR JOURNEY

The Island Octopus was founded in 2021 by husband-wife team Matt and Melissa Gindling. Our store offers aquatic art, fun apparel, coloring books, handcrafted incense, beach gifts, and more. Our goal is to bring tropical beauty and whimsical fun to your everyday!

Our artistic journey began in 2011. Throughout the past 12 years, we’ve both enjoyed creating artwork, books, incense, and other unique products. Most of the designs you see on this website were created by Matt and Melissa. Our original products (artwork, prints, cards, books, incense, shirts) are now designed in Fort Myers, Florida and printed in the United States.

OWNERS

Matt has a BFA in fine art with an emphasis in graphic design from Webster University (St. Louis, MO). He is the creator of The Island Octopus Incensarium (previously Ethereal Aromas Incense Company) and his aromatic work specializes in using all natural materials. He is also a visual artist focusing on pen illustration and graphic design. Matt has a longtime interest in botanical lore and is a collector of rare incense plants. Learn more on Matt's portfolio page.

Melissa has a BFA in illustration through Columbia College Chicago (IL). She enjoys creating cute sea critter and animal illustrations in watercolor, pen, and colored pencil. Past illustrated book releases include The Sleep Catcher by Za Goodbrake, Little Bird, Little Bird by Loni Hoots, Duskie the Owl by Matthew Gindling, and an extensive line of coloring books. When Melissa is not making artwork, she enjoys practicing yoga, attending concerts, and exploring the beaches and trails of Southwest Florida. Learn more on Melissa's portfolio page.

Matt & Melissa currently reside in Fort Myers, Florida with their cat, Tatzen.

OUR VISION

We have endless ideas for new designs, including apparel, tropical flora & fauna-themed artwork, incense blends, and more. We hope to share these new designs with you in our online store, and pop-up markets throughout southwest Florida!

We had a pop-up storefront in Bell Tower in 2022, and have decided to continue offering our products through our online store and pop-up markets for now. Thank you so much to those of you who supported our little shop! It means a lot to us.

​Join us as we share our love of the natural world and artwork!
Thank you for your support! 

​Send us an email at [email protected].