Where it all began

The name came to me in one of those perfect moments – you know the smell of rain on earth after a hot day? That intoxicating, earthy fragrance that makes you stop and breathe deeply. I've always been captivated by it, so I decided to look up what it was called. Petrichor. The word itself felt like poetry.

But here's where it gets even better – when I dug deeper, I discovered that this beautiful word was actually coined by two CSIRO professors right here in Australia. That moment of discovery ignited something in me. Suddenly, my vision became crystal clear: I wanted to weave Australia and her extraordinary beauty into everything I would create.

Two Paths Converging

For thirty years, I've been a chef – my hands have always been creative, just in a different medium. But as a child, art was my first language. I drew, I painted, I saw the world in colors and shapes that others might miss. Life took me down the culinary path, and I loved every moment of feeding people, creating experiences through food.

Then, five years ago, an acquaintance handed me some oil pastels and charcoal and simply said, "Draw something."

What happened next amazed even me. The art that flowed from those simple tools felt like coming home to a part of myself I'd forgotten. But with the demands of my culinary career, I tucked that revelation away, waiting for the right moment.

The River Awakening

That moment came when I moved into a house right next to the river here in Tasmania. There's something about living beside flowing water that awakens the soul. My creative juices didn't just flow – they overflowed. Suddenly, I was painting with an urgency and passion that surprised me. The Yallaroo Collection was born from those magical riverside moments, each piece capturing the raw beauty of Australian landscapes that had been living inside me, waiting to emerge.

The Journey Expands

As I painted, I began revisiting all the nature and scenic photographs I'd captured over the years across Australia. Each image told a story of our magnificent continent – from rugged coastlines to ancient forests, from desert sunrises to mountain vistas. The Bimbadeen Collection began evolving from these visual love letters to Australia.

Teaching myself the basics of ecommerce was like learning a new language, but my passion drove me forward. Slowly, carefully, I built Petrichor piece by piece. The art wasn't enough – I wanted to bring these Australian moments into people's homes in every way possible. So I began creating home decor items, transforming my paintings and photographs into pieces that could live and breathe in everyday spaces.

The Vision Continues

Petrichor Art and Home Decor is very much a work in progress, built entirely on my love for Australia and all her beauty, character, and grandeur. Every day brings new inspiration as I discover something fresh about our beautiful land. Each product I create is infused with the hope that it will bring a little piece of Australia into homes everywhere – that same sense of wonder I felt when I first learned about petrichor.

I have big plans ahead, including a blog to keep customers connected to this journey. Because this isn't just about selling art and decor – it's about sharing the Australia that lives in my heart, one piece at a time.

From Chef to Artist to Entrepreneur

From chef's hands to artist's brushes to entrepreneur's dreams – this journey has taught me that creativity finds a way. Whether I'm layering flavors in a dish or colors on canvas, whether I'm capturing light in a photograph or building an online store from scratch, it's all about bringing beauty into the world.

That's the essence of Petrichor – the beauty that emerges when different elements come together, just like rain meeting earth after a hot day. It's the perfect metaphor for where art meets commerce, where passion meets purpose, and where Australia's timeless beauty meets modern homes.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Love, Jenn
Founder, Petrichor Art and Home Decor