Ebb & Upwell

Ebb & Upwell — borne from the cycles of the natural world. Portia Knight is an artist who creates breathtaking prints from an often overlooked source. Through the Victorian art of seaweed pressing, Portia creates stunning giclée prints from drift seaweed collected from the shores near her cottage on the north east coast of Scotland. From a source material that requires a keen eye and patience to forage, each unique pressing and print is the result of a carefully considered, delicate process — stemming from that all-important second glance. It's an art of looking closer, reaching down into the shallows and uncovering an unseen beauty. Along with an identity for her seaweed art business, Portia tasked us with developing a brand for the handmade seaweed presses she wished to sell to experienced and aspiring seaweeders. Taking its name from the movement of the tides — the place where seaweed can be found — Ebb & Upwell is a brand dedicated to this craft, and their signature press offers more and more people an opportunity to discover this artform. We worked closely with Portia on naming, brand strategy and tone of voice to develop a brand worthy of this highly decorative and tactile pursuit — a recognisable symbol of seaweeding and seaweeders. The Ebb & Upwell brand uses a clean, utilitarian sans serif typeface to reflect the very primitive process of pressing, while also employing a natural muted palette taken directly from the colours found when seaweeding. The highly tactile processes of embossing and laser etching also added an extra ‘feel’ to all branded collateral. The brand represents the moments of contemplation and discovery; and the very act of impressing that moment in time — a delicate process, borne of consideration, feeling and decision. It aims to grow a worldwide community of seaweeders, encouraging them to share their findings and create — all the while evoking the natural beauty found in the beautiful contrasts where the land meets the sea. “I approached FortyTwo with a passion project, and the team delivered a brand that expertly reflects my values and voice, effectively arming me with the tools and confidence to pursue opportunities and connect with markets that might otherwise have been out of reach.” — Portia Knight, Founder/Artist