Welcome to Inside Avalon | 1
Today is a special one — it’s my birthday … my 53rd, to be precise — and I’m opening the doors to something very close to my heart.
Inside Avalon is a creative journal from my Cape Cod-inspired cottage in Cooee Bay, Yeppoon — a space where life feels simple and beautiful. It’s a place surrounded by nature, filled with love, and grounded in the rhythm of family and seaside living.
Here, I will be sharing the inspiration behind my art, reflections from the studio, and glimpses into my everyday life. But don’t be mistaken — it’s not always a bed of roses. Like every life, mine has its ups and downs, renovation highs and lows, paint spills and power tool tantrums (mostly courtesy of the whipper snipper). All of it is part of the story. All of it makes life worthwhile.
Why Avalon?
The name has always held a quiet kind of magic for me. From the first time I heard Avalon by Roxy Music in the early ’80s, I was spellbound. Bryan Ferry in his dapper white suit, swaying with the prom queen equivalent under moody lighting, that impossibly smooth voice… and the saxophone solo? Pure, shimmering perfection. I’ve played that song thousands of times — often on repeat — long before I had any idea what it was actually about.
It wasn’t until another English gentleman entered my life — my history-buff partner, John — that I learned of the Arthurian legend behind the name. Avalon, as it turns out, is a mythical island of healing, beauty, and enchantment — a place of calm, far removed from the noise of the world. Part of the King Arthur legend, it’s the ultimate romantic fantasy: when the great king dies, he is ferried by queens to Avalon — that enchanted island beyond the mists.
That’s what I hope this home will become. And not just the physical space, but the creative one I build through my work — a sanctuary where nature, colour and storytelling meet.
I hope Inside Avalon offers you a moment of stillness and story.
Thank you for being here — and may you also discover your own Avalon.
Michelle x