IT’S A BEACH BAG, BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
GOLD Coast artist Suzanna Thomas doesn’t want tourists limited to basic souvenir choices such as mass-produced boomerangs or stuffed toys when they flock here for the Commonwealth Games.
Instead, the bag designer has come up with an idea that adds a little more glitter to the average Gold Coast keepsake.
“I have been designing bags for the past seven years but had a light-bulb moment when a number of local people said they couldn’t find anything to send to their friends overseas,” she said.
“I decided to put the Gold Coast on a bag.”
The artwork takes Ms Thomas about 20 hours to get on canvas before she sends it to be scanned into a high-resolution image.
“A lot of different companies are asking for exclusive rights. There is a large souvenir company that wants to buy it and distribute the bags to airports,’’ she said. “We are still in talks but I think the locals love the originality of it, especially that they are hand-drawn.”
Ms Thomas said her bags would be on the shelf at Pacific Fair giftshop Wildcard and Marina Mirage’s Catalina Homewares.
“I’ve got two more Gold Coast designs on the way, (including) one of our iconic lifesavers,” she said.