Gifts and greetings

The namesake of a three-bearded rockpool fish in its hometown of St Ives, the artistic reach of Whistlefish has extended well into the south west.

Founded by artist Lyn Thompson, Whistlefish designs and prints stunning greeting cards, art and stationery, as well as providing the discerning shopper with a range of beautiful gifts, perfect if you’re buying for somebody who holds Cornwall close to their heart.

“From sourcing fine Italian paper, to hand-finishing your print in our custom frame workshop, we make sure your artwork always looks great, now, and for years to come.”

The company has galleries in St Ives, Falmouth, Truro, Padstow, Looe, Dartmouth, Newquay, Plymouth and now in Fowey, so wherever you are in the south west, Whistlefish’s range of artisanal wares is never out of reach. In fact, it doesn’t matter whether you’re in Cornwall, Dublin or Dubai, as the Whistlefish international outlook and shipping options allow you to enjoy the best it has to offer, wherever in the world you may be.

Founder Lyn is keen to support artists both locally and nationally and from them, her team handpicks a selection of their favourites in traditional, contemporary and modern artistic styles, which inspire the delightful range of products on the shelves of each Whistlefish gallery. Lyn tells us: “We produce artwork which doesn’t compromise on quality while still being affordable. From sourcing fine Italian paper, to hand-finishing your print in our custom frame workshop, we make sure your artwork always looks great, now, and for years to come.”

Over the past six months, Lyn tells us: “We’ve embarked on a major refurbishment of our galleries. Starting with refits in St Ives and Falmouth, we then moved our location in Truro from Cathedral Lane to a larger space in River Street. We’ve also given facelifts to our galleries in Padstow, Looe and Plymouth Barbican, as well as opening a brand new gallery in Fowey and securing plans to open another in Mevagissey in time for the summer!”

This project has seen the layouts of the galleries change considerably, Lyn tells us, from the freshly laid wooden flooring to the newly installed ceiling lights. Each is now fitted with sleek card shelving that offers a much-improved customer browsing experience when searching for the perfect card design, as well as a central gift table, which enables the team to stock more gifting products, giving customers much more choice when it comes to pairing their card with the perfect ‘little something’.

Of course, you’ll still find the usual staple of fabulous art within these new layouts – it’s simply more accessible than ever before, so if you already love the Whistlefish brand, or are looking for one that lives up to your love for art-inspired wares, there’s never been a better time to pay a visit to Whistlefish, wherever you are in the south west.