D elivered  from the Atlantic by the tide and the wind
              R ounded by the currents and the salt
              I  rresistible – the right piece for everything is waiting to be found
              F ree art material!
             T reasure – other people’s rubbish is treasure for me
             W eathered – shaped by the sea , left to bleach and dry in the sun
             O bsession – I can’t stop collecting
             O rganic, sensuous forms
             D ifferent – each piece from a different , sometimes far flung place.

Growing up in Barbados, my life was all to do with the sea. I swam for Barbados- butterfly and marathon. Marathon was a mile and a half in the sea – (but the Caribbean – how bad!). My boyfriends were all surfers – girls didn’t surf in those days, although I would have loved to. Dad had a small fishing boat and my sister and I were allowed to take it round the coast and stay overnight – such adventures! We also had a mirror dinghy and often went for a sail after school.

In Barbados, my favourite driftwood is skeletonised sea fans. I use them in my raku menagerie – like branches on a bonsai tree. When I visited the Pacific coast in US, I sent myself home a box of hardwood driftwood – probably not allowed to do that anymore.

Here, I get most of my wood between Ahakista and Bantry – secret locations! Sometimes, I can go on the kayak to beaches inaccessible on foot – treasures to be found…

                                  

I have boxes and boxes – all sorted into their re-purposing uses – hangers for my raku fired ceramic fish and seahorses, straight bits for framed skeleton fish and Christmas trees, chunky bits for wreaths, strong narrow sticks for masts on driftwood boats.


 

 I have been making wreaths and now will   have to wait for the next storms to deliver     more to the beaches. The 8 wreaths are on   my web shop .

 If you are missing the sea and getting out to   the beach, why not have  a wreath from   West Cork in your home  to remind you?


Leave a comment

×