See See See the Seaweed

The first time I ever went to our island in Maine, I was astounded by the colors there. Most astonishing was the seaweed I saw along the rocks on the shores. I was just bowled over. Call it kelp, bracken, chartreuse or whatever nasty name you want to call it - I am just crazy over it. Lay it down next to the teal blue ocean and it makes me want to sit there all day looking at it. But then the tide comes in and it disappears.


Of course seaweed comes in many colors, shapes and sizes. It's amazing stuff. Who was to think that all piled together in an ocean mess it could be so visually pleasing. This bunch was drying on a beach while the tide was out. If I had styled it, I would have messed it up. Nature is such a fabulous artist.


On another beach, we watched this bunch of weed go in and out with the tide. The cold froth of the ocean reminds me of lace. The delicate branching of the seaweed would make a lovely design for an embroidered pillow.


Lastly, I grabbed a little assortment of weed from a different beach and dragged it home to the cottage. I soaked it overnight so it wouldn't dry out and waited for the perfect moment. These five different kinds of seaweed are so lovely to look at. On the pinkish marble slab, their shapes echo the veins in the marble below.


I made these plates for my friend Sally who owns the house we stay at. They're my own interpretation of seaweed in some of my bright colors. It's fun to visit my art and say hello to it in other people's homes. It's also nice that my plates have such a beautiful wall and home to live on and in.