Thursday, September 06, 2007

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.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your plates are beautiful, the color choices are amazing. I can't decide which one I like best.

Helen said...

As a farmer who likes seaweed, I thought you might be interested in this http://tinyurl.com/yr8q4c and http://tinyurl.com/39hobe

I've eaten lamb from elsewhere in Shetland and it's delicious; it's also higher in the better sort of fats and lower in the worst so one is justified in having second helpings, but I haven't had Ronaldsay lamb yet. I suppose the ideal would be to eat it off one of your beautiful plates.

Kary said...

Ooo ... beautiful plates! May I ask how you created them?? Thanks for sharing the seaweed photos - I am also a huge seaweed fan!)

Peggy said...

Your photos are perfect. They are really making me home sick for the beach/ocean.

Peg-woolinmysoup said...

Seaweed - beautiful, great fertilizer, makes fabulous yarn mixed with silk, and hides such interesting little creatures. The only down side is when there is a bloom of 'sea lettuce' and it dies on the beech!
I love those little plates, as does your friend; thus the place of honour on the wall!

hopalong682003 said...

Sally is a lucky lady. Your plates are wonderful. Yeah Seaweed Inspiration!

Julie said...

Your post makes me think of the books, "The Art of Embroidery" and "The Art of Knitting." I love them both...they have beautiful pictures from nature with very creative designs inspired by them. And the author gives encouragement and tips for making your own designs inspired by nature.

Willow said...

The plates are wonderful! I think it would be great to seaweed, kimchee and rice on those seaweed plates.

Anonymous said...

I love the plates...they remind me of Italian ceramics.

Once I had a side dish of seaweed at Legal Sea Foods. It was very good, and very pretty--bright green.

-- Grace

Anonymous said...

Hi Kristin,

Oh my gosh the holiday sounds wonderful and what a beautiful place too. SOunds like you got a well deserved break - all of you.

My 'summertime feeling' has fast evaporated too what with trying to get into gear fro school on Monday and having builders and a messy house.

I'll try and give you a call in the next few days ........MISS YOU.

Anonymous said...

Those are beautiful plates, but I thought they were buttons when I first caught sight of them. They would make WONDERFUL buttons for tweedy jackets!

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