Working with seaweed has proved interesting.  Many of the sculptures I had planned, simply fell apart once dry.  Some became mouldy and smelled rancid and others were  incredibly delicate and fragile.  I somehow felt that is symbolic of current state of our oceans and the story I want to tell.  Our oceans are fragile, beautiful and should be handled with care

 

Seaweed ‘baskets’

 

 

 

 

Found charcoaled log on beach and dried plants – loving the shadows

 

Hand sewing seaweed into a ‘garland’

 

 

Seaweed coated with epoxy resin

 

Seaweed with epoxy resin coloured with PVA and red ink, highlighted with guilding wax.

 

I used a selection of bones found at the waterside as a base resin coated seaweed.  The seaweed was further resin set into the crevices of the bones

 

 

 

 

A large seaweed ‘leaf’ was coated in resin and moulded around a frame to create a canopy effect.  It was then resin set in a bone found at the waterside.

 

 

Pieces of seaweed were placed in muffin tins and set in epoxy resin.  The resin disks have been attached to a sheet of glass.  I want to be able to suspend the pane of glass so that you can appreciate the transparency of the seaweed

 

 

 

 

 

I took a selection of seaweed plants and set them in resin

 

 

The two pieces are set together (oops I need to clean my windows)

 

 

A selection of works together

 

 

This is still a work in progress.  I am sewing strips of seaweed onto a canvass bag.  I have stuffed the bag with cardboard.  Once the seaweed is dry I will remove the cardboard leaving an empty ‘shell’ through which I hope to be able to shine light through.  I then plan to varnish the work to enhance the luminosity and increase strength

 

Sewing strips of seaweed onto a canvass bag

As the seaweed dries it contracts.  I will sew more seaweed into the gaps.

 

 

When deciding to use seaweed as my source material I started to research into other artists who used this amazing material in their practice

Laura Gunning is a jewellery designer who uses seaweed as her key material.  Her aim is to creat biodegradable wearable works of art

 

 

 

An artist, whose work I find awe inspiring is that of Jasmine Linningon.  She is an ex-ECA student who studied textile design.  Her delicate handling and labour intensive of seaweed as a textile embellishment result in luxury, unique pieces.

 

 

Karen Robertson is an artist who presses seaweed to create delicate art works.

 

Lottie Goodlet is another artist who finds beauty in natural seaweed and creates delicate works that highlight the fragility of our seas.

 

Violating Burt is an artist and textile designer who is trying to find ways of using seaweed.

 

Villains Buet – textiles made with seaweed

 

In embarking on this project one of the most inspiring artists I have come across who uses seaweed as a primary material in their artistic practice is the sculpture Julia Lehman.  Her work is sculptural, solid and delicate all at the same time.  I think her work is breathtaking .

Julia Lehmann’s seaweed neck cuff made from kelp

Julia Lehmann’s  – seaweed light

Julia Lohmann’s seaweed veneered bench