Sea Treasure

Who can resist picking up shells and pebbles during a bracing beach walk?

The Dhorlin (causeway), Davaar Island, Mull of Kintyre

Certain beaches, though, yield more than just sand and seaweed.  Tumbled and tossed in the waves, smoothed by abrasion with the rocks, bottles and jars cast into the sea as trash end up on the beach, smoothed by time and frosted by salt, as the treasure known to beachcombers worldwide as sea-glass.  

When I spotted on social media that artist Shelagh Swanson was holding a workshop to create mosaics from sea-glass and sea plastic in Fittie Community Hall recently, I couldn't wait to sign up and my pal, Carol, decided to join me.

I had taken along some sea-glass I'd collected myself from Davaar Island causeway and Stonehaven beach.  My husband thoughtfully found some sea-glass for me on Crail seashore in Fife on our most recent holiday.  I wanted to incorporate that too if I could.

After Shelagh welcomed us to the class, a large tub of sea-glass, sea pottery and pebbles was tipped out for us.  What fun to scrabble through and select our precious pieces. 

Though this tub of sea plastic looks appealingly colourful, it was sad to learn how little time it had taken Shelagh to collect it from her local beach.  That, too, was provided for us to add to our pictures.

After selecting a frame and removing the back, Shelagh suggested we sketched a design on paper and laid our sea treasure on top before gluing it directly onto the glass.  I took some clipart images I'd printed with me for inspiration as I wanted to create a tree with sea-glass leaves. 

This piece of salvaged rope untwisted cooperatively into branches and roots for my tree and I selected tiny fragments of lime plastic and wee bits of green sea-glass for my leaves.  

Gluing the pieces into place was pleasantly therapeutic.  I snipped the threads of yellow rope and used them to augment the tree roots.

I kept dipping back into the tub of sea treasure until I'd found all the bits I needed.

Shelagh was always on hand to encourage us and finesse our designs.  You can see Carol's picture in the background beside mine.  Her sea pottery vase of sea plastic flowers was taking shape as she worked beside me.  Once our compositions were all stuck down, Shelagh glued our frames into place for us and our art works were complete.

It's always a joy when the class shares its artwork and everyone admires what everyone else has made.  They all kindly allowed me to take a photo of their picture.  Some people painted on their glass.  Many had nautical themes.  All are unique and wonderful.

Carol and I, very happy at the end of the class 

Here's my finished tree in the Community Hall propped against its soothing blue walls.

.....

Whilst I was at the workshop, I remembered having fun during a crafty morning spent with my cousin, Stephanie, last February at her home in Fife.  

She and her family have turned beachcombing into an art form! 

Selecting pretty pieces from their extensive trove of sea pottery and sea-glass, we both created pictures.  I made a wee bird whilst Stephanie created a lovely vase of flowers.

I might just have been influenced by the flock of pretty birdies in Stephanie's house.

But I never framed my sea pottery bird when I got home.  When I looked at it, it always felt unfinished.  Incomplete.   

So I took it to pieces, soaked off the old glue and decided to re-make it, just as we had at Shelagh's workshop.  

I attached the pottery directly onto the glass with clear adhesive and added a wee twig for my bird to sit on.  A few sea-glass leaves completed my composition.

I'm much happier with my sea pottery bird now, seen here with my glass cooker splashback behind it.

And he can join my tree in my personal gallery of sea treasure!