Years ago a good friend took me to see a show called Ocean Flowers at the Drawing Center in NY. It was a collection of 19th century pressed algae prints and cyanotypes. The catalog for that show is compiled from Mary Matilda Howard and others dried specimens; it is my bible for inspiration. The patterns created from the pressed kelp fuels my interest in organic abstraction.
I live in Dallas, 6 hours from the coast. When I do get the chance to visit the coast I comb the beach for hours. The algae seems otherworldly and the decomposed shells and coral I find are small sculptures in themselves. The drawers in my studio are full of shells, rocks, plants and minerals that are a constant source of design reference. When you look at our Instagram feed this week you will see the impression these pieces have had on my collection.
Top photo: Pressed kelp image found on Mirello Bruno Visual Acoustics - Tumblr
Middle and bottom photo: pieces from my collection