The Call of The Sea...And the Desire to Create...
The beautiful and oh so powerful energy of the sea that draws us in....with its calming rhythm of the waves,... its soothing colors and sounds...its salty scents...its textures as we wiggle our bare feet in the cool, moist sand.
All of this and more...
I truly believe it is the vibrational energy of the sea that calls to our spirit most of all.
There is 'something' about sea stones... that simply whispers to my soul.
My connection with the stone begins on the shore as I walk beside the sea...most often in the autumn and winter months...when there is a stillness at the beach.
First the sight of it... then the tactile connection of holding it in my hand...gathering it with a few other stones in a canvas bag and lovingly bringing it home where it will join the other stones from previous journeys to the shore and patiently wait until its energy calls to me... and it will share its message when my hand and heart connect with the colors and design or word it will call my spirit to bring forth.
From the moment my heart and hand connect with my work...there is pure joy.
Within the sea stones there is magic.
There is rarely any planned design. Instead, I simply feel an inner 'tug' to choose certain colors and as I begin to apply the colors to the stone, the designs begin to flow. When I am working on a stone I lose all sense of time. I am amazed to see that many hours can go by...
My designs are done a little differently. They are not typically 'painted on the stones' with a paintbrush. First a 'rough' design is laid on the stone with white paint. That allows the color of the water-resistant glaze inks to have a base that will allow the colors to be true and more vibrant. When the white paint is dry I then add the first layer of glaze ink and then allow the first layer of glaze to dry... usually a half hour or more... then slowly add another layer, and wait... and then add another layer. Most of my stones have at least 3 to 4 layers of glaze on top of the white paint base-coat design before it is complete. Somtimes a stone is completed in one day, but most often it takes a period of several days before it is finished. I may work on a few stones at once, going back and forth as layers of glaze dry on each.
It is a labor of love from start to finish.
I am also drawn to driftwood and fallen sticks and branches. These become enchanted totems, often wrapped in beads and metal...and painted. Something magical happens when I begin to 'play' with the natural elements... sticks, stones, glass, wood, wire....
One of my other passions is journals. They have called to my spirit for as long as I can remember. I love the sweet, soothing sound of a pen across the pages...the 'space' that waits for me to let my inner thoughts and words flow...
When I find the perfect journal (one that opens easily, with pages that lay flat so that writing flows effortlessly, good quality paper and a pleasant weight to the journal that feels comfortable in my hands) I begin the 'dance' of adding...tweaking...embellishing....giving each journal its own, distinct personality. Often beginning with lightly padding the front and back covers so that it FEELS good when you hold it in your hands to write. And then... the fun begins....
Pulling together the mix of fabrics and ribbons, feathers, 'jewels and gems', vintage inspired embelllishments, and more...all of this just makes me happy within! Again, it evolves over time...usually taking several days for it all to come together.
I love and savor each part of the journey...and feel so very blessed to be able to do what brings my heart such peace.
I hope that you will be able to feel the love that is within every piece of art that I create...and that my work may bring a little more peace to your days...
with Love From Cape Cod.....xoxox Sandi
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