Atlantic Realm 3 - Kelp on Stone

In an attempt to get my brain pulled back out of the Viking Age and interpretive programing, I have been working up some smaller sculptural pieces.



Altantic Realm 3 - Kelp on Stone
Natural stone, forged mild steel & reinforcing bar

I have been slowly working up a series of pieces based on ideas spawned from my various trips out to the East Coast. I love beach combing. Not only is the environment itself cleansing for me (regardless of the weather), I have always be fascinated by the undersea world. (I started skin diving at about age 10.)

There is a spot far up the Northern Pennisula in Newfoundland that I always stop at - Eddie's Cove. Its not the absolute best spot for beach combing along that route, but dependably over the trips I almost always stop there - and almost always spot something interesting:



There were a number of pieces of kelp washed up on the beach there. I had worked up a major piece (for the Reade / Maxwell project) based on kelp. Might have been a bit different if I had seen some actual samples of the stuff! Although my earlier work had always meant to be stylized, I was struck by the series of pockets running up the lengths of the fronds. In the water, these are small pouches filled with air, which help keep the plant upright.

So, call me a bad man.
On the way home from L'Anse aux Meadows, we had stopped at 'the Arches' Provencial Park. One of my companions had never seen it, and frankly I needed a short 'wake up' break from driving. The beach there is composed of wave rounded stones, ranging from egg to head sized. I was struck by the complex flowing patterns on a piece of granite.
So I stole it.

Right off the start, I had envisioned using the stone as the focal point for a sculptural piece. In the end 'Kelp on Stone' is the result.