The Ocean Mosaic Story

Many of us have been picking up and collecting shells since we were children. We lay them on window sills. We fill jars. We create center pieces on tables and in the garden. And even if we carry them back to the shore, we end up collecting more another day. When we look at them, we are reminded of the sounds, light, and feelings that the sea has brought us over the years. Whether we have walked in joy or sat with unbearable grief, the surf holds us and invites us unconditionally into its peace.

While on sabbatical in 2006, I sat with my own midlife transition, which included letting go of my then 25 year career as a professional painter and private art instructor. That was the third and, I was sure, last time I would give up art. I studied Jung, the mandala, and became a certified spiritual director. I walked for miles along Maine’s winter coast. I let the ocean wash over my heart and soul. And as I reflect in my poem, The Good Bits, a new art form emerged.

For the last 15 years these Ocean Mosaics have been created using shells and stones from my favorite beach combing spots including – Hyannis, Duxbury Beach and South Boston, Massachusetts – Biddeford Poole, Maine and Jamestown, Rhode Island. Recently materials gathered on Little Gasparilla Island, Florida and Israel’s Sea of Galilee and Mediterranean have been included. I also create commissions which include the shell collections of clients and looks forward to collecting from other areas of the country.

For ages, artists and crafts people have been experimenting with the use of shells as a medium. Some of the most popular have been what have become known as “Sailor’s Valentines.” Sailors on extended ocean voyages ordered these “Valentines” from Barbados for their sweethearts back home. In octagonal frames and composed of hundreds of tiny shells, they bore messages of love. In a way, my mosaics are also love messages. The expression of love for our wild oceans, safe harbors, and varied shorelines is certainly present in my work. In contemplation, one will also experience the power of the sky and heavenly bodies as they interact with the waters of our beautiful Earth.

Collecting, cleaning, sorting, and arranging these treasures from the sea has felt like a primal, ancient task in which I can find great peace and healing. Perhaps this is why they have become so popular and loved by the patients and staff of Cape Cod Healthcare where dozens of my Ocean Mosaics hang. It has  been an honor to create and place these pieces in locations throughout the Cape and beyond.