Posts Tagged ‘sand tracks’

SAQA 2013 Auction – 12″ Square Completed

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013

I often get back into the swing of creating after the holidays by tackling my piece for the annual SAQA Benefit Auction – the 12″ squares that are auctioned online later in the year.

This year for the first time, pieces submitted by Oceania SAQA members are being shown together as a collection once or twice before the actual auction.  So there’s that deadline anyway for us tall to get them done and in good and early.  But a few days ago. Lisa,  SAQA Rep for the Oceania region,  called for images of any finished squares for this year’s SAQA auction to submit to magazines as promotion for the organisation in the region and the auction in particular.  And that really galvanised me.  On monday morning I got out the stencil I’d  made some time ago – sprayed some of the shiny black with gold, machine embroidered with gold, then layered, machine quilted, bound and photographed it; and sent the image off before breakfast today  – its wednesday.

Sandlines - small

I’m calling this one ‘Sandlines’ – based of course on sand ripple patterns on the beach.

 

What’s the Story?

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Quite often on the beach I find interesting sand erosion patterns; or entire dead birds and sea animals; or parts of non-marine animals such as goats and chickens, plus flowers fruits and candles, telling of offerings made from the beach to someone in the spirit world.  Some days more than others there is also debris in among the seaweed shells and drift wood, objects like those I collaged here, suggesting things lost and discarded.  We could speculate on what lies between each lost or abandoned object – a toy, shoe, drinks cooler, or breast enhancer from inside a bra …..

We would never know  if we were somewhere vaguely near the true story of how this object came here, or what the next stage on its journey is.  Will someone come along and pick it up before it is washed away again, and use it? It might be interesting to choose one such thing and make up a story about it.  Or perhaps write a series of short stories on each of the objects here … hmmmm and maybe I have spent a bit much time this morning reading reviews of books and stories other people have written to help build up the list of books to be ordered for the book group I belong to.  But for every author, there is always something that provides the starting point for their writing, something someone says or does, or something that appears or is found.  This morning I read a reviewer’s words along the lines that in places the reader has the impression of overhearing a long  phone conversation/chat between two friends including all the inconsequential little bits. I sometimes notice and am often amused by the amazing things people say in public toilets – I mean people who are clearly friends and while each is occupied in their loo cubicle they just continue their conversation for anyone to hear over the tinkling, farts and flushing !

 

Beach Offerings, cont.

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

For all my readers who are enjoying this series of pics and comments, yesterday I found this rather prim, modest little offering, carefully placed just beyond the high tide mark –

Beach Offering, With Daisies

I think under the covering of cooked rice it looked as if there was a white dove, but as I never like to disturb these things in any way at all,  I didn’t poke around to check.  The ‘silver’  (plastic) 10″  platter is one that tarts and small quiches in supermarkets come on.  Note the daisies – denoting spring? or  renewal of life? Same sentiments I guess, especially when taken with the eggshell halves.  Winding in and around these, but hard to see, was a ribbon of paper with some symbols and numbers on it, but the symbols I could see made little sense to me.   It’s interesting that although I have little exact idea what the messages are, usually, they always ‘feel’  important there at the edge of the water.  Anyway they’re not for me and other passers-by at all, but reaching out to Imanja, the goddess of the sea herself.

All in all, this one felt like a positive message.

Sand Tracks Low Tide

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Signs that the beach is constantly undergoing change- these are tracks of water and wind activity

 

Although the beach cleaner hadn’t been along there was little rubbish contrary to my expectations; but despite plenty of insect repellent the little black flies were really annoying.  And, a couple of serious offerings right down near the edge of the last high tide mark, which was low on the beach – I wonder do the supplicants keep an eye on the tide statistics and times, etc ? 

Two interesting offerings this morning - the lower left is one, two white doves, the other three are all of the same offering. The terracotta pot was somethng different - containing feathers and water and ?...I didn't explore further, would have had to use my hand ;-o

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