Kelp Forest Orb
76 cm
The centre of this piece was found washed up on a Hornby Island beach. The top and bottom floats are carved from cedar and were once used in the salmon or herring fishery to hold a net at the surface. These floats were commonly used on the coast before plastic became a cheap and more durable option, they are rare to find as they eventually degrade, unlike plastic. The line it hangs from is from the prawn fishery and was donated to me by a fisherman. I have tied it in a figure 8 knot and lashed the ends with waxed sailing twine.
On this float I have painted a golden bull kelp forest on a sunny day. The buoyant carbon monoxide filled bulbs, hold the fronds of this brown algae near the surface so it can photosynthesize. The long blades stream behind the bulb, rippling in the current. On sunny days, swimming through a kelp forest can feel like you are under a ceiling of golden stained-glass which undulates and sparkles with the moving water. These kelp forests provide important habitat for many juvenile marine species on our Pacific Coast and are an essential part of a healthy marine ecosystem. I have also painted ochre sea stars, proliferating and brooding anemones, plumose anemones and vermillion sea stars.
10% of the purchase price of this piece will be donated to the Ucluelet Aquarium’s Marine Debris Research Inititive.