Sea Gems

32″ X 18″
$700

Sailing along, upside-down, on the top of the ocean’s surface are thousands of jelly fish-like creatures known as velella.  Also called “by-the-wind-sailors”, they are pushed by the wind, day after day, never fully submerging themselves. Due to a sail that rises above the water and is angled, they generally tack to the right of northwesterly prevailing winds and stay offshore.  Periodically, winds shift and blow from the southwest, causing thousands of them to be blown ashore.

Once stranded, they appear for a short period of time to be precious electric blue-colored gems lying on the beach — before they perish.

Fabric collage created with hand-dyed cotton fabrics, quilted with a variety of polyester and silk threads.  The pieces of the collage are permanently fused and stitched, prior to quilting.

Detail: