I have been creating work inspired by the sea since I moved to the coast, and remembered the joy of its power and its ability to soothe me. As an environmental activist and volunteer for Friends of the Earth I campaign and take action to raise awareness, and, hopefully, help protect our planet and ecosystem.

I was able to visit the specimen store at TWMA and at Berwick Museum for my research, and was drawn to the herbaria at Berwick. The Film, “My Octopus Teacher”, inspired me to research seaweed and, in particular the kelp that can grow into giant underwater forests. I like to swim in the sea and have enjoyed observing sea life while snorkelling in a Marine Nature Reserve.
The work of Anna Atkins, (1799- 1872), the first person to publish a printed book using cyanotype images of Seaweed (Algae), combined with my love of blue, particularly Prussian blue, suggested to me the possibilty of using seaweed Cyanotype in this project.

I collected specimens of seaweed along our North East Coastline and began making prints from them at home. Using my shower room as a dark room and my back yard to expose the work to the sun, I gently pressed the seaweed beneath glass and waited for the non-toxic chemicals to accept the UV light. I washed out the prints in the bathtub to ‘fix’ them before stacking to dry between teatowels and boards. I chose this particular print because it reminds me of floating in a calm, dark blue realm of ‘endless forms’.