Beach combing

There is so much to see at the beach. The aliveness of the environment is fed by the constant movement of the sea. What draws my attention to a beach treasure is usually color or shape. When I pick up a smooth friendly little item, rub it with my thumb, and put it in my pocket, it becomes a little talisman, imprinted with the tranquil mood that accompanies my time on the beach. Somewhere in my mind I am also building a mosaic, imagining all my little gems together in a colorful display. However, it seems more satisfying to keep them loose, to be handled and tumbled in and out of their bag as the collection grows.

Some fun beaches from the past two and a half years include spots in the Bahamas, Bermuda, Madeira, Brazil, and Uruguay. In the Bahamas I was into picking up tiny shells, in Bermuda, sea glass, in Madeira, rocks, and on Brazil’s numerous beaches, I found a little bit of everything. Here in Piriapolis, Uruguay, I find a mix with more sea glass.

intertidal zone

Playa San Francisco, Uraguay

A day’s finds

A growing pile

I painted a few little items from Brazil to take back to the states for friends and family. I’m not sure who has what. Tiny arts and crafts are a great hobby on a small boat, and these were a fun little group of tiles, rocks, and shells to paint.

Tiny painting

All of the tiny paintings

Dawn Treader shell

Island shell

Who knows where the rest will end up. Sometimes, I think of my self as a wave grabbing random bits and pieces, tossing a collection together, and then someday drawing back into the ocean, leaving behind my colorful display, to be changed and scattered by the next wave in an incoming tide.