i have a tendency to overlook the oysters when i'm wandering the beach. those ubiquitous ragged white shells, either whole living creatures or discarded husks, dot the shoreline in many places at low tide, to a point that for me they sometimes blend into the background as i search for other treasures. due to their generally stationary lifestyle, they are often covered with barnacles and other marine life, nestled in the muddier spots. and yet, they are a big part of the coast. like other filter feeders, they help keep the water clean. the native species have been eaten by the first nations of the coast for probably as long as either have been here. introduced species have taken over in many places as commercial farming of them has increased, good or bad as that may be. and i certainly enjoy a fresh shucked oyster breaded and dropped in a sizzling pan. It seemed about time to give them their due.
this oyster is completely hand stitched from layers of creamy linen and silk. while live oysters on the beach tend to be shut up tight against the air, this one is cracked open to show you the (somewhat simplified) meat inside. although pearls are rare in oysters of the coast, i have found a small, irregular bead now and again and added one here. and of course there are a few barnacles dotting its shell. :)
if you appreciate oysters like i am learning to do, this one can be found in the shop.
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also in the shop, i am now offering green sea turtles and leatherback turtles as made to order items. i hope to do this soon with some other pieces, as i hope this will make it easier rather than wondering when i might make a certain creature again. i will offer the custom creatures as long as i have the materials to recreate similar pieces to ones i have done before (in some cases these materials are quite limited). and please know that as always, i do accept custom orders if there is a specific beast that you would like to see recreated in textiles but have not seen me make yet. i love a challenge!
5 comments:
a-freaking-mazing. You leave me speechless with your work, so often.
The oyster is lovely, and looks so real. I used to sail around the gulf islands as a kid, and those white oyster shells were everywhere. I remember one beach near my cousins' house which was almost completely white with oysters. One of my favourite sea creatures, though, were the purple sea stars. I remember thinking that colour was almost too exotic for the west coast of BC! I also loved the tiny beach crabs, which we had so much fun chasing out from under rocks.
gorgeous
That oyster is gorgeous! I love how you interpret these creatures, using soft fabrics to create hard looking shells.
Remind me next time you come over - I have a small pearl we found in an oyster - you can put it into your next creation :>) - V
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