California Coastal Series
California Dreamin'
Artwork Details
Technique: Constructed Textile Sculpture
Dimensions: 36" wide x 72" high
Collection: California Coastal Series
Availability: Ready to display sculpture
Some of my favorite memories are from days spent around Catalina Island, just off the Southern California coast.
We had several favorite coves where we would drop anchor, and many of them were surrounded by giant kelp forests. Whenever I had the chance, I'd slip into the water with a mask and snorkel among the towering plants.
Kelp forests are surprisingly alive. Sunlight filters through the long ribbons as they sway with the waves, creating an underwater world that feels peaceful and constantly in motion.
The brightest residents were always the Garibaldi. Their brilliant orange color seems to glow against the deep greens and golds of the kelp, making them impossible to miss as they dart through the fronds.
Long before I created this piece, I had learned to appreciate kelp in a different way. While I was dating my first husband, he participated in a school project to help restore the kelp beds at Crystal Cove in Laguna Beach. The project involved transplanting healthy kelp plants from areas where they were abundant to artificial substrates where new forests could take hold.
Watching that effort gave me a greater appreciation for these remarkable underwater forests and the important role they play in California's coastal ecosystem.
California Dreamin' is my tribute to those quiet moments beneath the surface, where light, water, kelp, and brilliant flashes of orange come together in a world that many people never get to experience.