Barnacle Tea/ Sake cups and A Story of Adventure... (artwork)

Many people see barnacles as a nuisance, something to be scrubbed off boat hulls and cleaned off buoys. But I see barnacles as a story, saying: "this shell has been places. It has been home to many." These amazing little creatures live in the intertidal zone; a mysterious realm between ocean and land. They thrive in the pounding waves and the changing tides. Their shells are durable but their bodies are delicate and feathery. They are masters of adaptation, making their homes on just about everything. Don't you agree that a bottle washed up on the beach has more intrigue when it is coated in barnacles, signifying that it has been on a journey? Don't you love to think of where that bottle has been and what it has seen? One of the most soul-filling things I do is stare at the ocean and marvel at the secrets it holds and the memories floating around in deep currents, perhaps hidden for centuries. These handmade cups are my homage to the Ocean and her secrets. heart emoticon Let us all cheer to nature's miracles, to hidden treasure, and to shipwrecked mysteries washing ashore... 

...and also to those taken back by the sea. I actually had quite the adventure shooting these photos yesterday. A rogue wave came up on us and luckily my friend was keeping a good watch out for waves such as this one, so I was able to make it to safety in plenty of time. My cups, however, did not. I watched with a sinking feeling in my gut as a huge wave crashed down on these, knocking all but three off the rock they were positioned on. Luckily almost all of them were caught in a crevice and we were able to rescue them when the water went down. Miraculously, all of them were undamaged, if a little salty! All but one were recovered, and I watched that lone little cup float out on the big wave like a tiny boat. I suppose it's only fair for the Ocean to take a little commission on these since she was the muse behind them. Ah Pacific Ocean you tempestuous character, I hope you enjoy your sacrificial cup! Perhaps it will wash up on a beach somewhere and someone will pick it up and wonder about the mysterious barnacles growing on the surface. heart emoticon I'm sad to lose that lone cup, but I like to think of it returning home to the Ocean Mother.