Museum of Craftology: Tidepool Reflections

There is so much life under the sea, so many mysterious things and creatures we never see and really can only begin to imagine. The coast is the place where the earth and sea touch and thus the place where we as land dwellers can experience even a small bit of the wonders of the ocean. The animals and plants that have evolved to live at the edge are special and have developed unique ways of living that make them cool and interesting. Representations of tidepools and the animals that live in them are one of my favorite themes, and to showcase the work being done on ETSY, here is a Treasury entitled Tidepool Reflections.

I have always liked tidepools, but there aren't too many in New York! Now that I live in Oregon, I have been able to see them more often. Here are some photographs I have taken at the Oregon Coast and Oregon Aquarium of real live tidepools!

Tidepool Country: Cape Foulweather Lighthouse Beach, Newport, Oregon

Mussels and Gooseneck Barnacles, Cannon Beach, Oregon

Green Anemone, Cannon Beach, Oregon

Starfish and Anemones, Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport

Tidepool, Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport

Using local porous volcanic rocks and multicolored polymer clay, I have made some sculptural tidepool scenes in miniature which I plan to attach to pinbacks, rings and other jewelry. The hardest part is getting the polymer clay to stick to the rock, but I use a method which I will later detail in a tutorial. Here are the tiny tidepool rocks I have made so far (the largest is about 1.25" across).