Macroalgae: Moonstone Beach #5, Rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum)

Macroalgae Series

Foraged seaweeds are embedded in paper pulp by the artist during the wet hand papermaking process. Seaweed and pulp are pressed and dried together, resulting in an extraordinarily detailed preservation of the aquatic species.

Ocean flora is layered inside a natural, organic, tactile, imperfect, translucent handmade paper complete with feathery 'deckled edges.'

Macroalgae started as an innovative identification method while researching aquatic plant and algae species for paper fiber in Rhode Island waterways.

My artwork acts as witness to local ecologies and poignant evidence of human activity, while celebrating the beauty found in natural forms.

This Artwork

This rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) sample was collected from Moonstone Beach in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.

*You’ll notice a brown-orange silhouette overlaying the rockweed. This is essentially an ‘eco-print’, color from bladderwrack seaweed pressed at the same time in my paper press. Pretty cool!