BALLET OF THE SEALS
ACRYLICS ON CEDAR W/RED OAK FRAME
SPRING 2022
     I am always envious of divers who are able to watch seals play beneath the waves.  Not being capable of doing so, I am restricted to videos showing their joyful dance as they swim about.  I can only imagine how much fun they are having and wish that I could join in their fun.  The designs for the seals were inspired by both Northwest Coast Native and Celtic art traditions.  As a big fan of Arts and Crafts designer Archibald Knox, I was inspired by his work in pewter and silver to include Celtic Revival-style entrelac for the internal details of the seals.  I drew in the flowing blades of the bull kelp stalks while thinking of Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo's famous pre-Art Nouveau chair.  The design of his chair back, with its swirling lines and bulbous tops, always reminds me of bull kelp flowing in the currents.  I made the frame out of red oak using pegged, hand-joined, mortise-and-tenon construction methods.  I used the Japanese technique (shou-sugi-ban) of charring and oiling the oak to finish the frame.

DIMENSIONS:          HEIGHT: 23 inches
                                  WIDTH:  15 inches

                                                        PRICE $500

Picture
Archibald Knox entrelac design
Picture
chair detail by A.H. Mackmurdo