Seaglass and ink on driftwood (2020)

This piece is inspired by Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl’s 1947 voyage with the Kon Tiki raft across the Pacific Ocean from South America to Rapa Nui/Easter Island. Thousands of years before Moana, Motu Nui was the home to the world's first great navigators, able to find their way solely by the constellations of the stars and the currents and temperatures of the water. The Polynesian islanders used sophisticated wayfinding techniques and knowledge passed by oral tradition from master to student, often in the form of song.

This is a tribute to all explorers of inner and outer waters, and the adventurous spirit of the child, with the curiosity and determination to find out what lies beyond the vast horizons.. The outer journey also represents the inner search for HOME, our deepest source of love and belonging – as put by Heyerdahl: “You will find paradise in your own heart”.

This piece began appearing in 2006, on a voyage from Madeira to the Canary Islands. The pieces of polished sea glass are collected from all over the world ~ from the shores of Lebanon, Scotland, Fuerteventura, Ula, Brazil, Japan, France, Morocco.. The driftwood was found in Viksfjord, Norway, and has been with me on my travels for many years, functioning as an altar-piece, drawing board and bedside table. The unified image holds the fragmented pieces of my own heroine’s journey and heart, finally coming together in a natural expression of wholeness and ethereal beauty..

Which compass are you navigating your inner waters with?

・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.