Above: Any project that starts with “Step 1: Head to the beach” is A-okay with me. Here my little helpers (Oliver and Solvi) are finding seaweed specimens, which we carried home in a bucket of seawater.
Weedblock Fabric ($10.47 a roll from Home Depot), or other mesh fabric
An Artist’s Brush (prices range from $6.29, depending on size and shape, at Utrecht)
Two pieces of wood
Something heavy (like a stack of books) to weigh down the prints
Directions
Above: Once your specimens are home, place them in the sink or a white bucket filled with seawater. Above: Fill another bucket with 2 inches of water. (I used the other half of my double sink.) Slide a piece of watercolor paper into the water and arrange the seaweed on top, keeping both paper and seaweed submerged. Above: Carefully lift the paper out of the water, tilting it this way and that so the water drains away but you still maintain your design (more or less). Use a small brush to reposition the seaweed into the desired composition and to sweep away unwanted bits of seaweed or sand. Above: Place your arrangement on a piece of corrugated cardboard and gently position a piece of mesh fabric on top. If you want, you can layer several prints this way. Above: Put all your prints between the two flat boards and weigh them down with something heavy, like a brick or your Art Through the Ages book. Let the prints dry for several days, depending on the relative dryness of your climate. A fan will speed the process.
Above: After several days, remove the weights and layers to reveal your prints. (If they’re still damp, just put them back under the weight.) I Googled the names of my specimens and wrote them on the paper in pencil. Above: Two framed prints now grace my mantel. The most delicate specimens and simplest compositions turned out to be my favorites. Above: After my experience, I have one addition to Karen Robertson’s directions: Choose the more translucent and delicate seaweeds; they make better (and less messy) prints.
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