Bringing the Energy of Salt and Sea to Home
Just me, hunched over on the floor, paint brush in hand, angling myself to find the best light, painting oysters.
In true Imbolc fashion, I’ve been staying close to home, refreshing the energy in my space room by room. It’s a daunting process when I think about the amount of things I need to fix, restore, clean, declutter. How vast my house feels with just me to care for it. But also, I’m learning to slow down and savor these moments of solitude and autonomy.
Rather than the broom bundles I usually make for home protection every Imbolc, I was inspired by the tale of St Brigid and the oystercatchers, as well as the cleansing and protective powers of salt and sea, to hand-paint oysters. I recently found a collection of oyster shells from two Christmas Eves ago that I had squirreled-away to craft with, and a quick trip to the local artist and craftsman supply store began this multi-day process.
These oysters are painted with a fluid acrylic, using a “dirty pour” technique - the chosen colors are all put into the same cup, swirled about a tiny bit, then poured over the oyster shell, letting the extra paint run onto a plate. After leaving them to dry for a day, I used a razor to remove extra paint, followed by fine-brush detailing work with the gorgeous gold paint I found. I’m very happy with the end result, and after they have some time to cure, I’ll preserve them with a clear glossy coat.
If you’re interested in trying this out yourself, here are the materials I used:
GOLDEN Fluid Acrylics in Titanium White, Cerulean Blue Deep, Cobalt Turquoise, and Iridescent Bright Gold (Fine)
GOLDEN GAC 800 (extender for pouring acrylics, not completely necessary for the fluid acrylics, but can make the paint even more pourable + extends the amount of paint you have, saving some money)
Cups/plates for mixing paint and for the “dirty pour” technique
Razor for removing extra paint
Acetone for removing extra paint and for drip effects
Fine-tipped paint brush for detail work
Water for thinning paint and for drip effects