Like most visitors to the coast, I collect seashells. I take them to remind me of time spent at the water's edge. But I often find myself wanting more. I want a reminder of the interplay that existed between me and a wave. How do I show the single-mindedness that I experience within the surf zone? With this same single-mindedness, I begin to join smooth pieces of seashell together. New structures evolve. These arraignments make manifest the Zen Mind present in a dynamic environment. We are a fleeting existence.
Surfing is a fluid movement vacillating between hard and soft, much like aikido. There is an exchange that exists between forces. This exchange is a constant shifting between pressing and yielding. When in harmony, the exchange smoothly cycles back and forth. Applying force at the bottom of a turn, matches ones calculated power against the energy of the wave. Straightening out and going down the line, goes with the wave’s force.
Over the years, this continual give and take has shaped me. The interplay between myself and the ocean has smoothed my rough edges, much like the polishing of seashells. My body (shell) has been accentuated, like the seashells in my creations. I bring the wave inside by arranging seashells in a manner similar to that which the ocean has arranged me. In this way, I continue to explore my place in nature. How do you fit into your surroundings?
