Saturday, June 27, 2009

Zen of Tides







Photo taken Muizenberg Beach South Africa 1942



For twenty odd years during the 80's and 90's the rythmic sounds of crashing waves was music that lulled me to sleep. I lived with my children, a dog, a cat and my partner Sid, in a gabled cottage on a winding street in a quaint seaside resort that had seen better days, called Muizenberg.
Over the years, my early morning walks along the waters edge enriched my life and inspired me to be fully aware of the joy of each and every moment. I observed how on stormy days the wind worried the waves into broken segments, shoving from behind and tumbling them ceaselessly and finally leaving an outline of scummy foam which dried to a dirty grey green and left in its wake pieces of driftwood, shells and debris.
At other times days, it was different. If there was a light breeze off the ocean, and the green sea had some blue in it,the foam frill that swept up from time to time was creamy white and altogether more friendly and left behind amazing etchings in the wet sand.

So why am I telling you all this. Who or what is the inspiration that Elana and I get during the process of crafting our nuno felted garments. We basically start off with a piece of white silk and talk about hot and cold colors and combinations , and should we shibori dye some pieces, and we mix and match and then choose merino wool and other items for texture and pattern. . My latest nuno felted wrap for our shop FELT 4U is aptly named Tidel Foam and was inspired by simple walks on the beach long time ago.

11 comments:

  1. Simply great!!!!
    A hug from Italy
    rosa

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  2. HI there
    Am at present working on a project entitled Memories of Muizenberg, for an Exhibition to open in CT in Dec.And I came across your blog. We certainly know of artists who lived in Muizenberg, including Amshewitz, and more recent... But reading your recollections of watching the movement of the sea, and enjoying the beauty of the articles so inspired, gives me great pleasure.
    I would love to know your name and to hear more about your memories of the time spent in Muizenberg.
    Incidentally we have gathered over 1100 images from people all over the world, but I have never before seen the delightful pic of the horse and buggy (possibly a fish hawker coming to collect the catch to sell in the suburbs???)
    Please let me know if you'd be prepared to write your Memoirs for a book I am hoping to write.

    Thank you, Hedy, Johannesburg

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  3. Hello Hedy,
    My name is Elaine Sackson and I lived in Muizenberg from 1981-2001. My partner was Sidney Seftel. I now live in Israel. Yes I would be prepared to write my memoirs of Muizenberg during that time as it was such in interesting time of transformation. I wrote an article for the Zionist Record 6 September 1985 entitled Muizenberg Luft De Luxe by Elaine Greenstein (my married name)
    Contact me elaine.sackson@gmail.com

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  4. Reading your beautiful words brought tears to my eyes. I must be missing home very much today! What a beautiful part of this earth Muizenberg is. We used to gallop horses along the hard white sand. How lucky we are to know it.
    Your felting is gorgeous.
    Blessings and magic.

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  5. Thank you so much. Blessings from Israel.

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  6. nice collection, i love it much and be reugalr to your blog.

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  7. Thank you for being a regualar follower of our blog Felt 4 U

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  8. Still love it, love it, love it - and since I first found you on the Internet we have become such Muizenberg friends! Since then I have doubled the number of Memoirs gathered (still waiting on yours) and the number of images collected now well over 1500. And while the Exhibition is a HUGE success, THE book to be, 'The Shtetl by the Sea' is well beyond embryonic stage. And your glorius FELT 4U garments continue to enrich and colour the world.
    Much love XXXH

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  9. Love those beads and the design you came up with for them is beautiful!

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