C. S. Alexis hunting driftwood on Wells Street Beach

The week in Chicago had to include a driftwood gathering. C.S. loves to hunt for the driftwood she uses to make her artwork and some of her handcrafted jewelry. Combing the beaches is so enjoyable. C.S. says it is one way to put life into perspective.

The impact of the Gulf Oil spill is weighing heavy on her mind. She could not help but think of all that black goo making death a certainty for the innocent victims, the wildlife. The tragedy was center stage in her thoughts as she gathered the driftwood.

Growing up near a lake like Lake Michigan and spending countless hours combing the shoreline has marked this artist for life. Marked in a wonderful way, C.S.has an outstanding positive attitude about nature, the elements and all that life on the shores of a Great Lake have to offer. She remembers when you could not walk on the beaches because the pollution was killing the fish and the dead fish bones were impossible to cross in bare feet.

Lake Michigan is so much better now that we humans have taken some actions to protect her. More could and should be done on Lake Michigan and around the world to protect and nurture our Mother Earth. Shout it from the top of your voice, learn as much as possible, teach our children and practice healthy environmental conservation on a routine agenda. Join forces and walk the talk. It is all about the love.

 

Watch for this piece of driftwood in a future post as C.S. transforms her feelings through her mixed media makings.

From driftwood to artwork at Adrift Art Studio

 

One thing C.S. loves very much is driftwood. She found her first piece on the south shores of Lake Michigan and she has been hunting for unique pieces every since. She collects it. She cleans it and she makes artwork out of it.
 

Sometimes the pieces are small and she turns them in to jewelry pendants. Sometimes the pieces are very large and she has been known to turn them in to all kinds of things.
 

One thing for certain, she never gets bored with making the driftwood creations and she never gets bored with hunting the driftwood.
 

One of her favorite ways to be creative on driftwood is to add the technique of pyrography and color it up with acrylic paints. Sometimes she uses a small amount of acrylic paint and sometimes she just paints the night away.

 

This piece tells a story.
It is a very sad story. One that has not yet found an ending.

 

But she is sure it started with care less greed! Pretty Bad, Pretty? Bad? Pretty Bad......Pretty Bird, dirty bird.