Why I Keep Returning to Tides: The Story Behind Obsidian Tides and Midnight Tides

Some themes find their way back into my work again and again.

The tide is one of them.

Perhaps it's because tides represent movement without force. They don't rush. They don't demand attention. Yet over time, they shape everything they touch.

When creating Obsidian Tides and Midnight Tides, I wasn't trying to recreate the sea. I was interested in capturing its rhythm.

Using hundreds of mussel shells, I arranged each piece by hand, allowing patterns to emerge naturally. As the compositions developed, I noticed the same movements appearing repeatedly: spirals, currents, gathering energy, and flow.

Although they were created separately, I see these works as sisters.

Obsidian Tides explores the gathering force of the tide. Its spirals feel concentrated and powerful, like water being pulled by unseen forces beneath the surface.

Midnight Tides feels calmer and more expansive. The movement flows across the artwork like currents continuing their journey through the quiet hours of the night.

Together, the two pieces reflect what fascinates me most about the sea: its ability to move constantly while remaining calm.

Both artworks are made from natural mussel shells, each one unique in texture, colour, and form. Rather than hiding these variations, I celebrate them. They remind me that beauty often comes from repetition combined with imperfection.

The Tides Series is ultimately about rhythm, return, and presence. A reminder that not everything powerful needs to be loud.

Sometimes the most lasting changes happen quietly, just like the tide.