Our Living Sea (photo 1)
Fine Arts; Class VIII; "Our Living Sea" by G. Bruels; Photo 1; Friday Harbor, WA 98250; "This is a nearly 30 foot long, 6 foot high (average) sculpted tile mural. All the tiles we made from scratch and are either carved (for the kelp) or added to (all the sea creatures) or both. I used a variety of glazes and underglazes and fired to Cone 5. It took just over 2 years to complete the project. The mural depicts sea life from our area of the Salish Sea. Most are under stress for one reason or another. At the right distance from shore, the mural can be seen from the water. My hope is to heighten awareness of the growing fragility of our marine ecosystem. I should note that after the start of the mural, we decided to put in a swim spa. Given the direction of the current, I really can 'swim with the fishes!'"