Seawater
In The Sea from Here I reached out to people around the world, inviting them to send photographs of the sea. Now, in a new series of paintings, I want to take this a step further: I’m asking people to physically send me their sea.
When working in watercolour on the coast, I often mix seawater with my paints, occasionally bringing a bottle back to the studio. With this project, I hope to expand that gesture into a substantial body of watercolour seascapes made using seawater gathered from around the world. Painting with seawater is not a new idea, but it offers another way to reflect on localised sea-level change without the need to travel. Each work becomes a site-specific collaboration – a project rooted in appreciation of our seas, treating each collected sample as something precious that connects us.
Sending liquids by post is not always straightforward, but when packaged carefully it is perfectly safe. As with the first part of this project, I don’t want anyone to go out of their way or make a special trip to the coast for this purpose, and I certainly don’t want anyone to take risks when collecting water.
How to take part
I only need one sample from each sea, so please fill out the form below to check whether water from your local coastline has already been sent. I now have over forty samples, listed below. There’s no need for a large volume – anything between 50–200ml is more than enough.
If possible, please use recycled packaging with plenty of padding: a cleaned drinks bottle or small cosmetics container, tightly sealed, wrapped in several layers of bubble wrap (many couriers require three), placed inside a waterproof bag and secured with tape. You can send it in a box or padded envelope, depending on size. If needed, you may declare the contents as “bottled water: non-hazardous liquid.”
Please include the coordinates of the collection point, and you’re welcome to email me a photograph of the sample being gathered, which I may share on social media.
In return
I plan to create one large artwork using everyone’s seawater. If successfully received, you’ll receive a sketch in return for your sample, produced during the process of creation – approximately postcard-sized – as a thank-you. When sending your sample, please also include your address.
Samples already received:
Mediterranean Sea & connected seas
Alboran Sea (Spain)
Aegean Sea (Greece)
Balearic Sea (Spain)
Galilee Sea (Israel)
Mediterranean Sea (Israel)
Mediterranean Sea (France)
Mediterranean Sea (Malta)
Baltic / Black Sea
Baltic Sea (Denmark)
Baltic Sea (Sweden)
Black Sea (Georgia)
Black Sea (Russia)
Atlantic Ocean & connected seas
North Atlantic Ocean (America)
North Atlantic Ocean (France)
North Atlantic Ocean (Tenerife)
North Atlantic Ocean (Scotland)
South Atlantic Ocean (South Africa)
South Atlantic Ocean (Ilha Grande Bay, Brazil)
Bay of Biscay (France)
Celtic Sea (Isles of Scilly)
Irish Sea (England)
Irish Sea (Ireland)
Irish Sea (Wales)
Saint George’s Channel (Wales)
English Channel (England)
Firth of Clyde (Scotland)
Shapinsay Sound (Orkney)
Sound of Gigha (Isle of Gigha)
New Jersey Bight / Long Island Sound (America)
Loch Nevis (Scotland)
Gulf of Mexico (America)
Pacific Ocean & connected seas
North Pacific Ocean (America)
North Pacific Ocean (Japan)
Coral Sea (Australia)
East China Sea (China)
East Sea / Sea of Japan (South Korea)
Salish Sea (Canada)
Tasman Sea (Australia)
Tasman Sea (Tasmania)
Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean (Australia)
Red Sea (Egypt / Sudan border)
Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean (Disko Bay, Greenland)
Southern / Southern Indian Ocean
Southern Ocean (Australia)
Great Australian Bight (Australia)
Other
Suez Canal (Egypt)
Lake Michigan (America)
Samples I’m looking for:
Atlantic / Arctic margins
Caribbean Sea
Norwegian Sea
Greenland Sea
Pacific Ocean / adjacent seas
Philippine Sea
South China Sea
Celebes Sea
Java Sea
Indian Ocean / adjacent seas
Arabian Sea
Andaman Sea
Mediterranean / connected seas
Ionian Sea
Tyrrhenian Sea
Adriatic Sea
Levantine Sea