Collecting Seaweeds on holiday, Isle of Man

I collect seaweed all year round. The tideline after a winter storm can  be a great time to look for interesting pieces. This month I have collected seaweeds from 2 places. One was Kennack Sands Cornwall, so these pieces will have sentimental value . The other was Isle of Man a place completely new to me, so these will have memories of a new place. Both places had beautiful rockpools and lovely pieces of seaweed on the tideline.

Many times  seaweeds have ended up as bags of mush. I only remember them when I start to notice the awful smell in the boot of my car! This year however they were laid out on baking parchment and flattened between sheets of cardboard. I have even remembered to turn them regularly over regularly so they don’t go mouldy. 

The summer is the best time to dry the more bulky seaweeds because they dry out more quickly.

Using cyanotype is a great way of printing with seaweed. Seaweed also make beautiful lumen prints