Lora de Vries finds history beneath her feet.
“Sea glass goes from a piece of glass to a frosted gem of history,” says de Vries, a Sooke resident and avid collector of the treasure from the sea.
Sea glass is naturally weathered pieces of glass, which often have the appearance of tumbled stones. These weathering processes produce natural frosted glass, which ranges from green to lavender.
de Vries, who says she’s always been inspired by nature, began collecting sea glass when she moved to the Island in 2006 and took meditative walks along the beach.
“The more I found, the more I kept finding. I got hooked on the thrill of finding these little pieces of history,” says de Vries.
“Sea glass represents the beauty in transformation; there is something about the translucent glow of light shining through the natural patina finish on sea glass which mesmerizes one’s soul with a simplistic beauty only Mother Nature could perfect.”
Sea glass was once mostly ignored as trash, although, according to Richard LaMotte, author of the collectors’ bible Pure Sea Glass, it at one time may have served as a status symbol, where people would place a jar of it in their front windows to illustrate their affluence. Now people collect, sell, and make things out of it – from fine jewelry to sun catchers, frames and mosaics.
de Vries started combining her love of photography with sea glass.
“With sea glass becoming rarer and rarer, I figured I would creatively share some of my pieces so others could enjoy that translucent sea glass glow,” she says.
The result? A stunning photo gallery on Facebook at SeaglassPhotosCo.
“I firmly believe when we surround ourselves with simplicity and art that brings a sense of calm into our lives, we create a space where we can emotionally evolve,” de Vries says.
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editor@sookenewsmirror.com
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