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Bull kelp (nereocystis luetkeana), also known as bullwhip kelp
due to its long stipe which resembles a whip, is found along the
northwestern coast of the United States. Often one can see children
snapping their playmates or their parents with a shorter piece of
it, or dogs dragging it along for a ways.
Underwater, a cable-like formation known as a ‘holdfast’ anchors
the bull kelp to rocks. It’s buoyant, stem like stipe and bladder
(the round bulb at the top, which I use to make rattles) filled with
CO2 bring the fronds closer to the sunlight, so that they float on
or close to the water’s surface. (The fronds are considered
a nutritious supplement and a delicacy, and are regularly harvested.
) Bull kelp can attain a length of greater than 100 feet, though
typically it grows to length of 18-50 feet in about six months.
Storms dislodge the kelp from its ocean home and bring it to the
beach. The process the kelp goes through from that point determines
whether it will be useful in one of my projects, and what purpose
it will best serve. The kelp gets pushed up on the shore, and may
get drawn back into the sea and pushed back up on the beach numerous
times before it finally rests and dries. It requires the salt, sun,
and wind to achieve the proper curing. Also, parasites in the form
of bugs and mold play a large part in the beauty of the finished
product.
I only gather the dry kelp, as it is impossible,
in a normal home environment, to recreate the necessary conditions
to produce the best quality kelp for my projects. Therefore the
supply does not always meet the demand. Some years we have an
abundance of beautiful, dry sea kelp, while in other years we
never get the right conditions to dry it before it rots.
This product cannot be mass-produced, and your special kelp piece
will be a one-of-a-kind. After gathering, I clean the kelp and create
my designs using artificial sinew to bind the kelp ‘hides’ together.
Then I must properly dry them, depending on the needs of the individual
item. The whole process is a very time-consuming , and can take
weeks before a product is ready for its new home.
Be sure to read the section ‘How do I take care of it?’ on the FAQ page.
Please feel free to contact me for more information. |
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