The Mundane as Art: Round 8: Sand Patterns. Shellharbour to Bass Point Marine Reserve. NSW. Australia. Original photography.

in #mundaneart7 years ago (edited)

Imagine singing Orinoco Flow to the words of:

Let me.
Walk upon the sands.
Near the shores of Shelley Beach.
Let me gaze into pools. With jewels just out of reach.
~Ally.

Walking along the shores of a beach. Do you ever find yourself pondering the infinite Universe?

There's something about gazing out to the horizon and having a sense of the vastness of never-ending space: Above and below. I can feel the infinitesimal scale of my body in relationship to the planet and the entire cosmos.

And yet standing on the moist sand: I am grounded. And I gain an even stronger sense of my connection with nature and all creation.

I've always searched for the most perfect of perfect shells. However they were nowhere to be found between Shellharbour and Bass Point Marine Reserve. Initially I felt just a little downhearted, but then something quite unexpected happened.

Almost without me realizing it, a 'bonding' had started to take place as I looked at and then held some of these old and worn, bleached and blemished shells.

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Thousands, maybe millions, possibly more like trillions of fragmented shells lined the rockpools and covered the ground at Bass Point Marine Reserve.

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As I collected just a few larger shells to make this simple arrangement, I sensed that the energy of this area was VERY special. But until I returned home, I didn't know of its history: The indigenous people of this land occupied the Bass Point Reserve area for some 20,000 years prior to the arrival of European settlers and it was and continues to be a significant traditional meeting place. Source: NSW Office of Environment and Heritage: Bass Point Reserve.

There is potential that the individual shell midden sites on the northern shoreline could represent one single continuous midden site. It is also highly probable that there may be unrecorded Aboriginal artefact scatters and burial sites on the reserve: Either individually or in association with midden sites. ~Dr Sandra Bowdler.

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Tiny crevices and tidal pools were populated with not only the remnants of ancient seashells, but alive with sea creatures: A most enchanting micro world.

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And ultimately these pieces of ancient worn shells, become what we call SAND:
Unimaginable numbers of tiny grains of sand.
And I ponder. But can never grasp.
Infinity in the palm.
Of my hand.
IF:

The total number of stars in the Universe is larger than all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the planet Earth. ~Carl Sagan.


AND that it's been estimated that the Earth has roughly seven quintillion, five hundred quadrillion grains of sand.

AND seven quintillion, five quadrillion is 700,500,000,000,000,000,000.


AND now for a few photographs of the most ordinary sand patterns you may have ever seen for @kus-knee's The Mundane as Art: Sand Patterns.

Mundane? Can you see the mountains in the ripples?

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The unfathomable trillions of grains of sand, broken and weathered down from shells and corals, rocks and minerals. Mundane?

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Thanks so much @kus-knee for initiating the The Mundane as Art: Sand Patterns.


Other photographs: Shellharbour to Bass Point Marine Reserve.

  1. Shellharbour and Bass Point Marine Reserve.
  2. Magical Moments on the Reef at Shellharbour: Sydney South Coast.
  3. Ten Days of Reflection: Day 2. Bass Point Marine Reserve

About Shellharbour
About Bass Point Reserve


In my next article for the Ten Days of Reflection Challenge I'll be sharing some of the Jewels of the Sea photographed at Bass Point Marine Reserve.

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I'll also be recapturing the magic of Bass Point Reserve as I made this ephemeral art piece.

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Art and Photography: ©Alison Lee Cousland.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 Mark II.
Processing: Lightroom.


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wow his picture is very clear and cool

Thanks @uciha. Love my little lightweight Sony. I have a macro lens, but haven't even used it yet. Like to just be close to my subject matter to obtain the clarity. 🦋

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You create the best artistic visual photo albums! @allyinspirit 🐚💯🐚

Thanks so very much Nina for your wonderful compliment.

This article became so all encompassing that I felt like I could, or was writing a book about my impressions and experiences at Bass Point.

I'm loving so many of the challenges at the moment and had only just seen @kus-knee's 'The Mundane as Art' ~ A challenge that REALLY appeals to my aesthetics. 🦋

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Ally ~ You are truly a Master of your Craft SiStar. You never cease to amaze me with your ability to pull my Soul ever so gently through the portal of my heart into the worlds you so lovingly allow us the opportunity to look into.

Thank you from the depths of my Being <33333 Reiki Hugssssssss

Such a pleasure to receive your comment @reiki-trail. It means so very much to me.

Sometimes I know my articles are becoming way too long, but it's as if 'something' really wants me to tell the stories to the best of my ability.

Thanking you from the depths of my being now. 🦋💖🦋

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Likewise SiStar :)

I appreciate the depth with which you go into your articles ~ I want you to know that you have been and continue to be a great inspiration to me. My posts & artwork are evolving slowly & steadily in big part thanks to you my friend.

Sending lots of love & bright blessings your way ~ Namaste

Shells once were small home for one of the creatures, and death came upon them... one day even us will leave “empty shells” behind

So true Di. So many symbolic messages contained within the shells.

Many people collecting 'perfect' shells don't realize, or turn a blind eye to the fact that they may still be the homes of live creatures. 🦋

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I love your entry...it's very striking. And it does definitely resemble the mountains from the air!!

Also, very interesting info re shells and sand.

Thanks so much @countrygirl

I thought it was going to be a relatively simple post when I first started ~ A few days ago. But it took me into 'other areas.' Still more to come.

I know I need, am compelled to go back to Bass Point again. Hoping to this winter when the beaches are deserted and waves wilder. And the little beach hut that I stayed in, at an off-season rate. 🙏

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I love memories like that too. I have a beach that I call my own - it's not of course - but I need to go there as well and stay at the same place off-season too. There is nothing more exciting than wild waves whipping sand at my face - natural exfoliation - lol.

It's great looking back at photos and finding new things to post about . I'll watch for upcoming episodes of @allyinspirit adventures.

Hadn't thought of sand whipping against one's face as being a natural exfoliation treatment @countrygirl. But of course. 😊

The beach I've always thought of as being 'my own' is in another state. But I went back there a few years ago after not being there since my late teens. It was the most amazing experience. I'd actually forgotten how high the dunes were and how we used to roll down them ~ Until I re-enacted it all. Was SO exhilarating.

I didn't have my camera at the time and would love to go back there now. And what I would give to be able to travel Oz and photograph all her hidden beauty. Maybe Steemit will enable us to do things like this, that we can only dream of.

Hope you're able to visit YOUR OWN beach sometime soon too. 🦋

This is too much nice. Wow