Sardines

(57 varieties)

The year I sailed the Atlantic we set off from Southampton and reached Calais, our first stop en route to Lanzarote. The radar wasn’t working, it was raining, foggy, cold and there were hundreds of boats crossing our path as we sailed. We decided to stop over for a few nights rest, good food and to stock up on provisions. I went to the market and bought a selection of  foods, many with fabulous labels and wrappings. Whilst the boys repaired the generator, I sat on deck and began a series of collages. I used available materials such as recycled packaging and the charts that helped us to navigate as well as the stamps from our various destinations during the passage. Sardines were the perfect metaphor for the crossing as space was restricted and our food was contained within the boat, (except for the fish, which we caught daily). Each of the  sardine collages captures an aspect of the journey, whether sailing through a storm, making earl grey tea or watching the hundreds of blue flying fish that flew by our side. The red and white one is the same pattern as the dress I wore on the day we reached Antigua. There are 57 varieties.. inspired by Heinz!