Repurposed Wood, Paper, Plaster, Watercolors and Found Objects (recovered in bodies of water) including plastic toys, foam, fishing line and rope. 
15" x 12" x 3.5" (L x H x W)
 
"Ocean Ephemera" addresses the devastating price of inexpensive single-use plastic widely used and readily available since the 1970s.
Ephemera - cheap objects of no lasting significance - is not so ephemeral considering how long it lingers in the environment. Plastic items may be short-lived in terms of how we use them, but their physical existence is nearly permanent.
For instance, children's toys, once expensive and carefully crafted, have become increasingly affordable due in part to the use of plastic and their manufacturing having been shifted to countries with lower labor costs. The quality of the toys has decreased alongside their price, meaning that these attractive and colorful objects are quickly replaced or discarded. They often make their way near or inside the ocean. Another human activity that negatively impacts bodies of water across the world is fishing. It's almost impossible to visit a lake or a river without encountering discarded plastic bottles, cans, glass, or fishing equipment such as bobbers and nylon fishing lines. Fishing lines and plastic bags in particular pose a major threat to marine life due to them becoming ingested and trapping animals. Fishing lines can take up to 600 years to decompose.
 
 
$425