Growing up in a city on the North East coast of Yorkshire, with a history in the fishing industry, made visiting the coastline, and sea an integral part of life. The sea provided an awesome, often calm presence, and a sense of space, a place to reflect and meditate, to dream, to hope. Viewing the sea gave me a place to look ahead, and think about what could lie on the horizon. The sea is a symbol in the literature of life, and its hardships. The sea with its daunting and immense width and depth simply stands for life itself. The sea may be calm for a while, but its mood can suddenly change, and that for me represents the obstacles one has to overcome in life.
I have an attraction to the endearing and colourful wood coble boats, sadly now becoming scarce. I saw a boat as a symbol of a journey, representing the voyage of life. The boat evokes a passage, as a person cannot get anywhere staying on an island. A boat represents a spiritual journey, with the water embodying the Source of All Life. Our responsibility is to navigate our boat through all the vicissitudes of life, as boats are the vehicles in our sea of existence. Coble boats are made by skilled craftspeople and are items of beauty.
Sue McMullen 