Mudstones

These 'mudstones' are formed by the Common Piddock, a burrowing mollusc which lives in undersea mud or clay deposits. Rough seas break off chunks of deposit and the tidal action across 150 yards of sand rubs them down until eventually they become part of the beach. I find them during this process and preserve the ones with particularly appealing shapes. As these mudstones are formed by a process of attrition they can be used to symbolise life cycles.