My name is Zylee Diaz and I am a senior from North Monterey County High School. For this project my inspiration came from the surrounding marine environments in this area. Growing up near the ocean for my entire existence has created a deep connection with me and the sea. Relating to my experiences, I’ve found that the ocean is a place of wonderment, beauty, and curiosity. It truly amazes me how so much, yet so little, of the ocean has been explored — and in a sense, the mystery leaves me at ease. I am sure anyone who has gotten the chance to listen to the rippling of the ocean’s waves has experienced their own worries and stresses flush away with the tide. That is the message I hope to uncover with this piece. With the use of ceramics, fabrics, paints and beads, I wish to use the ocean’s presence to captivate and bring peace to my viewers…and in all, have their worries be ‘flushed away’.