There is a mystical sense to Kristin Merrill’s work, which comes from its connection to the earth and natural environment. “My passion is creating beautiful things out of natural materials,” she says. “ I am especially connected to the sea, in both a literal and a psychic sense. It gives my work meaning and a reason for being.” Kristin’s sculptures incorporate pieces of driftwood indigenous to the Connecticut shoreline. To them, she adorns pearls, hand-cast sterling elements, copper and symbolic found objects. “The driftwood,” Kristin explains, “was once a tree, vibrant with life and growing. It goes through a metamorphosis…