Funky Fish - Recycled Art

If you follow my blog, you may know that I have been painting sea shells this summer. I love the beach, nature,  and being able to create something from  nature's discards. 

Lately,  I have been seeing so may piles of plant cuttings on the sides of the roads. Mos of them seem to be palm fronds.  I have, in the past, painted palm fronds, but on a special type that is hard and able to hang like the ones below:

This year,  I am finding a different type of palm frond more suitable for creating than painting a seascape. They seem to resemble the shape of a fish, so I made my first Funky Fish, showed my family and posted a photo on my Instagram account. It was an immediate attention grabber. My 89 year-old mother and her caregiver got in on the production. On their daily walks in the neighborhood they picked up my "art" supplies. My Mom suddenly had a reason to get out of the house and looks forward to seeing the finished products. 

The Funky Fish are now available at Isabel's Fine Home Accessories in South Miami, along with painted shells, coconuts and driftwood, and the possibility of another shop carrying them. Who knew? 

Summer time and the painting is FUN!!!!!

Beach Therapy

Having always lived by the ocean, going to the beach has always been a part of my life. My first trip to Sanibel Island, Florida, about 35 years ago, started me on shelling. There is nothing more relaxing than walking the seashore and finding treasures from the sea. I always pick them up, some because I think of a project and others because of their beauty.  I have glass jars full of shells displaying the treasured ones in the house and a storage bin in the garage with the ones waiting to be used.

Last year I bought a Zentangle book and started doodling designs on paper. I soon started doing this on everything and anything; dried maple leaves in Georgia, followed by my plain white shells waiting for a project. It quickly became an obsession. I made lots of them for the holidays as Christmas ornaments. I then discovered some people wanted them to display on a table, glass bowl, etc. The orders for painted shells started to come sooner than I could fill them.

This summer, I will again walk the seashore, pick up shells and when I sit on my chair to rest I will be decorating the shells with endless designs.  How fun.....and therapeutic!