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!

Zentangle Shells

I live in Miami so the beach is just 20 minutes away. Before that,  I lived in a tropical island, Cuba. The sea, and all its treasures,  has always been a part of my life. One of my favorite things to do at the beach is not sitting around and getting a tan, but walking the seashore and picking up its treasures, primarily shells.  My shell collection is huge and just keeps growing. 

Recently I was working on another passion of mine, Zentangle. I decided to get my Prismacolor marker and doodle on some of the shells that have enough drawing space on them. The result has been addictive. It is also a way to sketch at the beach and all I need to take with me is a marker. 

The question now is what to do with all these little pieces of art. The business side of me will not allow for these to just sit here......they must find a new home. I have decided to put a ribbon on them so they can be hung anywhere. I will definitely have a few of these on my Christmas tree. How about you?