Shell Art
by Heather Harden
Shells have fascinated humans for as long as we have walked along beaches. Ancient artifacts show shells have been used as decorations, money, jewelry and ceremonially.
In the project this month, we will be drawing from a relatively recent art form – the Sailor’s Valentine. During the 1800’s, the women from the West Indies island of Barbados would decorate octagonal boxes with shells for the sailors to purchase as gifts for loved ones back home. Barbados was a frequent stopover to replenish supplies on the way home from extended whaling trips. The original Sailor’s Valentine’s usually had very ornate romantically themed designs.
Tools:
- Utility Knife
- Paint brush – 1 inch foam brush or inexpensive craft brush
- Disposable plate or small paint palette • Toothpick or bamboo skewers
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Self healing cutting mat or a scarp of wood larger than the size of the picture frame
Materials:
- A variety of CLEAN shells – these can be ones you have collected or a wide variety of shells is available at most craft stores
- Corrugated cardboard • Acrylic craft paint - white to prime cardboard & background color(s)
- 4” x 6”, 5” x 7” or 8” x 10” photo frame. The example is an inexpensive 4 x 6 photo frame. These are available at most craft stores. • White craft glue. Pros: dries clear, low odor, dries slowly, giving lots of time to reposition shells; Cons: dries slowly, picture must be undisturbed for several hours to dry
OR
- Clear instant dry glue – Pros: grabs and dries quickly, dries clear. Cons: has an odor similar to rubber cement
Getting started
After you have chosen your frame, remove the back and set aside. CAREFULLY remove the glass.
The glass will be used as a pattern to cut a piece of cardboard to fit inside the frame. The cardboard will be used as a surface to glue the shell picture onto. It must be sturdy enough to support the weight of the shells. I used the lid from a commercial storage box. Any sturdy corrugated cardboard will do fine. Check to make sure that that it is not too thick to fit inside the frame when the frame back is replaced. The cardboard should be just slightly thicker that the glass that was in the frame.
Preparing the Background
Carefully lay the glass on the cardboard and trace around the glass. Use the utility knife to carefully cut along this line. Before cutting, place the cardboard on a cutting mat or wood scrap to protect your work surface. The glass can be set aside in a safe place, as it is no longer needed.
Slide the cardboard into the back of the frame to check the fit. Use the utility knife or scissors to trim, if necessary.
Remove the cardboard from the frame. If the cardboard is dark or has writing, prime the surface with the white acrylic paint or use two coats of the background color. Inexpensive foam brushes work well for this. Instead of brushing the paint, dabbing the paint with the side of the brush leaves a slightly textured surface. I chose colors that reminded me of tropical beaches as my background colors. Remember to paint all the way to the edge of the cardboard.
When the paint has dried, you are ready to start your picture. Slide the cardboard into the back of the frame again. Turn the frame over and lightly trace around the inside edge of the frame. This will mark the edge of your picture. Remove the cardboard form the frame.
It is useful to make a simple outline of the design on the painted background. I drew the spiral with a pencil after the paint had dried (the lines are dark for demonstration purposes). The sketch should be barely visible; otherwise the lines will show in the final product.
Gluing the Shells
Organizing the shells by size and type helps visualize the design. At this point in the project, you may have volunteers interested in “helping” you.
(The cats are Abbey and Penelope. They joined our family from the
shelter and brought lots of love and adventure with them!)
Trying different shells before applying the glue is also useful. Start at the center of your design and work toward the edges. Apply a bit of glue on your background and put the shells on the glue. When making an outline, apply a line of glue about 1 ½ - 2” along the pencil line and then add the shells.
Continue in this manner as your design unfolds. I finished the spiral with the darker shells before adding the lighter ones.
When filling in less linear shapes, apply glue to an area about 1”x 1”.
Keep the shells within a 1/8” inside the outline of the frame, this will allow plenty of room for the frame to fit over the picture. When most of the design is close to the outline of the frame, put the picture in the frame to see if there are any spots that need filling in or that are too close the frame.
After checking the fit, a few shells were needed around the very edges. Replace the picture and secure the original back to the picture frame.
Make your version of the Sailor’s Valentine as a gift for someone special or as a special gift for yourself!
Please share photos of your art!
Got cool spirit crafting ideas? Send them into SpriritLiving at submissions@spiritliving.org and please include pictures of the steps!
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