Friday 23 January 2009

One of my favourite shells .....edm 207



I have lots of shells which I have collected over many years. If I was on holiday I would bring them home off the beach. In my suitcase all the shoes would be packed full of tissue wrapped specimens. Then many were bought from shell shops. When I was first married our bathroom window was full of my shells. Our bathroom now has mainly starfish and a few shells on display. A large glass container in the kitchen window is crammed full of my beach finds. I still can't resist buying new shells, they have such wonderful colours, shapes and patterns. I buy them to draw but never quite get around to doing it. I know where all my shells come from.
I have a chocolate box full of shells found on my 50th birthday, the chocolates were a present and we were in Madeira at the time. Then I found a shop with cabinets full of unusual shells for sale. I kept going back to see them all.
The shell I have posted for the edm challenge was bought from out of the cabinets and then painted while I was at Madeira. I love it for the maroon colours, one of my favourites. I love it for its simplicity and yet it is so beautifully patterned. And of course for the memories that this little shell brings flooding back.
It is painted in watercolour paints. Hope you like it too.

9 comments:

Sandy said...

Gorgeous shell, I love the monocromatic aproach you chose. I collect them too, how can we not?

Junie and J said...

Your work is beautiful. The shell looks very nice and the reflection/roundness of the shell is very believable. You did a very nice job rendering.

winna said...

It is special and beautiful!

Spinneretta said...

Great job- i always enjoy your pictures whether they are on here or in Country Living :)
My kids love these most too- there are orange ones that fascinate them!

Acornmoon said...

Shells are difficult to paint I find, partly because you have to capture their symmetry, pattern structure. You have done a beautiful job.

Ann said...

Lovely painting!

andrea joseph's sketchblog said...

perfect subject for you. really lovely.

Mary Timme said...

Oh, this is masterful in my eyes. Wonderful drawing.

Michelle Palmer said...

This is just beautiful...
One of my favorites, too~ a sweet woman shared her collection of these with me this summer...I've painted them over & over! I should share some photos of them with you~

Gorgeous work!
Hope you have a beautiful weekend~
Michelle