My shellwork began during Lockdown when I yearned for the seaside and beach walks seeing what treasures could be found. My shell obsession stemmed from my childhood summer holidays in the Isles of Scilly where I spent hours beach-combing. We found cowries (the rarest treasure), wentletraps, tower shells, mussels, periwinkles, top shells, whelks, cockles, mini urchins, scallops, ammonites, sting winkles, spiral shells and of course limpets. They are such beautiful forms created by nature, so fragile, yet so very strong.
Shelling is a slow, mediative process which involves sticking each shell in place in either a seemingly random or orderly pattern. You need a time and patience, which Lockdown certainly gave me. Working out which size or sort of shell matches each other requires careful attention to detail to maximise the intricate beauty of nature’s legacy from sea and shore.