Shells of the Shore

Shells of the Shore grew from my lifelong pull toward coastlines and the quiet rituals of wandering along the tideline. As a child I would crouch in the sand for hours, choosing shells by feel rather than appearance, running my fingers along their ridges and imagining the stories they carried from deeper waters. The scallop shell, with its soft curves and fanlike strength, always felt like a small piece of wisdom offered by the sea.

This painting draws from that memory — the rhythm of the shore, the hush of waves rolling over sand, and the sense of being held by something larger. Layered acrylics create a shifting interplay of translucency and form, echoing the way light moves through water and how memories surface gently over time. Gestural marks carry the energy of tide and movement, while the muted coastal palette holds a calm, familiar warmth.

Shells of the Shore sits in the in between — between past and present, inner and outer, softness and resilience. It offers a reminder of the protective, receptive, feminine qualities the ocean awakens in us, and the quiet moments of discovery found at the water’s edge.