I started thinking about summer projects this week so I revisited some of my blog photos for inspiration. Bingo! The 74th Sanibel Shell Fair and Show was last month … and it gave me a great idea for both me and you. I thought I’d find out some of the secrets of shell crafting so I asked how 2011 Blue Ribbon and Judges’s Special Award winner Barb Walling made her “Dandelions” piece. We will get to learn every detail of how this piece was made by the artist herself!
Barb was gracious enough to invite me over to her Sanibel home to see where the magic begins. She first showed me how she organizes her shells that she picks up off the beach after she washes and dries them.
She categorizes each box or drawer by the shell name. This one is the SEMELE which she uses as the base to the dandelion and most of her shell flowers.
From here, I’m gonna let her tell you how everything else is done. Sit back, relax and let your imagination roll…
How ’bout that, huh? Here’s a close up of the SEMELE she talked about ……
….and the CROSS BARRED VENUS
This is a dead PURPLE SEA URCHIN that washed up on the beach with some of it’s spines still attached.
This is a close up of Barb’s SEA URCHIN spines. That’s a lot of SEA URCHINS!
Thank you so much for the shell craft lesson, Barb! Can’t wait to see what you create for next year’s 75th Anniversary of Sanibel Shell Fair and Show.
Fantastic!! Thank You!! That is amazing work, and so much patience, WOW
We will see you again in July! Cant wait for my turn to shell again
Wow – she’s AMAZING!!! I would never have the patience to do that!
Now that’s what I call CREATIVE! Oh my gosh…and the patience of a saint. One spine at a time…I’d be screaming after about 2 minutes! I admire anyone that can create like this. I guess we all have our gifts. Thanks, Pam – that was amazingly eye opening.
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing!
Fascinating!
When I looked at the first photo of the finished piece I thought it was a real dandelion plant. I didn’t see any shells until I looked at the other photos and watched the video. Beautiful!
Barb is an amazing talent—I hope we’ll get to see more of her work.
Wow, is Barb ever talented, and PATIENT! No wonder her piece won two prizes, it is amazing, and she deserves the recognition. I wonder if she find the intense detail work required to make these pieces to be relaxing? Some people find that kind of concentration to be calming; I wish I had that kind of patience!
Thank you, Pam, for this post. I’ve always been fascinated by shell art and the artists who make it!
Best,
Kimberly
very nice