First Commissioned Piece

I'm very excited to share that I received an order for my first personalized, handpainted shell! This client has a good friend moving into town and wanted something special to memorialize the event. After looking at a few handpainted samples, he selected a beach scene that would include, sand, water, sky, sun, and a starfish. To personalize the piece he chose to include their family name, our town name, Manasquan, NJ, and identified a special message to be written on the backside of the shell.

I got to work right away. I chose an extra-large shell from my pre-cleaned and primed supply. Extra large shells are anywhere from a little over 5.5" to 6" wide. I lightly sketched the scene on the shell including all the elements requested. I selected all the colors for the piece and began. although my style is somewhat illustrative I do mix colors to produce motion in the water, waves, and sky.

Now for the more difficult part, the personalization. I needed to decide where on the scene to best place the family name and town. I worked on a few drafts to make sure I was positioning the family name so that it was centered and the curve was symmetrical located in the sky above the sun. Manasquan, NJ was placed at the bottom (in the sand). Next, the message, Che Trova un Amico, Trova un Tesoro, meaning He who finds a friend finds and treasure needed to be written on the back of the shell. I was so touched by this message. It was perfect! I again worked on a plan to keep the phrase centered and spaced properly.

Once done, I applied a gloss finish acrylic coating which made the scene pop. I was so excited for my client (good friend) to see the finished product and to select an easel for its display. Well, his reaction was as I hoped, he loved it! He selected the 4" matte black easel to accent the outlining and lettering - perfect together! Since this piece is a gift, he also opted for a gift box and shred, all tied together with a storm blue ribbon and bow.

I'm looking forward to more special orders and the joy it brings! Contact me if you have any interest!