How a Custom Shell Art Commission Sparked the Idea for the Cascade Series

I was recently commissioned to create a custom artwork based on the fireplace surround I made last year. I love nothing more than a creative challenge, so when I got the request, of course I said yes and dove right in.

The result?

Details of the Nassa shell vines

Details of the Cay Cay shell leaves

A feminine, intricate piece with shells flowing across a soft beige background. It’s subtle and intricate, with a circular motif that feels like a blooming garden frozen in motion. The entire composition is made from natural seashells.

Tiny Nassa shells form the meandering vines that drift across the surface. Between them, delicate jasmine flowers bloom, each one made from Cay Cay shells. Center-cut Centarium shells shaped into airy leaves and lace-like accents, give the whole piece a sense of lightness.

The palette is restrained, but the detail invites you in for a second and third glance. The effect is almost like embroidery, only instead of thread, it's all shell.

This is the beginning of a new series I’m calling Cascade.