Shell Picture in shadow box

This is a original picture from “ORPHAN SHELL ART” I have used the Old Sailor Valentine techniques to make this picture. The center is a framed tile and I have applied small rows of shells and then larger shells to frame that. The sailors in the 40’s and 50’s would buy this kind of work and bring them back from overseas to their Valentine’s as a gesture of Love. The antique boxes or worth in the thousands of dollars in some cases depending on quality of the work. This is in a off white box that can be hung up or displayed on an easel. This piece is 9.5”square and about 1”deep. The shells I used were hand selected. The ones with the barnacles are one of my personal favorite finds. This is done with off white tinged with some pink over casts in the larger shells. Working with shells is so fascinating finding them and them identifying them is very interesting. Making these art works is a very rewarding job. I am hoping that who ever buys this piece will Google “Sailors Valentines” and see how beautiful the art was. Just by doing this will open a new appreciation for the old arts that were done along time ago. Easel is not included.