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Artist Turns Real Seashells Into Decorative Jewelry Dishes That Look Like Long Lost Treasure
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Nowadays, many contemporary artists are looking for new ways to express their unique art in a different manner to others. They are abandoning the traditional art mediums and instead of using sometimes smaller but unexpected things. One artist who is actually famous for this is crafter Mary Kenyon from California.
She uses real seashells and transforms them into beautiful decorative jewelry dishes. Her works of art are very detailed and look like pieces of an ancient treasure that can be found on sunken ships. She is a self-taught artist and her creative ideas come from her father, who was a very talented oil painter.
Curious how her beautiful artwork is made? Kenyon's detailed art is made by decoupaging an image onto the real seashell's surface. Then, she carefully paints small decorative details in brass or Swarovski rhinestones. In this way, her art projects look like from the Victorian era, perhaps belonging to an aristocrat.
So scroll down the page and check out her amazingly creative artwork that looks like an ancient treasure you might find at the bottom of the sea!
More info: Instagram
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This is my favorite so far! I do shells with napkins. Of course nothing like yours.
so bright and colorful, I love all the little fish swimming around her.
The way you bounce around from style to style is incredible! Your skills are superb!!!
I love your ideas! Will be sending you an message on etsy. If you are interested in purchasing some, I had to dig a little, but found her shop on etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/rtistmary/items?ref=pagination&page=1
Thanks for posting the link!
Holy crap - I need to get in on this. LOL
Please understand she did not paint these images. She cuts and pastes them onto shells. This is more of a an "arts and crafts" project than original works of art.
Yeah, no. It's art. A painter is still called an artist even though they don't make their own art.
No. This is craft.
I have a lot of shells I may try this
Treasure, huh... So, I guess I'm the only one who isn't impressed by decoupage and a hot glue gun? and, I'm pretty sure the gold "detailing" is done with a paint pen. I really fail to see why so many people are gooing over these, or this "artist," (technically a crafter,) who seems to be better at cutting, pasting and shopping than actually creating anything unique or even useful. For those of you asking about the legality of her property infringement, many of these paintings are NOT public domain as the artists have not been dead for more than 120 years. Credit should still be given to the actual artist, even if they were.
I think they're lovely, and they have insane detail and remind me of the renaissance. No matter how it's made, the artist put valuable time and effort into their craft and it's wonderful
I came here to write something similar. Decoupage, an old brooch, a glue gun and a gold pen. Ask her to flip them over and show the backs. LOL Great for community arts and craft workshops and kids workshops.
You're not the only one, promise.
decoupage is and has been an art form many many years especially at this level. what about crafters causes you to need to disparage them. you seem easily intimidated. It is unfortunate that your effort to educate people on the property issue is so flagrantly defensive otherwise some would have picked up on a very current issue in the decoupage world. an opportunity lost because of ego. sad
This comment has been deleted.
I wasn't going to stoop to your level but when I see jealousy coming from a hack who thinks she is an artist, I have to answer when they condemn an Artist who does great work. Go somewhere else and get yourself a life, we have enough hatred in this Country without you adding to it. Ed
Also... Which country are you assuming I live in? Sounds like you're pretty dissatisfied with your own.
Awe, Ed. It doesn't seem like you have any problem stooping. Since I have your attention: How would you have posted if these paintings, glued to this 'artist's" shells that she sells, were done by Painters who were still alive? It would be theft, am I right? And those actual artists would seek reparations or file a cease and desist. On Bored Panda, we support these victims of theft, frequently. Just because some of them have been dead for a few decades does not change the fact that this is a craft project created with other people's work. Oh, and, I'm not jealous, just disappointed.
Let's see what you make. If you don't like it or appreciate it, don't buy it. Move on.
I love your ideas! Will be sending you an message on etsy. If you are interested in purchasing some, I had to dig a little, but found her shop on etsy at https://www.etsy.com/shop/rtistmary/items?ref=pagination&page=1
Thanks for posting the link!
Holy crap - I need to get in on this. LOL
Please understand she did not paint these images. She cuts and pastes them onto shells. This is more of a an "arts and crafts" project than original works of art.
Yeah, no. It's art. A painter is still called an artist even though they don't make their own art.
No. This is craft.
I have a lot of shells I may try this
Treasure, huh... So, I guess I'm the only one who isn't impressed by decoupage and a hot glue gun? and, I'm pretty sure the gold "detailing" is done with a paint pen. I really fail to see why so many people are gooing over these, or this "artist," (technically a crafter,) who seems to be better at cutting, pasting and shopping than actually creating anything unique or even useful. For those of you asking about the legality of her property infringement, many of these paintings are NOT public domain as the artists have not been dead for more than 120 years. Credit should still be given to the actual artist, even if they were.
I think they're lovely, and they have insane detail and remind me of the renaissance. No matter how it's made, the artist put valuable time and effort into their craft and it's wonderful
I came here to write something similar. Decoupage, an old brooch, a glue gun and a gold pen. Ask her to flip them over and show the backs. LOL Great for community arts and craft workshops and kids workshops.
You're not the only one, promise.
decoupage is and has been an art form many many years especially at this level. what about crafters causes you to need to disparage them. you seem easily intimidated. It is unfortunate that your effort to educate people on the property issue is so flagrantly defensive otherwise some would have picked up on a very current issue in the decoupage world. an opportunity lost because of ego. sad
This comment has been deleted.
I wasn't going to stoop to your level but when I see jealousy coming from a hack who thinks she is an artist, I have to answer when they condemn an Artist who does great work. Go somewhere else and get yourself a life, we have enough hatred in this Country without you adding to it. Ed
Also... Which country are you assuming I live in? Sounds like you're pretty dissatisfied with your own.
Awe, Ed. It doesn't seem like you have any problem stooping. Since I have your attention: How would you have posted if these paintings, glued to this 'artist's" shells that she sells, were done by Painters who were still alive? It would be theft, am I right? And those actual artists would seek reparations or file a cease and desist. On Bored Panda, we support these victims of theft, frequently. Just because some of them have been dead for a few decades does not change the fact that this is a craft project created with other people's work. Oh, and, I'm not jealous, just disappointed.
Let's see what you make. If you don't like it or appreciate it, don't buy it. Move on.