Sally Sells Seashells...

In January I flew down to Florida to visit my son and his family. Coming from the frigid winter Chicago was enjoying  suffering through, it was heavenly. One of the best activities we shared was going shell collecting at different beaches off the Gulf Coast. As soon as I saw this one, I knew I wanted to try my hand at painting it.
At first I tried water colors, but the paint just pooled in the ridges and the smooth, non-porous surface didn't allow the colors to blend. Next I tried acrylic, and it wasn't until another artist clued me into the trick of adding a little glue into the paint was I able to get some of my colors to blend. It was still a time-consuming, teeth-gnashing effort. It doesn't have as much dimension as I would have preferred, but I still am proud of my first attempt at painting on sea shells.
So proud, in fact, that I entered it into an Art Exhibit for veterans. I don't expect to place, as there were about 20 participants in the Acrylic category (the awards ceremony is in April), and some of those canvases were masterpieces. But I am putting my artwork out there in the public eye, which for me, I would never have dreamed of showing anything to anyone other than family and friends three years ago. I'm growing...