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I Made Twelve Life-Sized Ladies From Real Shells

As an artist, I often observe small and intricate objects and wonder how they might look if they were blown up in scale to enormous proportions. My studio is close to the sea and on my way into the studio one day I saw in the window of a seaside souvenir shop a beautiful artwork made entirely out of shells in the shape of a Victorian lady. I loved her billowing petticoats, tight bodice, and sweet bonnet tied under her chin – every part of her made from seashells. What, I wondered, might she look like if she was seven foot high? And that how this creative idea was born.

When I got back to the studio I set about making my larger than life-size work of art. I planned to make the beautiful sculpture completely from shells (just like the original) and seven-foot-tall (not like the original). First of all, I welded together a metal skirt structure onto which I hung scallop shells in flouncy layers to give the feeling of a billowing skirt. For the body, I used a giant Voluta shell, which has curves in all the right places. This, I topped with a melon shell which I found ideal for the head with its smooth texture and peachy tones.

Jumbles of old shell necklaces were dismantled and rearranged to a handheld bouquet and hair decorations for this sculpture artwork. The part I enjoyed most was painting the features on her face, that’s when she really came alive.

I went on making twelve shell ladies, each unique artwork with its own personality, and named after famous seaside ladies like Baroness Orczy who wrote The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Phyllis Broughton the famous seaside girl. The charming ladies are a remarkable sight as they stroll along the seaside promenade or relax on the pier.

More info: anncarrington.co.uk