Seashell Sketchbook Project

The restaurant next to my apartment building went out of business, and one day I noticed some people clearing it out. I was sad to see that they had removed the passion fruit vines that grew on the little roof over the tables. I liked to look for fallen fruits whenever I passed by. I’ve seen a lot of interesting objects abandoned on the streets of LA, but the best “trash” that I ever found was on that patio. I was just passing by when I noticed a bunch of scallops lying on the ground within my reach. I asked a man who was moving stuff out of the restaurant if I could have them. He looked puzzled by my request, but he said yes. As a vegetarian and a lifelong germaphobe, I had absolutely no intention of eating expired scallops that had been baking in the sun on the dirty ground of a busy city. The beautiful shells were what caught my eye.

Around that time, I had actually been researching a sustainable way to get scallop shells because I wanted to make ocean-themed sketchbooks. I was hesitant to buy shells or take them from the beach because I read several articles saying that collecting shells is not good for the eco-system. I didn’t want to make art at the expense of harming living creatures or the environment. It can be difficult to create eco-friendly art because many materials contain toxins, plastics, etc. I often feel guilty about all of the supplies I have “wasted” over the years. I am trying to be more conscious about how my art impacts the environment, although it is definitely still a struggle and not everything I do is good for the earth. Since these particular scallop shells were on their way to a landfill anyways, I personally did not see a problem with taking them. I figured they could either go in the trash or I can give them new lives as beautiful little sketchbooks.

When I got back to my apartment, I cleaned all of the shells thoroughly. It was a very slow and tedious process because I didn’t want to use any harsh chemicals. Several weeks later, I drilled three holes in each shell so that I could turn them into book covers. I custom designed the pages to match the shapes of the shells, and used my Cricut to cut them out. I sewed everything together and decorated the edges of some of the shells with faux pearls, beads, rhinestones, and sparkles. I experimented with painting two of the shells, but I highly prefer the natural colors.

I kept a few sketchbooks for myself, and sold the rest of them on Etsy. One of the sketchbooks is designated for plein-air beach paintings, and I often bring it with me when I travel. For that sketchbook, I always steal a little bit of water from the ocean to dilute my watercolor paints. I love to use ocean water from the place that I visited because it’s like having a little extra souvenir embedded in the paintings.

Making art on the beach is definitely challenging, as it is often windy and there is sand everywhere. One time, I relaxing on my beach towel as I was painting my friend Mia, and then suddenly an unusually big wave washed over all of our stuff. I managed to save my little book from getting wet, but everything else got soaked and covered in sand. It’s all part of the experience.

I have a separate seashell sketchbook that is dedicated to sparkly ocean-themed drawings. I want every page to be glowing. I enjoy using glitter gel pens for this purpose. My favorite ones are the Pentel Sparkle Pop pens because the colors are so radiant. I also love the Sakura Gelly Roll Stardust collection for a slightly softer twinkle.

My seashell sketchbooks received lot of attention on social media, and I still get people asking me if I will restock them in my shop. The answer is yes, eventually I will make more! I recently asked a local seafood restaurant in my neighborhood if they would be willing to donate leftover scallop shells, and they kindly agreed to help me with my project. I am excited to get back to creating these sketchbooks for all of the beautiful mermaids out there!

April 4, 2023