This Woman Uses Seashells To Create Portraits Of Animals And They Are Beautiful

I watched so many of my friends pick up new hobbies during the pandemic, for some it was painting, for some others, it was diamond paintings, plus so many other new skills for others!

Some friends started a garden for the first time ever, others got chickens, some started businesses from their hobbies.

I just worked more honestly, and trained my dog.

One woman named Anna Chan did something super creative and I am in love with the art she creates.

Anna is a jeweler and designer in New York and spent a lot of time at Robert Moses State Park during the pandemic at the beach there.

The gorgeous sand and shell sculptures morphed into an idea to create 12 art pieces for a calendar of mosaics and animal portraits!

The mosaic work looks simple once completed, but finding the right shell piece to fit into space can be challenging. When I first started at the beach, I was able to complete them in 5-6 hours from collecting shells to finished sculpture, but my work has since evolved and become more detailed and dimensional, which requires extra care and precision while putting it together.
Anna told Bored Panda

When she first started, she would make her art creations on location at the beach, but as they got more detailed she moved her new work to her home instead.

All raw materials!

Anna only uses raw materials that include sand from the beach, water, and of course the shells.

The challenge is making sure the sand is moist just enough to be compact but not too wet or dry that it will fall apart. And like putting together a puzzle, finding the right shell piece for the right space takes time, and sometimes I have to collect more to find the right fit. Since nothing is holding the shells in place but the damp sand, some areas that are vertical sand wall may take several tries to get the shells to stay in place and it can fall apart with the slightest touch. So a steady hand and lots of patience is key.
Anna told Bored Panda

She has only been working on this style of sculpture art for a year and I can only imagine what her future work will look like, that is a ton of skill!