Anne Ferrand - Recycled Oyster Shells

I source my Oyster Shells locally from seafood restaurants where, if I didn’t have them, they would be binned each day once customers have had oysters for dinner.

After cleaning and scrubbing them thoroughly of green barnacles and debris, I touch up the darker bits and then leave them to dry. After a few days the oyster shells are ready to be decorated with whatever image I choose. This is done using the age-old method of decoupage. Building up layers of paper, glue and varnish. The artist’s varnish is not oil based so it will not yellow with age. I then trim the edges with either gold paint or gold leaf. Some I leave without gold trim, ‘au naturel’. They should not be immersed in water but wiped clean with a soft cloth.

Anne Ferrand – Artist based in Narbeth