Treasures of the Sea
Story and photographs by Tina R . Schell
Those who know me well know that I produce a
weekly photography blog , Travels and Trifles , which features some of my favorite findings on Kiawah along with my travels and anything else that catches my eye . Not long ago , I featured some amazing seashells and the resulting art of Kiawah resident author and artist Jane Iwan . Jane ’ s walks along the shores of Kiawah ’ s beautiful beach have resulted in some fabulous finds — most notably some of the naturally created sculptures that nature has crafted by fusing multiple shells into a single structure . Jane does not alter the shells in any way ; Mother Nature has made them just as you see them here .
Jane has taken nature ’ s art to another level , using her artistic talent to create beautiful oil paintings of these unique findings . On the day of my visit , her studio was awash in beautiful sunlight . It featured a shell and its image in process , as well as a large oil painting of a scene from her travels . When she is not painting , there ’ s a good chance she ’ s working on her second novel ( her first , Refugee of the Heart , is available on Amazon . com ), playing her piano , or perhaps even enjoying a few holes of golf .
32 Naturally Kiawah