RAWards Voting Day 3 - How I Make My Handpainted Seashell Jewelry

The accessories I design and create through Watercolor Submarine are a labor of love. Each necklace takes me anywhere from 1-4 hours to create. Today, I thought I'd share the process I go through to create my hand painted seashell necklaces.

I begin by selecting, thoroughly cleaning, and drilling a hole into each seashell. I don't always select 'perfect' shells, because I believe the imperfections that naturally occur in each shell add to their beauty and uniqueness.

I then layer on the color. Using bright watercolor pigments and ample amounts of water, I dab on colors. This is my favorite part of the process, because I get to let the water do its own work, and the results are often more beautiful and surprising than I ever could have imagined!

After the color dries, I use a tiny brush and black acrylic paint to outline a sea creature onto the shell. This is all done freehand, so no two paintings are ever exactly alike. Next, colorful bubbles are painted on the shell with acrylic paints to add accent.

At this point, the painting is finished, so I seal the shell to protect against water and UV light. I then use the hole I previously drilled into the shell and a length of wire to turn the painted shell into a pendant.

A chain is then added to complete the necklace. I use several different types of chain, but may favorite is stainless steel for its durability.

Finally, a small tag is attached to the necklace that describes the character featured on the complete one-of-a-kind jewelry piece.

Thanks for visiting and don't forget to vote for me for RAW:Omaha's Accessories Designer of the Year! Vote on my RAW Profile at RAWArtists.org/KristiSchmit

Freshwater Prototypes

I'm working on something new and fresh (freshwater, I mean) for Watercolor Submarine. Here is just a little sneak peek at some prototypes I'm currently working on. Can't wait to post more info as this new line develops!

My Video Interview (from RAW:Omaha Expressions)

On May 23rd I participated in an art showcase put on by RAW: Natural Born Artists in Omaha. It was an awesome night. Each of the artists had a video interview filmed, and they were released on YouTube yesterday.

Check mine out! I'm talking all about my Aquatic Avenue Crew jewelry line (check out my watercolor submarine shop for examples). I like how it turned out, but it's always strange to hear or see yourself talking. The first thing that goes through my head is, "Do I really sound like that?" I guess I do - I have recorded evidence!

Watercolor Submarine Branding

I've been spending a considerable amount of time working on branding for both of my shops. I finally got to a point where I felt like I could take some fancy branding photos of my Watercolor Submarine merchandise. It's easy to get carried away with finding pretty ways to package and present my artwork, because it's way too fun! I've drawn several different logos for stickers, but I think I like the actual submarine the best, which is what I've shown in the following picture. If you've somehow landed on my blog page and have a couple of spare seconds I'd love to know what you think, your comments are more than welcome!

 

The character of the day today comes from Tangents: The fox in the snow.

This fox is thankful for the snow. He can't wait to sink his paws into the fluffy stuff and build a family of snowfoxes.

RAW Expressions

Last night's RAW showcase was a ton of fun. Thanks to everyone who came out to support me and see my jewelry!

Today I will begin my road trip to the great state of Arkansas. I've temporarily closed my Etsy shops while I'm away, but I'll have them up and running as soon as I get back (June 2nd!)

A close up shot of my display

A snapshot of my entire booth at last night's show

"Cleaning" My Studio

I did a lot of "cleaning" in my studio today which consisted of 50% organizing and 50% being completely distracted by some ideas I've been wanting to try.

Currently, all of my watercolor shells are hanging on a stainless steel chain which I love - it's strong, but still understated. However, I'd be remiss in my creative duties if I never tried new things! I want something a little more nautical and lightweight. I've been staring at a brand new spool of cotton cord for a few days, so I tried out a couple of different knotting and braiding techniques today. A simple braid seems to be the best method I've tried so far. I'm still searching for ideas, though - so I guess that makes my job R&D for the day - and that makes me feel pretty important.

Also - I've been developing some logo ideas for my Watercolor Submarine shop. I think I've finally found my favorite submarine sketch - so, of course, I immediately painted it onto one of my shells.