A happy face like that makes you happy too!
When I take photos, I usually want an image that is just a little bit different than usual. So I don't just photograph these shells lying on the beach with the sea in the background. No, I always try to come up with something different and original.
And what I particularly like to do is to make a face with the things I'm going to photograph. I like happy faces because that makes you happy too!
So from these shells (the Philippine carpet shell, a Venus shell with the Latin name Venerupis philippinarum) I made a smiley face. I found these shells at the beach of Ouddorp (Goeree-Overflakkee, Netherlands). The pattern, which is different with each shell, makes this shell special. And fortunately I had found the complete pair of each shell.
Shells, beach, sea, vacation: to me this also includes old weathered wood, wood washed up on the beach, wood from an old boat, wood on a beach house. Wood is often found everywhere near the sea.
So shells on old wood with layers of paint coming off is a perfect match for me.
This photo is a perfect reminder of the beach vacation. To enjoy the free and happy vacation feeling for a long time after.
I see making art as a creative process.
The starting point of this process for me is always a photo or a painting of my own. Every work of art on this site is therefore based on a self-made photo or painting.
I find my sources of inspiration in everything around me...
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