Modern Seashell Art by Alla Baksanskaya

Seashell is a great natural music instrument

admin — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:56:57 +0000

Seashells have been used as popular musical instruments, wind instruments for many thousands of years. Most often the shells of large sea snails are used, as trumpets, by cutting a hole in the spire of the shell, or cutting off the tip of the spire altogether. Various different kinds of large marine gastropod shells can be turned into “blowing shells”, however the most commonly encountered species used as “conch” trumpets are:

The sacred chank, Turbinella pyrum, known in India as the shankha. In Tibet it is known as “dung-dkar”.

The Triton shell also known as “Triton’s trumpet” Charonia tritonis which is used as a trumpet in Melanesian and Polynesian culture and also in Korea and Japan. In Japan this kind of trumpet is known as the horagai. In Korea it is known as the nagak. In some Polynesian islands it is known as “pu”. [1]

Strombus gigas, is or was sometimes used as a trumpet in the Caribbean

Conch (musical instrument)

Hindu priest blowing a ritual trumpet made from Turbinella pyrum

Seashell musician from Australia.

Seashell shaker music instrument from Bali.

Seashell flute tutorial and beautiful unique music lessons by Michael Ryan in our days.

Seashellmusic.com, an online music store introducing a new and unique line of seashell wind instruments. These instruments were discovered and developed by company founder, Michael Ryan.
Clean and empty shells can be made into beautiful sounding and looking musical instruments such as twelve note spiral flutes, five note large owl call spiral hoots, two note spiral loon calls, two note small owl call spiral hoots and bird of prey and dolphin call whistle necklaces.
Ryan’s fourteen year old nephew, Jonathan, taught him how to whistle with an acorn cap in the woods of western Pennsylvania during the early autumn of 2002. It’s an ancient and somewhat obscure nature skill. No one knows who first discovered the skill but it’s been passed from person to person, down through the ages.

During vacationing in Florida Michael applied the skill to a small clam shell because he wanted to get the attention of two wild dolphins playing in the surf. The dolphins whistled back and came in closer. They whistled back and forth for a few minutes. Back home on Cape Cod Ryan played different shells at various times of the day and night. Great Horned Owls answered the hooting sounds the Muffin Shell (Rysotta Ovum) produced. Mourning Doves flew towards the cooing sounds of the Screw Shell (Terebra Turritella). Loons responded with laugh-like cries to the Golden Mouth Turban Shell. Osprey listened attentively to the sounds made with small clam, limpet and periwinkle shells.
Michael wanted to imitate these animal songs more closely, just for the fun of it, and thought the hollow spiral tubes of the various snail shells ought to behave like flutes if pitch holes were drilled into the shells. He bought a Dremel Drill (high speed rotary drill). Shells are just too hard to drill into using conventional drills and bits.
Ryan used the Terebra Turritella Shell, commonly known by the names Tower Shell, Turret Shell, Unicorn Shell, Auger Shell, Screw Shell, Common Screw Shell and Great Screw Shell because they released an octave and a half of perfect musical notes (the diatonic and chromatic musical scales) by simply drilling five pitch holes following the lengthwise axis line of the shell into whorls 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8. Seashell spiral flutes behave a bit differently than manufactured straight bore flutes, whistle flutes, ocarinas, pan pipes and the like. First of all the tube is a conical helix spiral. That makes the notes lilt and melt into one another. Perhaps that’s why there are at least twelve clear notes available (and maybe more) using only five finger pitch holes. Mother Nature worked it all out millions of years ago. That’s how long the shape of this shell has remained the same, according to Dr. Gary Rosenberg, a Malacologist at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA.
The Muffin Shell or Cinnamon Bun Shell (Rysotta Ovum) released at least five perfect musical notes (Do, Re, Mi, Fa and Sol) by drilling four pitch holes following X/Y axis lines centered on the shell apex (spiral point or beginning). Pitch hole placement is determined by where the finger tips naturally touch the shell while using the acorn cap whistle technique to resonate the air inside the shell. These ‘touch points’ connect into simple geometric lines. These lines of pitch holes interact with various seashell spirals to release musical scales. Physicists at Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida have been studying why this is so for over four years now without conclusive answers.
The remaining shells in Ryan’s line of seashell musical instruments are not as mysterious or complex. They are more suitable for children six years old and older to play.

The Golden Mouth Turban Shell imitates Loon calls. It has one pitch hole and is easy to operate, with practice. The small owl hoot, made with one pitch hole from either a Whale Eye Shell or Japanese Land Snail Shell is also easy to operate, with practice. The simple clam, limpet and periwinkle adjustable whistle necklaces are the easiest of all to operate, with practice, as they don’t contain any pitch holes. They are just really loud, high pitched whistles, like seashell pasta whistles or acorn cap whistles. They look like a beautiful seashell necklace until you want or need to use them. Then they can make your earrings.
All of the shells Ryan use to make these musical wind instruments are non-endangered, non-threatened, hand collected and very common species. The Terebra Turritella and Rysotta Ovum shells are from the Philippines. The clam shells are fossilized and are from Florida beaches. The limpet shells come from Ireland. The periwinkle shells come from Cape Cod, MA and Florida. The Turban shells come from India. The Japanese Land Snail shells come from Japan.

Christmas 2012 Celebration with Nautical Interior Design

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:33:38 +0000

One of the most desirable places to visit for vacation is the ocean shore, and this is why nautical themed decor is very popular. Decorating with a seaside theme evokes memories of visiting the ocean, and those memories can be preserved forever with ocean themed home decor. Nautical themed wall art decor comes in many different styles and prices, and it is a theme that will enable you to create a seaside oasis within the comfort of your living room. The following creative ideas for decorating all your home with a seaside theme for the holiday season will help you get started. Think about an attractive and beautiful Christmas and New Year celebration with a snowy white Christmas Tree with the decoration accessories in white, blue and silver colors in one of your room. The other places in your house can be different decorated with the another color ideas.

Some of the most impressive and beautiful works of metal and wood wall art have an ocean theme.

Discover amazing seashell wall clocks include of colorful lifelike shells and underwater plant life. Select a large work of ocean themed wall art seashell unique mosaics, and create a stunning focal point on a living room wall.

Light up the display with stylish candle lanterns similar to those held by the lighthouse keepers of days gone by along the ocean shore. Mount a candle lantern on each side of a stylish work of ocean themed wall art, and select candles in a soft ocean scent. Even the seashell lamp can bring a special nautical sensation in your design.

To create a simple ocean themed tabletop display that is ideal for decorating a side table or coffee table you will need a metal modern vase or woven basket, corals, and an array of colorful seashells, starfish, and driftwood.

Put inside the metal vase artificial sunflowers decorated with tiny shells. This simple ocean themed tabletop display will create interest and the natural works of underwater art will add to the beauty of seaside themed room decor.
Mixed media seashell wall art is perfect for decorating a living room with a stylish ocean theme, and it will create an impressive display without taking the life of a beautiful creature of the sea. An attractive combination an acrylic painting with seashell mosaic on the wall will amaze your guests and will change your room design in a new and natural way.

Candles are ideal for decorating of almost any theme or style, and ordinary pillar candles are easy to embellish with small lightweight shells. To make a seashell embellished pillar candle you will require two candles, one to decorate and one for melting. Allow the candle to burn until a well of melted wax begins to form around the wick. Use the paintbrush to apply the hot wax to the edges of small shells and starfish, and before the wax has a chance to cool and harden, press the embellishments into the sides of the second pillar candle. Continue until the entire bottom third of the candle is covered with shells and tiny dried starfish. The candle can be lit until it burns down to the level of the decorations.

Eye-catching and interesting shadowbox art is another variety of home decor that is ideal for decorating a living room in a seaside theme. Shadowboxes decorated in an ocean theme include decorative items such as starfish, seashells, and sea grass, drift wood displayed on a textured background resembling sand. Hang two or more seaside themed shadowboxes in a grouping or use shadowboxes to accent larger works of ocean themed wall art.

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Soul excellent gusts…

admin — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:52:19 +0000

Soul excellent gusts…
These beautiful lines belong to the great poet Alexander Pushkin. The same words were used in the name for the new art exhibition which were opened on Sunday, November 27, 2011 at Library Kings Highway Gallery, at 2115 Ocean Ave, from 2-4 P.M. At the first glance it was a traditional presentation organized by the Guild of Jewish artists, but the unusual and unexpected impressions started from the beginning…
Alla Baksanskaya and Oleg Georgievskiy provided their new, amazing and diverse art works to all guests. In the life as in the art is rarely possible the same understanding and agreement of taste and interests, as well as the same ways of expression of a completely different creative people. Both exhibitors are working with natural materials in a modern style. Their creative views coincide even on the subjects. According to the authors, next on the wall side by side located two charming hells, one is masterfully carved from wood and belonged to Oleg, and another is the gambling-tempter, made from the shells and starfish by Alla.

This is not the only one coincidence in the hall. There are also two of Bacchus, two visions of the god of wine and fertility. One of them was a wood carving work created by Oleg and another made from the ocean seashells on the bamboo plate by Alla.There is a great and extraordinary impact on the both of the artists by Salvador Dali. Oleg had the unique graphic work and Alla made a melting wall clock with the seashell and pearl micro mosaic.
Oleg Georgievskiy is a gifted poet, writer, graphic designer and sculptor, who spent 20 years of his life in aviation. The talents of the sculptor and woodcarver , Oleg inherited from his father.
The tense and stressful daily work caused a need for another self-expression, the possibility of stress management through the arts.
If a person is talented, he is talented usually in everything… Each work from the Oleg’s collection is a real masterpiece and has many details, the graphic works have a huge sense of humor. Audience met with a loud applause the poems which Oleg read during the event.
Alla Baksanskaya worked as pediatric doctor. She liked to draw, write poems, epigrams, played piano. The main purpose of her work is the creation of unique works from natural materials especially seashells that produce positive emotions in our lives with full of stress. She believes that using shells in art works can be modern and fashionably looking, also bring new ideas in our interior design.
At the exhibition, she demonstrated a very different decoration art works.
The amazing collection of wall clocks with the mosaics made from a tiny ocean shells and Mother of Pearl, unusual and abstract metal vase with seashell decoration and sunflowers with seashell mosaics.

Alla surprised all guests with a snow-white Christmas tree with toys which made or decorated with the shells. It can be absolutely a new nautical suggestion for celebration Year 2012.
Audience with a great interest took a careful sight on the new mixed media seashell mosaics: “Fish”, “Mermaid”, “Spanish dancer”. Some of the works have a funny rhymes. For example, work “Fish”

“You can eat or will be eaten…
If you’re goldfish or a kitten…”
or another work “Life is Dance…”

“Life is dance,
So do your best…
It’s a chance,
Forget the rest!”
Alla likes to experiment with her art works and brought the miniature works: Christmas Banzai Tree, Funny Christmas tree from the pine cone and tiny seashell decorations, Seashell Greeting Christmas cards and many other unique things….She tell the guests about a very interesting personal experience with the workshops which she had with the kids in the library and about articles which she wrote in the Parent’s magazine during the year. Also Alla helped organize a special kid’s exhibition and write an article about this event in the newspaper. The presentation came in a special and warm atmosphere. The honorary member of the Jewish Guild Isaak Vainshilboum, summarizing and concluding the event said:”I am surprised with imagination and talent. It is a very rare, harmonious and unique show!Nothing falls out of a slim number of perceptions…”
The exhibition can be seen until December 17, 2011. The best opportunity to form your opinion is to visit the showroom personally.

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Seashell art as functional present for Christmas or unique contemporary shell clock collection

admin — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:03:22 +0000

What is the better way to make a present for the upcoming holiday season for someone you care or for yourself?
Your house may be overloaded with a different items, sometimes very pretty but useless things from many holidays before.
Walls are busy and the extra spot you can find is on the ceiling only!
You don’t have a time for long and boring researches for good deals around…
This is a great chance to change something in your house. The new and modern looking, contemporary style seashell wall clock can become a focal point in your home. This is a useful item as well as unique decoration.
I like to find innovative ideas in my art and happy to introduce my new shell collection.
My new and exotic, nautical seashell wall clock collection will surprise your guests. In the classic shell clock, all shells have big sizes and locate around the clock. I decided to make shell mosaic from tiny, exotic shells and put them inside the clock and under the dome, convex or bubble glass. I like to use natural cork, small pieces of the natural stones, corals, pearls, wood frames for decoration my wall clocks. My art works created from the shells with natural color without any paints. All designs are unique, different and unusual the same time. This present or gift for holidays can be match for any room decor. All clock designs can’t be repeated in exactly the same way because you never can find the same shells in nature….
You can see them and buy at my Etsy gallery

Seashell art workshop in the Brooklyn Public Library

admin — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 01:53:37 +0000

On Saturday, October 29 at Kings Bay Branch Public Library,( 3650 Nostrand Avenue), in the meeting room our guild provided free Seashell Art Workshop for 8-11 years old children.
The Jewish Folk Crafts Guild with the Kings Hwy Branch of Brooklyn Public Library organized the series of the experimental free educational workshops. The goal of the workshops is to introduce, popularize and develop the applied creativity for kids.
Each kid, who participated in this workshop had a chance to make by its own “Halloween Picture Frame decorated with seashells” and took it home as a souvenir.
The workshop had a great success and nobody was afraid of a snow storm in October that happens to be that day. Kids with their parents and workers from the library were happy to participate in this new and very useful event and demonstrated great interest.
Artist Alla Baksanskaya wrote in workshop’s advertisement about age of the participants from 8 to 12 years old. But she was surprised because the best and fastest young artist was 3 years old and even adult parents and teenagers were happy to participated. All 10 kids, teenagers and adults worked very friendly and cooperative with each other. After the workshop was finished the guests, participants and their parents enjoyed seashell art exhibition on the wall. They had many questions about those unique and natural material and unusual art. Also they never saw so many and different kind of art made from leather, glass, painting at the same place together in public library.
It was a very interesting and exiting experience for all. Some kids leave a very emotional comments and testimonials after:
“ I love it. I can’t wait to do it again. There should be much more workshops in other libraries. It was so much fun. I love every other piece of art work on the wall. Every single thing was shells. I love this library…”
Victoria C
This activity presented me with a fun, nice way to get out of bad weather and do something fun. I give it 10 out of 10! Thanks.
Bradley C

Special thanks for cooperation and hospitality for each library workers which help to organized this event in this cold and not pleasant day.

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Pollution kills Plum Beach in New York

admin — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 02:52:43 +0000

I am living in Brooklyn, New York. Like the most of my neighbors, I like to find my own nature escape place close to the home. The Plum Beach just off the Belt parkway became my favorite location. In May 10, 2011, I wrote about the biggest problem for the beach, it was enormous amount of pollution along the shore and even in the water. Nothing changed since then.
Plum Beach is a part of Gateway National Recreation Area from 1972. Many warning signs which locate close to the beach entrance with words that everyone has to clean up after yourself do not prevent a new and huge amount of glass bottles, plastic trash, cups and paper bags with garbage of every kind all along the beautiful shore line.
The Plum Beach is the unique isolation area for shelling (Atlantic Surf clams, Mussel shells, huge oysters, razor clam shells, moon snails and even whelks, jingle shells); bird watching paradise (wild gees, storks, seagulls); wild life presentation (horseshoe crabs, many fish – electric rays and small sharks) and kite surfing point. Everyone can enjoy the beautiful view on the bridge, marooned and small boats, unforgettable sunset but with a terrible pollution together. It is a very sad situation and nobody is taking care about.
I believe that the most important step is to stop this act of vandalism and strange experience to relax and leave trash behind! I wish to save my small paradise not for myself only. I wish to enjoy the sounds of the ocean and walking with bare feet along the shore and not afraid to cut my feet with broken glass. What can our kids see after us? I dream about beautiful sunset on Plum Beach without any distortions, without tourist’s trash, without frustrations… Why nobody can save local paradise?

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The unforgettable exhibition – Art has many faces

admin — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:52:52 +0000

For the last 10 years, the Jewish Art and Craft Guild, which locates in Brooklyn, NY, organized and introduced many interesting and a very high quality art exhibitions in a different and a very prestigious galleries in our city. Many talented artists, craft masters and photographers bring a unique opportunity for community to meet and to know the different kinds of art in a personal connections with authors.
In October,15, 2011, reception for a new art exhibition “Art has many faces” took its place at Kings Bay Branch of Brooklyn Public Library on 3650 Nostrand Ave. The most interesting fact about this event was opportunity for all guests to meet with four a very talented, different and unusual artists the same day:
Freda Voroshilovskaya is an artist who creates her unbelievable abstract art works from leather;
Inna Budovskaya is an artist, which demonstrate her oil, acrylic and silk paintings in a very individual and unique way.
Alla Baksanskaya is a seashell artist, which show her new mixed media acrylic paintings and seashell mosaics. She is awarded winning artist and participant in a many Art shows.
Leonid Grinberg is a master who introduced his Stained Glass art techniques. His colorful decors, panels from glass with a special lights brought a magic atmosphere in this event.
The name of the exhibition is “Art has many faces”, which reflects that no boundaries or any limitations for express individual artistic vision. Each artist has his own technique, his own way, his own face to talk, to communicate with audience.
It is a very difficult to imagine that all four talented artists had absolutely another professional careers in their personal life. The great wish to express yourself in artistic way became from a hobby. Utilizing their extensive skills, persistence and work to help gained mastery over the unique for each artist media. Do not afraid to be yourself, try to reach your goal and never give up! Keep your believing, that one day your dream come true! This event brought a lot of positive emotions not only for artists, but also for guests.
The opening event had a great success. The hospitality from Public Library and overcrowded exhibitor’s pavilion made this day a really unforgettable for all participants and guests. Many people demonstrated big interests, asked a questions and leaved many positive comments for each participants.

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Philadelphia Shell Show 2011 – great nautical festival in the Philadelphia

admin — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 01:11:40 +0000

The Philadelphia Shell Show was happened Saturday, October 1 and Sunday, October 2 from 10AM to 5 P.M at the Academy of Natural Sciences.
It was the largest show of its kind in the Northeast. The Philadelphia Shell Show gathered crowds of hobbyists, seashell and land shell collectors, seashell artists and dealers, as well as families with kids.
It was the great Shell Festival, with events for everyone. I decided to divide all my memories in 3 parts and illustrate them with pictures.

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The first part is my personal achievements. I took my 3 first places, blue ribbon awards in
Artistic Division-Professional categories:
1) Shell Jewelry Holder “Lady Gaga”
2) Seasonal Ornaments “ Santa and Snowman”
3) Miscellaneous “Seashell Wall Clock- Ganesha”
I took one second place, red ribbon award in professional category:
Shell Novelties- figurine “Tweak your Cheak”
Also I received 3 third places, yellow ribbon awards in professional categories:
1) Contemporary Single Sailor’s Valentine 12” or under- “Ganesha”
2) Shell mirror – Shell Heart Mirror decorated with shells
3) Seasonal Decor – plate “Be my Valentine”
One of my work, miniature seashell flower arrangement – “Forever 16” received green ribbon , recognition award.
The second part of my memories is all artistic division’s entries. I have always been inspired by art works of the past made out from shells and also new works created by my friends. The Seashell Show is a very bright and the same way is a very short, fast ending event. For this reason the pictures remind me the most exited moments from the show.
Artistic:

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Currently 3.1/5 Stars.
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The third part of my memories is the Scientific division’s entries. Many unforgettable shell collections were demonstrated at the show. All collectors introduced a very high quality displays with unique and exotic shells from all around the world. The shell presentation brought knowledge about sea life and provide a very important educational value. I am really sorry that this Shell show can be once per year only.

Scientific:

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Currently 3.1/5 Stars.
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September 11, 2001 tragedy in Seashell Art

Alla — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 01:04:01 +0000

I remember the date of tragedy of September, 11, 2001 so clear like it happened yesterday. My older son was in fifth grade student and my younger one was in kindergarten. In this morning my family had a regular and busy schedule like any other day of the week. The weather was calm, warm, peaceful and nobody can predict how terribly our life will change in several hours later… My husband worked in Manhattan, in a very close distance from the place of the tragedy and several hours I couldn’t receive any information about him. He couldn’t call me and it was a great happiness to see him in the evening. He came to our home in Brooklyn by the walk through the Brooklyn Bridge.
My family came to NY in 1994 and I believed that this is the powerful and peaceful place where can grow up my kids, but terrorism has no boundaries. Life on our planet depends from everyone and all people together have to save our fragile world.
I am mother of two kids, doctor and artist to express my feelings in two art works, which were created after the tragedy.
1. Forever in our hearts
mixed media, acrylic painting, collage, seashell mosaic. 41” x 29”.

This work is a-hymn of a life, to indestructible courage and stability. It is created in memory of 10 years anniversary of September,11, 2001 tragedy.
Work is created as a combination of acrylic painting collage – cut out designs of Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge and a mosaic with use of natural color of ocean shells. The idea and implementation took long months of realization of a plan. Work creates three measured sensation. For me as for the person and the artist, view of Manhattan is not changed. As I have seen it in 1994 when for the first time I have arrived in New York, as I see it today. It refers to as memory of heart.
All Manhattan in a picture is laid out using natural pink by the beige nacre emphasizing its greatness and fragility, beauty and vulnerability in the face of sudden terror. Great city which, the capital of the world, sung by Frank Sinatra, city that never sleeps, high-speed eternally shone road through the Brooklyn Bridge, mixture of depths of sparkling water and heights of the bottomless sky. The evening panorama rolls in fires. The sky in a picture is executed from splinters of the shells collected on beaches of New York. They symbolize human lives innocently lost. People are alive while memory of them is alive. Water as a symbol of a life, as reflection of constant movement…

2. We remember
mixed media acrylic painting, collage, seashell mosaic, 24” х 20”

This work has been made in 2007, by sixth anniversary from the date of tragedy on September, 11, 2001.
Work is carried out as a combination of painting, a collage and a mosaic from natural shells. On a background of a flag of America, created from splinters of shells and in the center of a composition are twin towers. They are not destroyed in our mind, and such have remained in our memory, in our hearts. For the image of twin towers the natural nacre has been used, and America is laid out from uncountable quantity of the smallest shells of the yellow color personifying human unity in the face of tragedy.
This year, before 10th anniversary of the tragedy, the flag of America was sewed in Washington from separate parts, showing our unit. In my interpretation the flag is made from splinters of shells, thinking about the broken hearts, the hopes, the lost lives.
Work creates three dimensional look and depth, gives faith in impossibility of recurrence of tragedy. This work is reflection of memory.

Unforgettable success in Wetland Institute or New Jersey Cape Seashell show 2011

admin — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 03:40:26 +0000

The 2011 Jersey Cape Shell Show was yet another great success in long string of successes dated 37 years back.
The artistic exhibit always-top notch, were even better than usually before. The truly amazing collection of Sailor Valentines becomes something of a new kind seashell art works. During all their historical development Sailor Valentines have changed from classic octagonal delicate mosaic to modern looking art works. Exhibitors were coming from Massachusetts, NY, and many other places and even from Poland.
Also the scope of non- valentine art works has became something to behold as well, what is becoming an amazing art gallery all based in shell work, the creativity of which seems to know no bounds. From miniature works filled with intricate designs of shells the size of sand grains, to beautiful bouquet with flowers, statues, figurines, mosaics.
The scientific side of the show was featuring outstanding exhibits of shell families, shells from different localities, fossil shells, rare shells, freak shells and educational exhibits of many kinds

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