1 of 8
Gray, muddy shells are transformed into a colorful works of art in the hands of artist Amy Dawson.
2 of 8
The edges of the oyster ring dishes are gilded with gold.
3 of 8
Dawson will customize a ring dish with an illustration of your favorite furry baby.
4 of 8
Dawson, a cardiac nurse, began her oyster shell art business in 2020, turning a pandemic idea to make extra money into a serious side business.
5 of 8
Salt & Peppa Cellars are a newer addition to Dawson’s repertoire.
6 of 8
Dawson creates delicate ring dishes in a variety of sizes.
7 of 8
Dawson creates decorative ornaments and wedding favors.
8 of 8
© Ashley Peterson Photography
The shells get new lives with images of animals, boats, sea creatures and more.
On its own, an oyster shell isn’t such an attractive thing.
That is, until it gets in the hands of Kilmarnock artist Amy Dawson. Then, the gray, muddy shell is transformed into a colorful work of art, becoming a delicate ring dish, a napkin holder or even a Christmas ornament.
Dawson, a cardiac nurse, began her oyster shell art business in 2020, turning a pandemic idea to make extra money into a serious side business. She calls her business Cecil’s C Shells—Cecil is her nickname (her middle name is Cecilia) and the name of her late grandfather, who taught her the value of hard work and patience.
Patience, really, is how the business took off. The first time Dawson, 34, picked up a shell and a paintbrush, she sat there all day.
“I just kept practicing until I was delighted,” Dawson said. “I came up with the name then and there, posted on Facebook and it just exploded.”
Dawson hones her craft from the red shed in her backyard, which bears the name of her website, CecilsSheShed.com.
But painting oyster shells isn’t as easy as one might think. First, there’s collecting the shells. Many are handpicked from the shores of Dawson’s childhood home on Penny Creek, off the Great Wicomico River. She also gets shells from a nearby oyster company, literally climbing upon mountains of shucked shells to pick the best ones.
When she first gets the shells, they’re dull, mucky and gray. She cleans them with bleach water, leaving them out in the sun to cure. It can take a few days for the shells to lighten and acquire that mother-of-pearl look. Then, Dawson paints each one white, giving herself a blank canvas on which to work.
The shells get new lives with images of animals, boats, sea creatures and more. There are shells with tiny maps of the Northern Neck, some with real flowers and those with vintage photos. Sometimes Dawson hand paints them, sometimes she does decoupage (the art of decorating with paper that’s then coated in glue). Gold-gilded edges, an acrylic sealant and a protective coating on the back of the shell finish things off.
“I’m constantly brainstorming, always trying to think of new ideas,” Dawson said.
Besides ring dishes and ornaments, Dawson makes dining décor, tabletop business card holders and salt & pepper cellars. She also takes custom orders—including bulk orders of ornaments for wedding favors.
Richmond bride Katie Beth Gill knew she wanted Christmas ornaments to hand out as favors at her December 2021 wedding, so when she found Dawson, she ordered 200. And then went back for more.
Dawson designed each ornament using a red, silk cotton tree flower Gill used on her invitations, then added an emerald-green ribbon, perfect for a Christmas-themed wedding.
“We love them so much,” Gill said. “They were everything I imagined and more. They’re perfect.”
Besides through her website, Dawson sells her shells at craft fairs and at local shops. The Local, a coffee shop in Irvington, always keeps a selection of Cecil’s C Shells on a shelf dedicated to local artists. The ones with Northern Neck maps and the letters NNK do especially well, owner Joanna Marchetti said.
“Amy’s work is just gorgeous,” Marchetti said. “She obviously puts a lot of TLC into her pieces, and they fly off the shelves. They appeal to both locals and weekenders, who feel like they’re taking home a little piece of the Northern Neck.”
cecilssheshed.com I instagram.com/cecilscshells I facebook.com/cecilscshells
