Autumn has arrived- at least according to the calendar. I am still reminiscing about summers past. These shells were collected on the southeast side of  Sanibel Island, Florida. We visited Sanibel in late November when the crowds of summer had gone, and the weather was perfect for shelling. In order to get my shelling fix now, I often visit iLoveShelling.com .  A great blog, with more terrific photos of shells and shellers.

This watercolor has been taped to my desk for a couple of days now. I am trying to work out a few problems with the edges on the bleached out shark's eye shell at the bottom. The choice to stick to a high key color palette was easy, but making it work has been challenging. I have been relying on using warm and cool colors to help shape the forms - cool on edges moving away, warm on advancing shapes.

 Tiny Sanibel treasures. These are my favorite to collect, and they are easier to transport.

Washed up on the beach after a storm.