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Dana | Seashell Handcrafted Art

@dana.shellart

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Sculptural seashells wall art
For calm, collected coastal homes
One-of-one pieces, handcrafted in Algarve
↓View available works

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Join me in this creative journey if you wish to stay inspired and hope you "shell" be happy 🐚🥰

Much Love,
Dana
🐚🫶🐚

If you would like to join my Inner Circle, comment YES and I'll add you to the list 😊 A woman shell artist in a black dress and grey hair standing next to natural shell artworks in white and purple colors. by @dana.shellart

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a year ago

If you’ve discovered my shell art and you’re wondering how to make a piece yours, there are two simple ways...

My work begins with shells, but it’s really about how small fragments, with all their differences and imperfections, can come together into something whole.

You can always choose a finished original.
Go to danashellart.com, find a piece that feels like your home, and get in touch.
Or if a piece has already caught your eye on here, send me a DM with a screenshot, and I’ll tell you if it’s still available. 😊
Each work is one of a kind, and I’ll tell you everything you need to know before you decide.

Commission a piece for your home and story.
You don’t need to know exactly what you’re looking for. Sometimes a simple conversation is the best place to start.

I’m Dana, a seashell artist living in the Algarve 🌞
Visit danashellart. com, choose the path that feels right, and let’s begin.🤍 by @dana.shellart

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7 days ago

For the ones who want their home to feel calm, textured, grounded, and deeply personal ...
I never planned to become an artist.

During the pandemic, I started creating with shells...slowly, intuitively, one piece at a time, trying to bring the shoreline indoors.

What began as curiosity became a language for calm, memory, and the way a room makes you feel.

Today, I create contemporary seashell artworks from reclaimed shells, inspired by the ocean, organic movement, and the emotional atmosphere of a space.

Every piece is handcrafted in Portugal, with local shells.
Every shell carries its own imperfections.

If you’re looking for flawless, factory-perfect surfaces, my work isn’t for you.

That is exactly the point.

🤍 If this feels like home to you, you’ll find more of these stories and new pieces first in my Collector Circle letters. by @dana.shellart

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5 months ago

Every time the light shifts in your room, "Blue Sundown" shows you a new color...

Mussel shells catch the light in flashes of blue...
a small way to keep the sea close ...even in your home.

In that thin line between them, the day leaves its last warmth.

I don't change their colours.
I just look for what’s already there and help it stay.

You only see the real story when you stand close. by @dana.shellart

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20 hours ago

You make plans. You choose your path.
But you never really know where life will take you.

That feeling is what I built into this piece.

When I created “The Unknown”, I imagined a creature from the deep ... my own version of the kraken, hidden in the blue.

The flower-like forms became its eyes. The flat shells, its arms.

It’s about what we can’t see yet. In the ocean. In our own lives.

Sometimes, you just keep moving, even when you can’t see the destination.

This is “The Unknown”.

Sometimes, you just keep moving, even when you can’t see the destination.

But here’s the thing ... if the unknown feels loud in your life right now, I’ve shared another story about finding calm in it. It’s waiting for you next. 🤍 by @dana.shellart

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2 days ago

Have you ever seen a piece of art and just knew it was yours?

One of the biggest misconceptions about buying original art is that you need weeks or months to decide.

And sometimes you do.

But sometimes… you simply know.

That’s what happened with my seashell artwork "Ripples".

It was shown for the first time at an exhibition, and within the first hour, someone connected with it and decided it belonged with them.

It never even made it to my website.

No big announcement.
No waiting list.
No months of thinking.

Just a moment of real connection between a person and a piece of art.

The right piece doesn’t always need to convince you.
Sometimes it simply feels right.

So don’t only look for the artwork that matches your home.

Look for the one you can’t stop thinking about.

Because sometimes collectors don’t choose a piece.
Sometimes they recognize one.

🤍 If you’re the kind of person who can’t stop thinking about a piece once it finds you, you might want to know: I have a new sister piece to “Ripples” coming soon.

It’s called “Drops.”

If you’d like to be one of the first to see it, send me a message and join my Collector Access 🐚 by @dana.shellart

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3 months ago

🐚 Because this is not a typical story about selling my seashell pieces—it’s unconventional, personal, and, some, maybe could say that I was out of my mind :) I kind of hesitate to share it ...

But you know what?! Sometimes, the craziest stories are the ones worth sharing.

🐚 When I let a couple keep the work for the weekend, without any commitment to buy, I wasn’t following any standard rules... I took a leap of faith, trusting that the connection between the artwork, their space, and their hearts would guide the decision.
Thankfully, it worked out beautifully, and the piece found its forever home.

🐚 But I kept wondering: would this story come across as too risky? Would people think I’m unprofessional or impractical?
Sharing this felt vulnerable because it was about more than a sale—it was about trusting my instincts, the people I work with, and the process.

🐚 In the end, I realised this story isn’t just about taking a risk; it’s about what my seashell art means to me and the people who welcome it into their hearts and their lives.

🐚🤍🐚It’s about helping someone discover a piece that feels like it was always meant to be theirs...that one-of-a-kind love.

🐚 So here it is, a little unconventional, but a lot heartfelt 🤍

🐚 I’d love to hear your thoughts—would this approach resonate with you? Would you like a more personal approach when making this kind of investment?

Warm greetings from Portugal ☺️
With love,
Dana
🐚🫶🐚 Dana the artist based in Algarve, Portugal, dressed in a dark green dress, standing next to a large Oyster Shells artwork, spiral contemporary design, white and purple seashells, and Barnacles. by @dana.shellart

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a year ago

My collectors love a calm, coastal home... but they were over the generic beach decor.

So we created this as a commissioned piece, just for their space.

I call it my rebellion piece... No starfish, no beach quotes... just texture that feels like the ocean. 🌊

We talked about how they wanted their home to feel...The goal was simple: something that feels collected and personal, not like it came off a big-box shelf.

If you want your home to feel that way too, this is what's possible when art is made just for you. 💙
🐚
I'm Dana, a passionate shell artist living in the Algarve.
I turn reclaimed shells into one-of-a-kind, contemporary shell art.✨️ by @dana.shellart

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7 months ago

When she came to my studio to write about my shell art, I didn’t expect it to stay with me like this.

It was meant to be an interview…
but it felt more like two people reconnecting with something familiar.

The ocean.
Shells.
That quiet feeling they give you. If you know that feeling, you’ll recognize this moment.

We talked, we shared stories,
we traced textures and shapes with our hands…
and somewhere in between,
it stopped being about questions and answers.

There was an ease, a kind of understanding you don’t need to explain —
like when someone finally sees the same beauty you see.

Maybe that’s what this article holds now.
Not just my work, but that connection.

Thank you for seeing it, and for putting it into words.

If you’ve ever felt that soft, familiar pull of the sea, you’ll understand 🤍

If you’d like to read the full article on the magazine’s blog and step into that afternoon with us, send me a message with the word SEA, and I’ll send you the link.🫶

Grateful for crossing our paths @beatrizmaio 🌊🐚
Grateful for sharing my shell art with your lovely readers @insidealgarvemagazines 💙

📸 Thanks to @luisalfarrobaamado 🫶 by @dana.shellart

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6 months ago

What if the ocean’s hidden gardens could live on your wall?

Beneath the surface, there’s a whole other world...
things growing, attaching, gathering, always moving with the water.

That’s Cozumel for me.
Not a postcard. A feeling that never really left.

"Sea Gardens" isn’t about recreating a place.
It’s about taking that feeling and turning it into something you can live with every day.

Cozumel is pale, organic, and soft, but still a little wild.

Reclaimed shells become the forms.
Their texture becomes the seabed.
And suddenly, a small piece of that underwater world exists on your wall.

Sea Gardens — Cozumel.

A small piece of the ocean, brought home. 🐚
🤍 If you want the ocean in your home without the “beach house” décor, this one is for you. by @dana.shellart

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15 days ago

These shells look delicate, but they were born to survive the ocean

They look fragile… are you sure the shells won’t fall?

Oyster shells were born to survive the ocean ...waves and salt.

On your wall, they’re far less fragile than they look.

My pieces have travelled by car, wrapped and unwrapped, crossed borders, hung in exhibitions, moved from home to home.
The textures shift with the light, but the shells stay exactly where I placed them.

These are not temporary decorations.
They’re reclaimed fragments, made to stay and grow old with you.

🤍 If you are drawn to pieces made to grow old with your walls,save this for later.

You might be thinking, "Okay, they last, but how do you care for them?"
That’s exactly what I walk through in one next videos. by @dana.shellart

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5 months ago

“What if I don’t know how to take care of it?”

That quiet question stops so many people from bringing shell art into their home.

You fall in love with the texture, the warmth,that calm connection to the ocean…but you picture something fragile and fussy.

Constant dusting. Special products.
Always worrying you’ll damage it.

The reality? Shell artwork is so much easier to care for than most people imagine.

No special cleaners.
No complicated routine.
No “art expert” knowledge at all.

Just a few simple habits that keep your piece looking beautiful for years, so it can peacefully relax into your space with you.

Because owning shell art should feel calming...not like another chore on your to‑do list.

🤍 I put together a free guide called “How to Care for Shell Artwork” so caring for it feels simple, gentle, and clear.

🐚 If you’ve been curious about adding a nature‑inspired artwork to your home, join Collector Access through the link in my bio, and I’ll send the guide straight to your inbox.

So you can enjoy the beauty and soul of shell art…
without worrying you’ll ruin it.

— Dana
PS: Always welcome to DM me for the link if this works better for you 🥰 by @dana.shellart

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4 months ago