My journey with seashells began on the Virginia shores where I grew up. As a child, I played with the shells I collected and somehow knew they had a greater meaning. When I was seven, my father craft an intricate wall collage around our fireplace made of stones and rocks big and small. I watched in fascination and was inspired to become an artist.

All my life I’ve had an intimate relationship with the sea, a love affair with the ocean. As an adult I traveled the globe as a merchant seaman and had the opportunity to collect some of the world’s most beautiful shells, from the Gulf of Mexico to Mother Africa. Through long contemplation of their natural beauty, I’ve been transported into creating the Art of Crustaceans… and fulfilled my dreams of being an artist. Standing as high as six feet tall, my one-of-a kind seashell artwork transforms spaces and graces the collections of art lovers around the country and throughout the world.

I am driven to continue my creative journey by a greater power than myself. I invite you to become a part is that journey, and experience The Art of Crustaceans.

Ben Sivells