Shoreline Treasure emerges from the layered gifts that shape my life and creative practice: the wonder in my children’s eyes, the gentle pull of living by the ocean, and the quiet offerings the sea reveals when we pause to truly notice.

This work grew from a simple moment my children discovering a starfish on the sand. That starfish holds deep meaning for me; it was first given as a symbol of love by my husband. Over time it has gathered our family’s stories, becoming an object that connects affection, memory, curiosity, and place. In my children’s hands it is at once a discovery and a keepsake, something new and something remembered.

In Shoreline Treasure, I explore this interplay of meanings. The painting holds together the intimacy of family, the vastness of the coastline, and the small treasures cast up by the tide. It reflects the way the ocean teaches us to slow down, to look closely, and to appreciate the gifts that arrive without fanfare: a moment of connection, a found object, a shared breath of salty air.

Exhibited in the group show The Gift at Untether Gallery, this piece is my offering to that theme, a meditation on the gifts we find in the everyday, the ones shaped by love, place, and presence. At its heart, Shoreline Treasure celebrates the tender blend of family, nature, and the enduring magic of the sea.