From mirror frames to lights, bar fronts to entire grottoes, Katherine Lloyd draws inspiration from artists of the past to create all manner of magical decorative objects and features adorned entirely in shells.
Surrounded by shelves filled with exquisite specimens – from earthy pink fanned scallops to deep shimmering green abalones, tightly curled bear conches and giant curling clams – from Katherine’s garden studio at her home in Wimbledon, you can travel the world through the medium of shells.
The thrill of receiving a new delivery of deep-sea treasures never wears off and, here, Katherine carefully sifts through her vast collections, noticing the tiniest of details to painstakingly select the perfect shape and colour of shell for each composition.
Her first job, with stone carver and grotto artist Belinda Eade, proved instrumental in Katherine’s chosen path. When Belinda received a large shellwork commission, Katherine would assist her, working on the grotto at the late Victorian neo-classical mansion Cherkley Court in Leatherhead, among others. When Belinda moved away, Katherine shifted her path to work in interior design before eventually returning to her first love through a chance commission at a private members’ club in Mayfair.
Here, she tells us more…
When did your fascination with shells and natural treasures begin?
My father had a business selling minerals and fossils, so I grew up surrounded by amazing natural curiosities. Like most children, I also had a natural love of beach combing and collecting. I never imagined I would work with shells though – that was a very happy accident!
What prompted you to set up on your own as a shell artist?
I was working for Jane Ormsby Gore at JR Design when we were asked to design the interiors of the private members’ club 5 Hertford Street. It was a big project and we had three bars to design interesting finishes for. It was Jane’s suggestion that I decorate one with shells as she knew I had learnt the craft in my previous role working for the sculptor Belinda Eade. I loved making that bar and other commissions flowed from there, including shell mirrors and lights, and another bar in a private house. For a while I juggled my job at JR Design with shellwork commissions, but eventually my own work took over.
Where do you source your shells?
I collect shells myself whenever I’m on the beach, but most come from a supplier here in the UK who imports from all over the world, mostly from the Philippines. I don’t use any rare or endangered shells; the majority are a by-product of the food industry. In the Philippines, molluscs are collected for their meat and consumed locally, then their shells are cleaned and traded around the world.
Do you have favourite types of shell to work with?
That’s a hard question, it changes all the time! I suppose I love the ones I've collected myself; my mind can be transported from my London studio to a Cornish cove while sorting through a box of yellow periwinkles or purple topshells.
Do you plan your design out first on paper, or is it more of an organic process?
I usually work to commission, so the design process starts with a good chat with my client to find out what they’re after. I plan the overall shape on paper, but the detail of the shell layout can only be planned by experimenting with the shells in my studio.
How long does it take to create one of your incredible mirrors?
A mirror can take a couple of weeks from start to finish. I make the wooden frames myself, then there is a long design process before I’m ready to stick the shells.
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
I’m always taking inspiration from artists of the past. The tradition of shell art goes back to ancient times; there is charming shellwork amongst the mosaics of Pompeii. In the 17th and 18th Centuries the great houses and gardens of Europe were flooded with shells in different forms. Really, I’m led by my clients though; they usually come to me with a good idea of what they want.
What are your favourite projects to work on?
Mirrors and lights are my bread and butter. I love that I can make them from the comfort of my home studio. But my favourite jobs are always the big ones; bars, bathrooms and garden grottoes. There’s freedom when working on a large scale, and those jobs always have the most impact. I was commissioned to restore an early 19th Century shell house in West Sussex when I was just starting out in this field. That was such an exciting job and it’s still the one I’m most proud of. It was the big project I needed to push me into full time self-employment.
Shop our Katherine Lloyd shell mirror here.
