JUNO BEACH, Fla. – Kathryn Thomas’ shelling eye is truly unique.
“Each day there is a visual sunrise,” Thomas explained. “It's not the same as the one yesterday or won't be the same as the one tomorrow.”
Each morning, rain or shine, Thomas watches the sun rise from the beach. Then in the early morning light she walks the beach looking for what she calls ‘faces.’
“I don't come down here and pick up the normal. I pick up something like this,” said Thomas holding a broken, tumbled shell. “I see a lot more in here than just a broken shell. You know you put the head on this and then a body and then there's the arm and then here's at least one leg. So that's a start on how I do this.”
The faces Thomas collects become people with stories. Others become animals. To Thomas each find is so much more than a shell, seed or tumbled rock. And she gives them life through her paintings, bowls and sculptures.
“I like being able to see what I can do with the faces that are given to me on the beach every morning,” Thomas detailed. “This is a picture that reminds me of my parents when they were in the Caribbean. They had somebody take a picture of them they were each standing at a palm tree. And then this guy, I love this guy. I thought he just had his way with his look, looking out."
But Thomas doesn’t take credit for her creations, instead she believes she’s sharing what others may simply over look.
“I mean who would stop and see this,” Thomas said pointing at a colorful leaf. “This is gods art."
Thomas currently has a piece of art on display in Tequesta at the Lighthouse Art Center.
What do you see? A bunch of rocks and shells or faces and stories?
Posted by Rachel Leitao on Friday, March 25, 2016
