I am an artist and illustrator living in Santa Cruz, Aruba.

Every piece begins with sand I collect from the beaches here. It goes into the foreground of the painting, so the shoreline in the picture is the shoreline itself. I never use shells — taking them is prohibited in Aruba, and the reef needs them more than I do. In their place I set silver and gold charms, crystal beads and gemstones by hand, one at a time.

The canvases are painted on all sides so they need no frame. The wooden pieces hang from jute cord strung with wood and glass beads. No two are the same, because nothing here is printed or reproduced — each one is painted by hand.