Writing about yourself...
...it’s always tricky, isn’t it? So, let’s start where the whole story begins: in my garden. Since 2016, we’ve been living in Ernstbrunn, Lower Austria. We are lucky enough to call a garden as big as a field our own, surrounded on two sides by the Ernstbrunn oak forest and bordered at the front by a quiet dead-end street. A true paradise.
If you do a little research, this is what you’ll find: 'The Ernstbrunn Forest... is a mixed oak forest area situated on the gravel and sand of the ancient Danube, located between Hollabrunn and Ernstbrunn in Lower Austria’s Weinviertel region. It is the largest continuous mixed oak forest in Central Europe.' It truly is a privilege to call such a vast piece of land on the edge of the forest my garden. And it seems the Roman snails love this area just as much as I do.
Whenever I take the kitchen scraps out to the compost heap, I never come back without finding at least one empty snail shell. Some of them are remarkably large, others are snow-white, and most are perfectly intact because they are so thick and sturdy - there’s certainly no shortage of lime around here. Since it’s hard to just leave something so beautiful behind, I soon had quite a collection... and so, the 'Snail Shell Art' project was born. :)
Alright, here are a few more words about me:
I’ve always been drawn to the arts. I could never limit myself to just one direction; I’m passionate about photography and painting, and I do storyboarding and character development for PC games. I’m deeply involved in literature - as a reader, author, proofreader, and more. Together with my husband, I produce audiobooks in our own recording studio, handling everything from the initial recording to the digital cover artwork. In 2008, I made photography my profession, but my work is intricately woven with all my other interests.
I’ve always been drawn to the arts. I could never limit myself to just one direction; I’m passionate about photography and painting, and I do storyboarding and character development for PC games. I’m deeply involved in literature - as a reader, author, proofreader, and more. Together with my husband, I produce audiobooks in our own recording studio, handling everything from the initial recording to the digital cover artwork. In 2008, I made photography my profession, but my work is intricately woven with all my other interests.
And on top of all that, I’ve recently added miniature object art to the mix - painting and designing my little, spiraled friends, the snail shells. ♥
What is it about snail shells, you might ask?
Because a three-dimensional canvas is endlessly fascinating.
Because the spirals of a snail shell carry the Golden Ratio within them
and my painting lives on this form and carries its essence in a new way.
And finally... I’ve always had a passion for all things tiny, for worlds hidden in the small.
I don’t paint exclusively on snail shells, I also bring to life many other ideas buzzing around in my head.
The end result is usually fantastically small :)
This is how the little art objects in my display case gradually multiplied.
I had to get a second one, and that one is almost full, too. That’s why I’m all the more excited to give you a glimpse
into my steadily growing collection of treasures here.
An equiangular spiral.
One where, with every turn around its center, the distance from that center increases by the same factor - and it even provides a home for a living creature, a tiny house made of lime. A true wonder, isn’t it?
Here’s a little glimpse into the journey from snail shell to painted artwork.
The Roman Snail
A forest stroll
Preparations
Caring for the environment
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Let the shells stay with the sea
For some hermit crabs, finding a home is becoming a challenge when there are too few shells on the beach. Hermit crabs live in snail shells, mollusk shells, or other hollow objects. They need these to protect their soft, unarmored abdomens. If the beach doesn't offer enough shells, they are left homeless. Time and again, hermit crabs can be observed using discarded trash as a home, such as bottle caps or other pieces of plastic.
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The Roman snail's shell
I collect my snail shells in the forests of Lower Austria, which are (unfortuntely, I sometimes think with a touch of wanderlust) far away from any beach. The soil in our region is very limey, and in some places, you can’t take two steps without stumbling upon another empty little shell. Every expedition is a small adventure that fills me with peace and new energy. I follow in the footsteps of my grandfather, who went into the forest every day: I make an effort not to destroy anything, I keep quiet, and I only take what is responsibly sustainable.
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The forest and our living space
Hermit crabs can be found along the Baltic Sea, the European Atlantic coast, the Mediterranean, or even in Thailand. So, not exactly in Ernstbrunn or the surrounding area. But the same principle applies here: let’s take care of the forest and nature. Let's only take what is sustainable. Flowers, herbs, and plants are living beings that deserve our protection. And just a side note, though it really goes without saying: I would never sacrifice the life of an animal for one of my projects just to get a shell or a bone... :)