Q&A: Mastering the art of pebble painting

Wednesday 10 January 2024

Visitors to Jersey's Fish Market will be familiar with Jo Logue and her colourful painted pebbles and scallop shells – and she has now published a book teaching people how to make their own.

Express caught up with her after the book's publication...

How did you get into painting pebbles and scallops?

I've always enjoyed being creative and have painted pebbles since my teenage years, mostly ladybirds and flowers on flat natural stones for family gifts. The scallop shell painting came much later, in 2018 when a work colleague asked if I could paint her a shell. It grew from there!

What makes working with scallops special for you?

I love the natural shape of a scallop shell, the fan shape is a fabulous canvas.

Living and working so close to the sea, how much do you work with the local fishing industry to source scallops?

My friend Sally is involved with "Jersey Hand Dived Scallops" and I get many scallop shells from her, also people know I paint scallop shells and will drop them to me at my shop. I can never have enough and I'm so grateful for them.

Congratulations on the book! What has the reception been like - both locally and internationally?

Thank you. I've been delighted with the response. 50% of my online sales have been from the USA (as I am on a lot of shell groups on social media and have a large American following). Also, locally I have been selling the book in my shop which is going really well! The starter sets (which include the book, all the dotting tools required, paint brushes, a selection of paints and a shell) have been popular.

Which parts of the techniques you use are the most surprising?

I believe that using dots on the shells with the dotting tools following the natural curves and indents creates a great design.

What do you hope people get out of the book?

I hope to inspire people to get creative and hope that they can get some joy from painting.

And finally, who or what inspires you?

I am inspired by creatives of all kinds, and I think that Jersey is fortunate to have a great growing community of artists and crafters showcasing their work through places such as the Harbour Gallery, Genuine Jersey and craft fairs.

Art on Scallop Shells is available on Amazon.

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