The Scotch Bonnet is a shell found up and down the mid Atlantic States of the US and along the Gulf shores of Florida. The broken specimen I found has had a place of honor on my shell shelf for many years now. Little more than 2 “ in length, the large whorl which once housed the snail’s body, has been completely removed leaving the axis of this spiral shell visible.

In this painting, the goodness within each of us is represented by the axis. At the core of the univalve shell, it often remains intact even when the shell has been badly broken. There is beauty in brokenness. None of us gets through life without suffering and pain.

Unfortunately, it often takes painful events and challenges for us to finally turn away from the superficiality of today’s world and focus instead on our inner life.

How peacefully are we living? Are we willing to let go of selfish desires to benefit others? Do we spend our time and resources on those in need? Though we may have been deeply hurt, are we willing to turn that pain into compassion?

The beauty that can emerge through life’s hardship is the beauty of depth, feeling and compassion.

This painting can be hung vertically or horizontally.