The Head Artist, Shameica Hodge, has from a young child loved art and crafting, a passion she shared with an older cousin who helped her to craft. As an avid lover of nature, she would spend a lot of time hiking, going to the beach and collecting shells while being there. It was during these adventures that her fascination with beauty occurring organically in nature began – mesmerised by the alluring hues, patterns, shapes and textures. She tried to select art as a course in high school but was unable to due to the structure of the school system at the time. This didn’t deter her from exploring her creative and artistic side. She would save monies from summer jobs and purchase art and craft supplies and books to try to teach herself. It quickly became a therapeutic outlet which saw Shameica churning out earrings made from a conch shell and other seashells for herself. When she went to university she stopped crafting for some time but would continue to channel her creativity in other ways including designing outfits.
In September 2017, devastating Hurricane Irma arrived and Shameica would spend her evenings visiting the beach to relax. While there she noticed that the hurricane had pushed onto the shore broken pieces of coral, sea fans and shells of all shapes and sizes. She collected various pieces whole and broken. It was so therapeutic collecting and experiencing the magic and beauty of mother nature.
Three months later she had a home full of these items and no clear idea as to what to do with them. After a little research, she discovered some interesting ways to use the treasures she had found. So from about early 2018, she started making pieces, experimenting with wax, resin and wood. The goal was to create innovative décor and souvenir pieces that would add a splash of effervescence to the décor of any space or to any outfit in the case of their necklaces.
Since early 2018 she has worked hard to hone her craft. Her loved ones fell in love with her creations and were adamant that they had to be shared with the beautiful residents and visitors of the island. So they created Anguilla Treasures to do just that. Since its introduction in September 2020, Anguilla Treasures has launched a series of breath-taking product lines featuring shells, sea fans and flowers many of which are realistic depictions of the beach and the ocean including:
1. Clocks
2. Candles
3. Hanging Art
4. Coasters
5. Keychains
6. Dominoes
7. Necklaces
8. Night lights
The pieces have been sold via various pop-up shops and expositions held in Anguilla. The Operators of Anguilla Treasures are grateful for the positive and supportive response that they have received from the residents and visitors of the island and look forward to creating more pieces. They are presently working fervently on setting up an online retail platform and/or permanent physical space. In the interim queries can be forwarded via their email address axatreasures@gmail.com or sent via a message Facebook or Instagram under the name Anguilla Treasures. You can catch them next at the upcoming “Leh we Roam” Art walk part of the slate of events put on by the Department of Youth and Culture for their Malliouhana Fest.
– Contributed
