Hand Painted Crab Shells - Maryland

Here's the latest group of photographs of my crab shells. Each week I am asked to paint something new on a shell..........and nothing amazes me anymore........people ask for just about anything!

Hand Painted Crab Shells - The Perfect Gift!

Express yourself or someone else.......painted crab shells are unique and a perfect gift for anyone.

The ultimate in recycling......and American Made.

Hand painted with acrylic craft paints.

Marines anyone?

It's a Maryland thing.........and yet would look good on any wall.

Crab shells in display boxes make perfect gifts.

Your favorite sports team logo, school logo, cartoon character......you name it, I will paint it on a crab shell.

If nothing else, stop by and watch me paint........yes, I really paint them.

Surely by now, you know that hand painted crab shells make perfect gifts throughout the year. Signtopia has been painting them for years now and now sells them at the Northpoint Plaza Flea Market in Dundalk, Maryland every weekend. If you are in the area, stop by and say hello. I guarantee that you will at the very least enjoy looking at the over 200 assorted crab shells on display. 

Painted crab shells are the ultimate in recycling. Nobody is greener than ole Signtopia.

Have a special request? Ask me about it and I'll see what I can do.

Latest Painted Crab Shells

It is mind boggling.............all sorts of people want all sorts of things on a crab shell. When I began this "hobby" of painting on blue crab shells I had thought that the proper stuff to paint onto the shells would be the things that are somehow related to the State of Maryland and the people who love steamed crabs...........local sports teams, seafood spices, local beer, assorted icons of the territory, and nautical scenes. Simple enough............but as time has gone by, I have gotten requests for lots of things put on a crab shell that I had not even considered. Hey.......whatever the customer wants...........right? Well......maybe not always........sometimes I have to decline some requests........the unreasonable ones. What would be unreasonable?.........I find no thrill in someone requesting a painted crab shell that is so difficult to paint due to the amount of detail involved while those requesting such do not expect to pay a premium for it. The rule of thumb here should be "keep it reasonable", or "keep it simple". Simple is better for all involved.

Needless to say.........each weekend I am presented with some challenging requests. Personally, I enjoy being challenged........especially when the challenges are for something out of the ordinary.

A police officer wanted me to paint the logo for the Warrior Dash.........which was something I had never heard of. He handed me a gray and black 8x10 xerox copy of the logo.......not particularly all that great for me to go by...........so thanks to the internet, I googled Warrior Dash and could see how the logo should really look. The end result was pretty spot on.

Sometimes I just goof off and paint a crab shell just to see if anyone "bites". In this case.......yes......someone did and I had to make a couple more if them.

And then there are people who approach me with stuff like "Can you make one with the Puerto Rican flag on it? I want to get it for my son." A request like that is simple enough, no problem........except I haven't seen the person who made the request in three or four weeks now. I know........I should have taken a deposit or made her pay in advance........I know, I know.

I have one particular customer who keeps challenging me just about every week. He has bought quite a few crab shells from me...........six or eight at a time! I really appreciate that. I am also very honored that someone finds my "art" likeable enough to have bought as many as he has. He is a businessman and he just so happens to not only give the shells to family members and personal friends as gifts.....he also gives them as gifts to his clients.

Personalized crab shells...........yes........I can personalize the crab shell.

I would never have thought anyone would request a bicycle built for two............but the above mentioned customer did.

Another happy customer wanted the crab shell above............a crab on a crab.....go figure.

Local icons put together on one shell........no problem.

Sometimes I cannot always be serious........seriously.......

.......and then there is another challenge........seriously..........a German Shepherd on a crab shell!

I sit at my vendor table and paint crabs shells the entire time that I am there each weekend........and STILL.........there is always someone that will look at the shells and say "Stickers?" or "These are decals." AAARRRGGHHHH! No.....No.....No.....
..........nevermind that I have a paint brush in my hand, am painting a crab shell right in front of them, paint bottles everywhere..........geez......what do I gotta do to convince some people?

Here is one that is unfinished.......a work in progress...........PROOF that it is hand painted!

........but how is it possible?.............well I was a signpainter for most of my life. Perhaps not the best signpainter, but apparently good enough that some folks can't imagine that someone could actually paint these kinds of things.

Ahhhhhhh.......the finished product! One of a kind, actually. The customer that requested it was very happy.
It is frustrating sometimes when some people pretty much try to belittle what it is that you do. These people are morons. No other word for them. They have no clue as to the amount of time and effort and skill involved. They have a far different value system and cannot grasp the concept that something is being created and produced right before their eyes instead of being made on some assembly line by hordes of illegals working for a pittance. I try to not let these folks get me down..................I am truly humbled and honored by the many people who have liked my work enough to purchase it from me with their hard-earned money.

Of course, not everyone that looks at my crab shells buys them. But the majority of these people have overwhelmingly had nice things to say about them.......and that is very gratifying.

Until next time............


If you are interested in purchasing a hand painted crab shell, come see me at the Northpoint Plaza Flea Market in Dundalk, Maryland every weekend.

Related articles

• Hand Painted Crab Shells Part Two (endoftheworld-signtopia.blogspot.com)
• Hand Painted Crab Shells Part 3 (endoftheworld-signtopia.blogspot.com)

Maryland Crab Shell Ornaments

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Related articles

• Hand Painted Crab Shells Part 3 (endoftheworld-signtopia.blogspot.com)
• Hand Painted Crab Shells Part Two (endoftheworld-signtopia.blogspot.com)

Hand Painted Crab Shells

Yes it is definately the end of the world........no doubt about it......lots of stuff has been happening............in one week's time I have had the pleasure of experiencing my first "substantial" earthquake and Hurricane Irene.........and I still managed to get myself down to the Northpoint Plaza Flea Market and hawk my hand painted crab shell ornaments. Imagine that.

First, I again apologize for my lack of posting here on the blog.......I have been very busy.......really.........no kidding..........I have been helping my daughter, Miss Moneypenny, with various assorted things just about every day........grandfatherly type chores....housesitting.....kidsitting......and while at her house I have been busy also with prepping these crab shells so I can sell them. Lot's of work and my time has been consumed in biblical proportions.

Okay......so the weekdays are booked solid........and that leaves me with Saturdays and Sundays to hawk my wares at the flea market. What I sell is not really a flea market item..........it is a craft item.......art..........and not a dollar item. These pieces of art are made by me and for the most part, are unique and some are even one of a kind. I put alot of effort and time into making the ornaments and I have established a spot at the flea market to make them available to anyone who wants one.....or two........or even three.....four...or five of them.

Business has started out really slow.......some days I hadn't even sold one.......but determination is embedded in me and I stand my ground and plant my seeds..........in time, hopefully soon, it will all be worthwhile. Timing is everything.........right? Leave it to me to start a business venture when the economy has tanked and people can barely have enough money to buy the things they actually need. And leave it to me that I decided to manufacture something that is, at best, a novelty and not a necessity.

Painted crab shells!

One month into this venture and things are picking up and word is getting out. More and more customers with each weekend that comes. Oddly, my busiest day so far, was during the hurricane.....go figure.

The Maryland flag.......Natty Boh........

It's a Maryland thing folks...........the Maryland State flower is the Black Eyed Susan.

The Baltimore Ravens!..........every man cave should have one.

And yes, I paint them.........and you can watch me do it at the flea market.

I get special requests sometimes........"Can you make 'em wit da Harley logo on it?"
Yes I can.........but I haven't...........that is...........yet.

Each crab shell gets cleaned thoroughly, disinfected, and primed before painting.

This is one of my latest original creations and perfect for Christmas. While some folks might think that these painted crab shells are just used as a Christmas ornament........this is not the case. You can display them anywhere in your home or office throughout the year.

It's a Maryland thing! And nothing says it better than a painted crab shell.

If you are interested in purchasing a hand painted crab shell, come visit me at the Northpoint Plaza Flea Market in Baltimore County, MD. I am there every Sunday from 7 AM to 4 PM and most Saturdays as well. Occasionally, I may have to be set up at some other venue on Saturdays.

Price?.........well, that all depends.......but I can tell you that my prices are better than than what is generally found on the internet. Quality?.......the shells speak for themselves......tell me what you think.

I plan on making these available here on the internet very soon.........but one thing at a time......I am overwhelmed at the moment.