On a table draped in sea-green fabric, oyster shells gleam like small treasures. Some are painted with whimsical cocktails, and others are framed like shadowbox jewels. One unforgettable set depicts the Mona Lisa - her famous face split across three curved shell fragments. 

 This is the world of Sea Spell Apothecary, the creation of Galveston County artisan Shannon Hammons, who transforms simple shells and natural elements into art that feels both coastal and otherworldly. 

 The first thing people often ask about is the name. Sea Spell Apothecary suggests more than art - it conjures a sense of ritual and remedy, offering objects that soothe both body and spirit. 

 Hammons said it wasn’t something she contrived - it was something she heard. “Sea Spell wasn’t so much a name I dreamed up as it was a spell the ocean whispered to me,” she said. 

 The word “apothecary” grounds that oceanic incantation, linking the mystery of the tide to the ancient tradition of remedies and ritual. She said the name reflects the balance she seeks: “Art and remedy, beauty and healing, all carried on the current of something timeless.” 

 Hammons admits she doesn’t fit neatly into one role when asked how she defines herself. “For me, art is about transforming energy - turning a seashell into a treasure, or a bar of soap into a ritual,” she said. 

 Hammons embraces being a maker, always working with her hands, and acknowledges that healing weaves into her work - whether she intends it or not. 

 If pressed to define herself, she says “alchemist.” To her, it means blending the seen and unseen into something that shifts how people experience their everyday lives. 

 That philosophy extends beyond Sea Spell into Mermaid Manor, Hammons’ Airbnb retreat on Galveston’s West End in Indian Beach. She describes the manor as an extension of her artistic vision. 

 “I live my life like it’s an art piece,” she said. “Guests often tell me they feel the healing, magical energy, and the care woven into every detail of the space.” 

 Much of that vision is shaped by the coast itself. Though Hammons lives full-time in Dickinson, she spends as much time as possible at her second home on the island. 

 The island’s shifting skies and endless tides are her muses. Salt air and the gifts left on the shore find their way into her work. 

 Even when she isn’t physically present, she says the Gulf’s energy flows through the colors she selects, the shimmer of mica, the swirl of her soaps, and the contours of each shell. 

Coastal life, she believes, is never static - it’s always eroding, changing, and renewing. That movement is what she strives to capture in her art. 

 At the heart of Hammons’ creations are oyster shells. Where most see scraps from a meal, she sees stories. “When I hold them, I do not see discard, I feel a story,” she said. 

 Each shell carries its own energy, shape, and journey, and Hammons listens closely to what it wants. Some whisper for gilded edges; others call for pearls, shimmer, or keys. 

 She lets the shells reveal their destiny - whether as wine stoppers, framed shadowboxes, or standalone treasures. 

 Her Mona Lisa triptych remains a striking example of her imagination. Painted across three broken oyster shells, the iconic face becomes whole only when the fragments are joined. 

 Hammons describes it as a mermaid’s-eye view of an artifact rediscovered on the sea floor - an image reclaimed by the tides. 

 “It speaks to the beauty of imperfection and the power of transformation,” she said. The piece also marks the beginning of a larger dream: a gallery of reimagined masterworks preserved in shell, tide, and shimmer. 

 But Hammons’ creativity extends far beyond shells. Sea Spell Apothecary has evolved into a true maker’s haven, offering small-batch soaps, oils, balms, scrubs, sprays, and more. 

 “Every product is designed to transform an everyday routine into a ritual,” she said. 

 Whether it’s a lip balm before bed or a three-step bath, Hammons hopes each item invites people into a spell of self-care. For her, the art and the remedies are inseparable. 

 “A gilded oyster shell and a handcrafted lotion bar might look very different,” she said, “but they’re created from the same intention: to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.” 

 Audiences discover Hammons’ work both online and in person. She sells through her website (seaspellapothecary.com), Etsy, and TikTok Shop, where short videos offer glimpses into her process alongside finished creations. 

 Locally, her pieces are available at The Naked Mermaid in downtown Galveston at 2113 Postoffice Street, with plans to expand into more coastal boutiques. 

 When people encounter Sea Spell, Hammons hopes it feels like stepping into something enchanted. For her, every creation is rooted in transformation - shell to art, remedy to ritual, ordinary to extraordinary. 

 “When someone brings Sea Spell into their life,” she said, “I want them to feel that life itself can be alchemy, and that magic belongs to them.”