Meet Caleen Diedrick | Upcycle Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caleen Diedrick and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caleen, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
So I’m a nature junkie and for years I spent an inordinate amount of time at the beach/rivers collecting seashells, driftwood and anything interesting that caught my eyes. I moved to a beach front apartment 3 years ago and kept wondering what i could do with all the beautiful seashells and driftwood available at my fingers tips. In June of 2022 I had an amazing bout of inspiration to turn all these beautiful finds into art and that is where my business Shellingsxx started.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Shellingsxx is an embodiment of my love for nature. I have no formal training as an upcycle artist so a huge part of what make this process exciting for me is watching the pieces come together.

Public response and uptake has been good and quite encouraging as most of the sales have been generated from word of mouth. Whilst the art pieces have been my biggest seller my intention is to put more emphasis on the jewelry and lamp line that I intend to launch in April of this year. No words can fully encapsulate the pride and excitement I feel about the the “Lit Line” which is an exclusive line of driftwood/hardwood lamps. This part of the business has been a labor of pure unadulterated love. Shellingsxx is unique as no other local artist in Jamaica produce shell art in this manner as a result of this the scope for growth is immense and I intend to capitalize on this niche market.

As much as I love what I’m doing with Shellingsxx, there has been a few pressing challenges the first one being insufficient time to really focus and create. Shellingsxx is one of 3 business I own and operate so there is a constant struggle to find time to get all that needs to be done promptly. The other challenges are learning the art industry and securing funding to fuel the expansion of the product line. I have engaged some strategies starting this year to better manage these challenges and things have been coming together nicely.

This has been a sweet, soul-filling endeavor for me and even though the struggles are very real, I am elated that this is a manifestation of the fact that it is never too late to learn something new. This work is has been my catharsis as the process of collecting raw materials and creating the pieces has been a beautiful way to self sooth and reset. Shellingsxx has served to reinforce one of my guiding principles that your passions can pay you as long as you feed them with the right formula of ingredients they need to thrive.

As an upcycle artist my business is about creating art from seashells, driftwood and refuse and I want to use this platform to reinforce the importance of taking care of mother Earth. The Earth gives us most of the things we need to live well and this is how I play my role in keeping it clean and help others appreciate and play their role in taking care of the nature.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well if you’re coming to Jamaica and staying in Bull Bay we definitely need to visit Bob Marley beach. This beautiful rustic beach is great for an awesome tan and a good swim. Next up is Cane River… let me pause for emphasis; GORGEOUS place nestled in the hills of 9 Miles Bull Bay. Then there is Reggae Falls in St. Thomas which is another sweet spot to enjoys nature and have a blast.

Now you will definitely have to visit Morgan’s Harbour/ Gloria’s Sea Food City for some of the best seafood cuisine this side of town. We can’t talk seafood with mentioning Hellshire Beach which is world renowned for it’s fry fish and festival, steam fish, lobster and crab meals so that would be high on our list of places to go.

Night life funning will include a visit to Janga’s Soundbar and Grill. This spot is great to hang out and listen to good music. Dubwise is another great spot to hang out and enjoy vegetarian cuisine and some cool cocktails. We will have to visit East Japanese Restaurant which is one of my favorite hangout spot. Friday night is the best night as you can enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine while jamming to some of the best dancehall, R&B music. After 10pm the dining tables a removed to accommodate patrons dancing; pure awesomeness.

The visit isn’t complete until we stop by Devon House for a cultural experience. the tour of the guest house is quite informative and the highlight of the trip is having some of the best Ice cream on the planet ( ranked 4th place in the world to eat Ice cream). The wide variety of pastry (including their patties) will have you make multiple trips to this venue. Then we must stop at Bob Marley museum to view some of the collections of the late, great father of reggae music Bob Marley’s work and artifacts.

Out of town festivities are a must when you visit Jamaica so a trip to the rustic Jakes resort in Treasury beach would be a part of the icing on the cake. Next up the scenic YS Falls in Black River (a little Eden I tell yah) a stop in Middle Quarters is a must to get some of the best shrimp in the country. Lastly, a visit to Boston Jerk in Portland for the bestest Jerk Chicken and Pork on the Planet and we cap the visit with a stay over at Great Huts, a beautiful eco friendly resort in Portland.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I must give a shout out to Tanique Brodber- Ventura, Danielle Stewart and Sharon Smith for their encouraging words when I started Shellingsxx. They all patronized my business and referred my art pieces to friends and business associates.

Instagram: @shellingsxx