About

Leslie Young

Like most artists, I have been influenced and guided by a variety of factors on my journey to find my art form. That journey has been led by my love of wood and the beach that I live by. My life, as that of most people, has been continuously touched by growth and change and my art celebrates the beauty of that process. People have always been drawn to the visually pleasing shape and beauty of nautilus shells and they have become nature’s symbol of growth and change. The shell is constantly evolving to accommodate its growth and that’s what we all do throughout our lives.

I started woodworking later in life and though I began as a wood turner I soon found that the lathe wasn’t the tool for me. I was drawn to the scroll saw yet couldn’t find projects that left me wanting to make more of them. Seeking something different, I watched a YouTube video by Steve Garrison about making a nautilus shell out of wood. I tried it and was hooked. I found the process of cutting, sanding and gluing the many pieces of wood calming and comforting. Even though the process to make a shell was the same, no two shells ever looked alike.

When I started, I used mainly southern pine but soon branched out to more exotic woods and incorporated different processes. I sometimes inlay ground stone in voids and I also cast wood with epoxy resin of various colors. I mainly use wood in the castings but I have also incorporated pine cones, sweet gum tree balls, coquina shells, colored pencils and bamboo. Trying different materials adds to the excitement of creating. I’ve made over 1,000 shells since I started 12 years ago and I’m excited every time I get a new piece of wood to work with.

Those of you who have visited this site in the past may notice that it looks a bit different as it is focused solely on the wooden nautilus shells. Sadly, that’s because my precious husband, Mike Browne, passed away in January of 2025. He was a wood turner and always loved tackling a new project. He was also my biggest champion and supporter and I would not be making my shells without his help and encouragement. I miss him profoundly yet I “hear” him every time I work on a new shell. He was and always will be, my muse as I continue to create in our studio under the rustling palms.

—Leslie Young