Janice Plihal's seashell artworks are featured in a trunk show Saturday, Sept. 2, at Sesame and Lilies in Cannon Beach. Submitted photo.

CANNON BEACH – Janice Plihal held her first gallery show with Evelyn Georges at White Bird Gallery in the early 1980s, and has been active in the arts community for more than 25 years. She returns to feature her three-dimensional seashell art at a trunk show from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, at Sesame and Lilies, 183 N. Hemlock St.

Plihal started her career as a fiber artist, designing one-of-a-kind garments that were shown throughout the United States and Canada. From the beginning, Plihal said she has always been fascinated with form and function as well as the interplay of texture, shape and color. She is best known for her work with Designed to Wear, the internationally acclaimed showcase of wearable art. A fundraiser for the Oregon College of Arts and Crafts, Plihal produced, directed, and choreographed the juried event for 11 years.

Over the last six years, she has been traveling with her husband to Hawaii and Florida. While he was surfing, she began collecting shells from the different beaches and a large collection of shells, coral and beach glass took center stage in the displays in their home. With a great photo from their holiday, she began searching for an appropriate frame. Ultimately, she fashioned her own from the shell collection she had amassed over the years. Friends saw the work and began requesting similar pieces for their beach photos. The three-dimensional shell collages inspired a new body of work for Plihal. The parallels in her fiber collage and her shell art show her keen sense of design and a sense of intimacy with each piece created. There is a tendency to view the work from a distance and appreciate the sculptural quality, but on closer examination, one sees the intricacy and subtlety of details which make each piece so unique and endearing.

Plihal works full-time out of her studio at her home and describes the new venture as “incredibly calming and exciting.”

A chance meeting with Sesame and Lilies store owner Diane Speakman led Plihal to the recently opened shop in Cannon Beach. “It took almost a month to get there, but when I saw Diane’s store, I knew it was a good fit” said Plihal. Her shell art is sold exclusively at the two store locations in Cannon Beach and Gearhart. For information, call (503) 436-2027 or visit www.sesameandlilies.com