Painted Shells: 83-year-old minister gives away art from car

Gil Ames, an 83-year-old ordained minister in Dansville, Michigan, keeps a pocketful of hand-painted seashells to give away for free. He carries the small shells in his shirt pocket, usually holding about 50 or more at a time. The shells are part of a habit that began roughly six months ago when he started working with the tiny objects. He noted that he is running low on a specific size, which limits how many he can carry.

Ames’s creative output extends far beyond shells. He drives a Chevy Equinox that he describes as a $34,000 canvas. The vehicle features paint on every surface, including tigers on the side. Inside his home in rural Ingham County, the walls are lined with oil paintings on canvas that Ames created himself. He also crafted the frames for these pieces. His artistic style ranges from imitations of classic masterpieces, such as Blue Boy, to religious scenes like Christ at Gethsemane.

The minister has balanced painting with a long career in transportation and volunteer work. He spent 25 years driving a long-haul truck. During that period, he shifted his focus to more portable subjects. Ames said, “So that’s when I started painting eggs.” He paints wooden eggs with detailed scenes, ensuring every single one includes an angel somewhere. He also decorates thumbtacks with angel designs. One of his own thumbnails is painted with an angel.

Ames has volunteered with the Red Cross at 52 national disasters, including the World Trade Center site in New York. His wife, Orma Ames, has been his partner for 58 years. She described his habit of painting various objects. “If it doesn’t move, it gets painted,” Orma said. She added that he is a true artist because he constantly seeks new challenges to avoid boredom.

Ames often stops at the Big Boy restaurant in Mason, Michigan, for lunch. This location serves as a regular spot for him to distribute his seashells. He does not sell the shells. Instead, he hands them to diners and staff. The gesture has drawn positive reactions from those who receive them.

A waitress at the restaurant described the gesture as thoughtful and said it brightens people’s spirits. One woman who received a shell said, “It makes me feel loved.” Another woman told Ames, “Thank you so much and God bless you.” Ames stopped counting the total number of shells he has given out after reaching the first 1,000. He said the laughs, hugs, and expressions of gratitude serve as his reward.

Ames said making people happy is the primary motivation behind his continued painting. He acknowledged the quality of his work with a simple assessment. “They’re not perfect, but they’re not bad either,” Ames said. “The price is right.”