Pauline Walsh Jacobson

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands    Austin, Texas

Painter, photographer, jewelry designer - I guess I'm a bit of a jack of all trades, which I get from my Dad who loves to tinker. Born on the Texas coast in Port Arthur, I spent a lot of time at the beach and fishing with Dad, and grew to love the ocean and seashore. I also love to collect seashells and beach glass, some of which get incorporated into my jewelry designs.

I have a bachelor's degree in fine art from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, and enjoyed a long career as a graphic designer and cartographer, drawing maps in pen and ink. My career eventually shifted to management and sales of digital maps and software (geographic information systems). In 2001, I left my job to become a full-time artist.

My husband, Julian "Kent" Jacobson and I love to travel to tropical places to snorkel and scuba dive. Shortly after becoming certified in scuba, I took up underwater photography. A few years ago, we bought a small "fixer upper" home on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. We divide our time between our St. John House, Blue Heaven Rendezvous and our home in Austin, Texas.

Primarily a painter specializing in watercolors of marine life, I use my photos for subject matter and inspiration. I have taken thousands of photos of marine life which provide endless inspiration for my paintings. My paintings and photographs are collected internationally, both corporate and private collections. If you would like to see some of my photographic images, visit www.cdislands.com (35mm film) and www.tropicalpictures.net (digital). My paintings can be viewed at www.paulinewalshjacobson.com.

People are always asking the meaning of the gemstones I use in my designs. Here is some gemstone lore compiled from various sources.