I often have wonderful dreams about diving on a beautiful coral reef and seeing fantasy coral gardens, fish and sea creatures from another world. I also have similar dreams about walking along a beach and seeing beautiful seashells like none I have ever seen washing up at my feet. So, I decided to name my ocean-inspired jewelry line Coral Reef Dreams.

I'm a painter, photographer and jewelry designer - I guess I'm a bit of a jack of all trades. I was getting a little burned out on painting, so I began designing jewelry a few years ago, and am loving it! I was born on the Texas coast in Port Arthur, and grew up by the ocean. I love to walk on the beach and pick up seashells and beach glass, some of which get incorporated into my jewelry.

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.

I also paint marine life in watercolor. I have taken thousands of underwater photos which provide endless inspiration. My paintings and photographs are collected internationally, both in corporate and private collections. If you would like to see my paintings and photography, visit www.paulinewalshjacobson.com.

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 later, we bought a 5 bedroom "inn" on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which we rent out part of the year. We divide our time between our St. John house Inn Love, and our home in Austin, Texas.