This 83-year-old minister gives away hand-painted seashells

DANSVILLE, Mich. (InvestigateTV) - Gil Ames calls his Chevy Equinox a $34,000 canvas. The vehicle is painted all over, including tigers on the side.

Inside his home in rural Ingham County, actual paintings on canvas line the walls. Ames made all the picture frames and did all the paintings himself.

Some of his work mimics the masters, including Blue Boy. Other pieces feature his faith, such as Christ at Gethsemane.

An ordained minister, Reverend Ames has not let anything get in the way of his passion for painting. He volunteered with the Red Cross at 52 national disasters, including ground zero in New York.

He also spent 25 years as a long-haul truck driver. He pivoted to something more portable to paint on during that time.

“So that’s when I started painting eggs,” Ames said.

He paints wooden eggs with intricate scenes. Every single one has an angel in it someplace, he said. He also paints thumbtacks, each with an angel.

Ames keeps his own thumbnail painted with an angel design.

His wife Orma has been by his side for 58 years. She said he does amazing things.

“If it doesn’t move, it gets painted,” Orma Ames said. “He’s a true artist, because an artist gets bored and they have to change and do something different.”

About six months ago, Reverend Ames started painting tiny seashells. He said he is running low on a particular size.

The smaller they are, the more he can fit into his shirt pocket. One pocket is full of seashells, probably 50 or more, he said.

Reverend Ames does not sell his seashells. He gives them away for free.

A stop for lunch at the Big Boy in Mason was a place to shell out some kindness.

“It makes me feel loved,” one woman at the restaurant said.

A waitress called the gesture thoughtful and said it brightens people’s spirits.

Ames said he stopped counting after handing out his first thousand seashells. Laughs, hugs and thank yous are the reward.

“Thank you so much and God bless you,” one woman said.

The 83-year-old said making people happy is the motivation that keeps him painting.

“They’re not perfect, but they’re not bad either,” Ames said. “The price is right.”