Love for Longboat inspires beach mural adored by tourists, residents

The mystery beach mural artists have finally come forward to claim their fame.

New Longboaters Leighton Allenby and Michele De Luce took a month to create the beloved “I love LBK” beach art at the public beach access near Bay Isles Road. The mural was made from more than 500 pounds of seashells they collected on their morning beach walks.

“We're looking for shells all the time anyways,” said De Luce. “So we started with a small heart and then we made it bigger. Then we wrote ‘I love LBK.’ People would come up to us while we were doing it. And so we're just meeting a lot of the neighbors that way.”

Ever since they moved to Longboat Key in December, Allenby and De Luce have not missed a beach walk. Their 6-mile early morning stroll near the water is not only the best way to start their day, it's the experience that made them expert seashell collectors. 

Photo by Petra Rivera

“There are certain times of the year where certain kinds of shells come in, like sand dollars and the conch shells,” said De Luce. “One time, it had been a full moon and we were out on the beach, lower tide. I was walking along the edge looking for shells and there were like millions. It was unbelievable, so thick and so wide and filled with every kind of shell you could imagine. They were all in perfect condition.”

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These beach walks began when Allenby and De Luce lived in St. John’s, Florida. They started bringing bags on their walks to fill to the brim with shells. Allenby, who considers the beach his personal gym, always tested his balance on the walks by perching the heavy bag on his head for three or more miles.

While living in St. John’s, they became inspired by beach art that was trending on social media. This led to their first beach art attempt, which was writing “Love City” with stones. De Luce also got in the habit of writing messages in the sand, such as "good morning" to her neighbors.

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They worked on their Longboat masterpiece daily for a month, each time bringing two bags of shells that weighed 35 pounds. It took approximately 16 walking trips from the Bay Isles Beach Club to the far end of the beach. 

“People will come up and thank us,” said De Luce. “They're so excited. They take their pictures. And then they add to the mural. And then little kids will go to grab the shells. Some adults will go to grab them. And we've heard parents say, ‘We told our kids they cannot touch the shells.’ It’s still intact. I couldn't believe it at first.”

The couple continues to add to the mural. Currently, they are working on making a mermaid and plan to make a turtle later on. These creative endeavors on the beach helped them find community here on Longboat Key. Allenby shared that he has lived all over the U.S. but because of the welcoming experiences Longboat feels like home.

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“It gives people a way to connect which is really kind of cool,” said Allenby. “They wouldn't otherwise, right? Somebody can be standing at the murals looking at it. Another topic comes up and they engage in conversation.”