TABITHA VEVERS, 48, says she was "weaned on Cape Cod." Like Motherwell, her parents were part of the Provincetown bohemian arts scene in the 1950s and '60s, and she and her sister spent their summers on the beach.

In her home, she was surrounded by paintings made by her father, Tony Vevers, and the sculpture and collages created by her mother, Elspeth Halvorsen.

"I always knew I wanted to be an artist," she says. "We lived and breathed art. I didn't know any adults who weren't artists or writers. I never saw a guy in a necktie until high school."

The natural environment finds its way into Vevers's work, though not always in a literal way. Her recent work, miniature paintings and gold leaf inside seashells, brings her back full circle to those summers long ago.

"Working with shells — the process of walking on the beach, finding them, and sanding their surfaces — puts me in mind with sea mythologies," she says. "I paint images of people interacting with sea creatures, lobsters, and giant squid. It's more about metaphor and myth than anything else."

Vevers paints her images on all kinds of shells, including mussels, quahogs, sea clams, and scallops.

"These shells were discarded by nature, but they once housed precious organisms. I make them precious again, like Fabergé eggs," she says.

Vevers continues to live part of each year on the Cape and exhibits regularly in Provincetown, where her sense of community and history are strong.

"All the generations interact here," she says. "There's an easy flow between younger and older artists."

Vevers fits squarely into the long line of artists and writers who have found inspiration in this small but vibrant town. There's no doubt she'll keep returning until she and Motherwell replace Kunitz as elders of the community. In this way, Provincetown's artistic heritage is guaranteed to continue.

"The salty air and sun are in my bones," Vevers says. She shrugs, as if that explains everything, and strolls down the beach to gather more shells.

NECEE REGIS writes about travel, culture, and food for the Boston Globe.