Title: "Indian Point 3" Oyster Shell

My first oyster shell paintings were born simply because I enjoyed painting the various treasures I'd find washed up on the beach. No surprise that a large proportion of those items were oysters! Not long after, I started saving the oyster shells from restaurants, as I loved how vibrant and pristine the shells were when not yet bleached by the sun. It was fun ordering a mixed oyster platter, carefully recording which shell was which, and naming the respective paintings after the regions those oysters were harvested.

One thing that makes oysters a joy to paint is the endless ways you can interpret the iridescence of the mother of pearl and the intricate layers of each shell. I began to think of painting oysters like painting the sky. With the sky, you can paint any variation of cloud formations and colors your imagination dreams up but most people will still recognize the end product as a sky. Much the same with oysters, I've found as long as I get the shape right and include the "spot" where the adductor muscle connects, I can be free to paint the inside shell however I like.

This is an archival quality fine art print of my original acrylic painting.