Day 9 - Returning to the Sea

The Bahamas won my heart the very first time I visited there.  The water really is "gin clear".  And the people are warm and generous.  I've been fortunate and have been able to visit there several times.  One of those times was one of those "decade" birthdays (not telling!).  We spent a week at the New Plymouth Inn on Green Turtle Cay.  We rented a small boat with an outboard engine and spent every day on the water exploring.

During one of those trips, I found two sea biscuits.  Clypeaster, common name "cake urchins" or "sea biscuits", is a genus of echinoderms belonging to the family Clypeasteridae (according to Wikipedia).  Although they look like sand dollars, they are rounded like a biscuit.  Sort of like if you could inflate a sand dollar, making it larger at the same time.  I brought my two sea biscuits home and one of them is the subject of today's painting.  (note:  although many people collect live specimens - I refuse and these sea biscuits were already dead)

I had fun traveling back through that trip in my mind as I painted this sea biscuit.  (and what a great way to escape from winter!)

Sea Biscuit
6" x 6", oil on birch board


The background on this painting is the natural birch board with clear gesso on it.  I love the patterns of the natural wood.  And in this painting, it mimics tide patterns in the sand.  I used an extremely limited pallet on the sea biscuit.  Titanium White, Naples Yellow, French Ultramarine Blue and Van Dyke Brown.  



Comments

Ducky said…
I love anything "sea"! Sweet.
Anonymous said…
The cropping on this works really well.
Susan said…
Thanks, Ducky. I love anything "sea", too. And thanks to you, too, Laurel. That crop was fun!