40” X 60” Watercolor on Paper

Murex Pecten

The Venus Comb, formally Murex Pecten, is the subject of this painting entitled “Mermaid Combs”. These marine gastropods are indigenous to the Indo-Pacific region, and these particular specimens came from the Philippines. Murex Pecten isn’t an uncommon species, but a perfect specimen is considered a rarity. Their long, fragile spines are often damaged as a result of interaction with predators.  

It’s hard to think of these rock snails as themselves carnivorous predators because their architecture is so delicate and lovely. Their outlines make such wonderful silhouettes! I wanted to explore overlapping these light toned seashells to create a sort of lattice work against the dark, colorful background of water movement. This was one of my more ambitious efforts requiring extensive time and focused attention to detail. I feel the end result was well worth my effort!

41” x 29” Watercolor on Paper

Thalotia Chlorostoma

The Thalotia Chlorostoma in my series “Down Under Wonders” are lovely little jewels that hail from Southern and Western Australia. These thick structured, deep water gastropods (or sea snails) are members of the Trochidae Family. They’re conical in shape with a flat bottom and spiral ribs running around the shell’s surface. They can be yellowish, or more commonly orangey-brown to a brick red in color abbreviated by a white or cream color accents.

What intrigued me most was the beautiful, sophisticated patterning packed onto each barely inch-tall specimen. Their surfaces look like woven tapestries to me with patterning displayed not only on the flat underside, but all around the shell from the base to the tip. There isn’t a millimeter of surface area that isn’t beautiful “decorated”!

41” X 29” Watercolor on Paper

Thalotia Chlorostoma

I received these shells from an Aussie seller. I was inquiring about another variety when I was offered this generous collection and couldn’t resist! These shells are fascinating and lovelier in person than in their photographs. I knew I would have to greatly enlarge my painted images to show their beauty and give them the attention they deserve.

You can really only appreciate the lovely patterning on these little wonders if you use a magnifying glass to view, or enlarge the shell’s features as I did in this painting. The prismatic colors of the sunset reflected in the roiling surface water of the background makes for an interesting, if somewhat challenging contrast.

52" x 40" - Watercolor on Paper

Spondylus Americanus 

Spondylus Americanus are indigenous to the Americas (North and South), with many of the largest, most showy specimens found here in South Florida. These breathtaking gems are coveted and collected by conchologists worldwide. For “American Beauties #1”, I selected specimens with unique color combinations, and found it especially interesting that the umbone, or area above the “hinge” joining the two valves, could be one brilliant color and the spines quite another! Intense oranges, yellows, pinks and purples offered an irresistibly striking contrast against the watery background mixture of mottled blues and greens.

52" x 40" - Watercolor on Paper

Spondylus Americanus

The spiny oysters of “American Beauties #2” represent a variation in the Spondylus species. I’ve been told by reef and wreck divers that oysters growing attached to sunken vessels are more “showy” on their outer valve and flatter on the backside where they were attached. It’s interesting to note that their spines can also be shorter or consist mostly of ruffled frills or “paddles” instead of the long spikes most commonly associated with this species. In this painting I chose two shell variations of slightly lighter shades than in my first rendition and contrasted them against the brilliant bluish-purple backdrop of a brooding surface reflection.

52" x 40" - Watercolor on Paper

Spondylus Americanus

In “American Beauties #3”, I created a different sort of abstract background suggestive of a tropical reef. Bioluminescent flecks ride atop the surface, and brilliant reflective currents with the promise of an interesting ocean terrain lie below. Against this backdrop, I displayed intricate, brightly colored spondylus at various angles striving for the feel of an exciting Gulfstream adventure. Though this was my third and final study in the series, I could easily return to these shells in future work. The spiny oysters' impressive growth patterns and seemingly endless color combinations never disappoint!

39” x 32” Watercolor on Paper

Stellaria Solaris

Stellaria Solaris, or the sun carrier shell as it is commonly called, hails from Vietnam and is a member of the Xenophoridae or carrier shell family. A sand dweller found in shallow waters, amazingly they also live in waters as deep as 1,400 feet! Because I love the "controlled chaos" of working with watercolor, I really enjoyed painting “full out” in “Midnight Solaris #1”! I employed only three background pigments to create a delicious myriad of luminescent color combinations. Building layer upon layer, I created a dark but visually upbeat background against which I showcased three intriguing specimens. Delighted with the result, I've considered revisiting this seashell in the future as the subject of an even larger piece.

25” x 38” Watercolor on Paper

Stellaria Solaris

This Midnight Solaris Series also represents a larger scale continuation of a smaller Stellaria Solaris piece entitled “Sunset Sailors” painted a few years earlier. In contrast to the smaller study in which the shells float high against the golden rays of a late day sun, “Midnight Solaris #2” explores these same specimens drifting against a midnight sky as reflected on the ocean’s surface. The pigment mix also allowed me to create the green bioluminescence sometimes seen riding atop tropical seas at night. This resulting work offers a beautiful, almost surreal impression of these unique seashells as celestial bodies spinning through space!

60" x 40" - Watercolor on Paper

Perotrochus Teramachii

The Perotrochus in "Golden Orbs" hail from China and convey a sense of surviving eons of evolution. These rare, deep water shells that are from 4 to 6 inches across. They almost appear to sparkle with their shimmery golden exteriors and lovely pearlescent interiors. Such interesting shells! I couldn’t help but include several close-up images from various angles and perspectives. This particular large scale painting with its lovely, crisp warm images juxtaposed to the dramatic swirling deep background blues, greens and yellows is one of my personal favorites. I consider it a signature piece of my work collection.

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60" x 40" - Watercolor on Paper

Spondylus Regius, Spondylus Imperialis

Painting “Sea Jewels” with such brilliant, colorful specimens of Spondylus Regius and Spondylus Imperialis made me think of these marine beauties as more like living jewels than creatures of the deep. Their vibrant colors seem almost too luscious and intense to have occurred naturally! Anyone who views these shells first hand has to wonder at the genius who robed these bivalves in such stunning attire! I painted these spiny beauties against the gentle blue rush of water movement, and imagined showing them off like precious gemstones.

41" x 29" - Watercolor on Paper

Gloriapallium Pallium

In one of my Glorious Pals Series paintings entitled “Shallow Water Treasures”, I employed several Gloriapallium Pallium – members of the Pecten family. I acquired these specimens from a Filipino seller through an Italian Auction, but the shells originated in Thailand where they were collected in relatively shallow water. I love the large size (almost 3 inches across) and special patterning of these particularly stunning shells. Brilliant orange rays sprayed against deep reddish purple backgrounds. Such a lovely visual contrast! I enjoyed painting these fiery beauties fanned out against the cool blue-green of undulating ocean water.

41" x 29" - Watercolor on Paper

Gloriapallium Pallium

In the other piece from my Glorious Pals Series, I explored these “royal robed” pectens in a work entitled “Vibrations Beneath The Blue”. This time I chose to showcase the shells at various angles to display the lovely markings running over their surfaces and around their sides. As unique as finger prints, each specimen presented a slightly different design. I loved painting these particular seashells tumbling over one another against a cool ocean background. The bright contrast of the orange and purple patterning against the soft blue-green of ocean water creates a visual color “vibration”.

41" x 29" - Watercolor on Paper

Chicoreus Saulii

The lovely Chicoreus Saulii shells in “Lifted By The Vent” – the best of my Ballet Beauties Series – were found off Okinawa, Japan. These wonderful shells have a very recognizable murex structure. Their beauty lies in the lovely surface color variations and remarkable rose ruffles blossoming atop their golden branches. I photographed these specimens from a variety of angles in an attempt to capture their delicate grace, and was able to achieve a lot of movement in my paintings as a result. These winged beauties almost appear to be flying as they are lifted by the bubbling volcanic waters of an active ocean vent.

41" x 29" - Watercolor on Paper

Chicoreus Saulii

I explored three lovely murex shells once again in this subtle variation on a theme "Swirling Into The Deep". Photographing several specimens from a variety of angles allowed me to capture their beauty and delicate grace. As a result, I was able to achieve the feeling of winged movement in my painting, as they plummeted down into the ocean. The tonal change in background colors from a golden and greenish yellow into the denser grayed blues created a feeling of transitioning from shallower to deeper water.

60" x 40" - Watercolor on Paper

Epitomium Scalare

In “Aquanauts Rising” I explore a fascinating shell more commonly known as the Precious Wentletrap. This variety is found from China to Australia and was once considered the jewel of European shell collections. A deep ocean beauty, its fragile pink whorls contrast slightly with the thin white exterior “spines” running from tip to base at equal intervals around the outside of the shells. These shells are so light they feel almost weightless in the hand. But while the Wentletrap is as deceptively delicate looking as an eggshell, those exterior supports prevent the creature housed within from being crushed under the pressure of its deep ocean environment. The Epitonium is an architectural marvel! In this painting, I show these lovely shells buoyantly surfacing almost like divers arising from the ocean depths. Bubbling up to the surface, light and light hearted!

60" x 40" - Watercolor on Paper

Voluta Imperialis

What a rush! In "Cymbiola Flow" I explored the remarkable Voluta Imperialis. I have yet to meet a member of the volute family I didn’t find impressive, but this particular Voluta variety has many elements to appreciate. I just love the beautiful tenting patterns displayed against the soft sienna tones and undulating twists. It’s amazing how the folds evolve into protective points as they work their way around and up to the crown of the shell. When I combined three especially beautiful specimens against the varied blues of the ocean riffles, I saw them as part of an elegant rush and flow unique to the ocean experience.

41" x 29" - Watercolor on Paper

Conus Marmoreus

I once again rendered marble cones in “Sailor’s Delight”, but this time against the soft reflective background of a sunset which appears to be “melting” onto the surface of the dark water. The scene brought to mind the old nautical adage; “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight...” The repetitive dark and light patterns on the tumbling shells made a striking contrast to that confetti like end-of-day heavenly celebration!

41" x 29" - Watercolor on Paper

Conus Marmoreus

The Marble Cones in “Night Divers” are one of the most amazing and intriguing shells in the cone family! Costumed like a harlequin, they present a naturally formal sophistication. These wonderful shells hail from the Philippine Islands and other Asian locals thereabout. The Philippines are home to many varieties of wonderful members of the Conidae family that I hope to explore in future work. I positioned these checkered beauties against an intriguingly dark but glowing backdrop of bioluminescence that is sometimes seen on the ocean’s surface at night. This was my first foray into such dark background effects rarely employed in traditional watercolor.

60" x 40" - Watercolor on Paper

Atlantic Cockles

Common cockles are center stage in “Low Tide Castaways”. These shells are a common find in South Florida, and are sown as deep halves or broken shards along tidal lines of any local beach. Seen in the long rays of a late afternoon sun, their beautiful interiors catch the remaining daylight and radiate an orange-red to purple hue. I’ve collected many locally, and though they lack the ”glamour” associated with more intricate and famous species, I’m repeatedly  drawn to them as subject matter – especially  when I can showcased their lovey interiors against a backdrop of equally beautiful color!

60" x 40" - Watercolor on Paper

Atlantic Cockles

In “Unsung Beauties”, common cockles are displayed against deep cobalt blue and rich amethyst purple creating a real life dimensionality on the paper’s surface. I couldn’t decide between creating a hard mineral-like backdrop or a fluid watery surface to show off these specimens. The result actually ended up as a little of both! I enjoyed working the vast areas of dark mottling as I allowed the medium to direct me. The background became a rich compliment to the exterior shadows and interior glow of these wonderful half shells – common yet rich in their own simple beauty!

60" x 40" - Watercolor on Paper

Pecten Nobilis

This colorful arrangement of Pecten scallops dancing their way across a shallow puddle at low tide is aptly titled “Pecten Spray”. Such an amazing variety of colors and patterns present themselves in this one species. I’m also partial to the shape which is probably considered most representative when one brings the word “seashell” to mind. Though small by comparison and with none of the interesting spirals or frills of more complex specimens, pectens remain a universal favorite and one I dearly enjoy painting.

30" x 22" - Watercolor on Paper

Stellaria Solaris

“Sunset Sailors”, originally painted as a study, was my first use of this Sun Shell hailing from Vietnam. I’d just returned from a late day walk enjoying the effects of a beautiful sunset on the foliage and surrounding architecture. Having neglected to bring my camera along, I immediately returned to my studio and employing this unique shell as my subject, quickly painted in as much of the melting sky as I could remember. I liked the result so much that I promised myself I would do a larger scale painting featuring these interesting and exotic specimens.

30" x 22" - Watercolor on Paper

Cyrtopleura Costata

One marvels at finding these specimens awash on the white sands of Florida’s Gulf Coast. It’s rare to find both halves together, but on occasion a lucky beachcomber will be blessed with such good fortune. These shells begged to be rendered in multiple studies. I wanted to capture the crisp alabaster perfection against the brilliant blues and purples of a brooding sky-type background. So three-dimensional you can almost lift them off the painting, each delicate half shell is a near symmetrical reflection of the other. So aptly named, and so Divine! I hope you enjoy one of my favorite shells in this painting “Angel Wings #1”.

30" x 22" - Watercolor on Paper

Cyrtopleura Costata

Though I completed a series of paintings using these marvelous Angel Wings as my subject, I felt the first and this last painting, “Angel Wings #4” were really the best in the series. In this piece I chose to employ a vertical format rather than horizontal as in the other renditions. Rather than creating the impression of a stormy sky this time, my background was more a mineral-like abstraction employing similar hues of blue. I wanted to showcase the beauty of these near perfect specimens against as simple and noncompeting a background as possible, making them the “star of the show”. Here again, as you view the shell renderings, I believe you’ll feel you could lift a three-dimensional object off the two dimensional paper.

60" x 40" - Watercolor on Paper

Junonia, Mitra Mitra

“Traveling Companions” combining specimens of Junonia and  Mitra Mitra is my personal favorite in this series. Though these shells hail from different parts of the globe, they struck me as related in their beautiful patterning. Arranged side by side, the spotting and elongated shapes evoked a feeling of nautical companions welling up from the depths to embark on an adventurous journey. I really loved painting these shells with their crisp sienna and umber toned spots, positioning them against the dark grayed-blue backdrop of deep water and clearer blue-green fringe of the ocean’s surface.

60" x 40" - Watercolor on Paper

Marlinspike, Mitra Mitra Junonia

What a great combination! I adored the naturally occurring spots and calligraphic markings of these beautiful shells. As I painted “Flying High” I imagined these spotted beauties – Marlinspike, Junonia and Mitra Mitra lifting off over a softly muted and distant tidal shoreline. Floating above it all – unencumbered by the problems and cares that keep us earthbound. These adventurous companions appear all set to engage in new and exciting experiences as they are poised to soar higher.

60" x 40" - Watercolor on Paper

Spondylus Regius,        Spondylus Imperialis

In “Drama Queens” I combined two shells belonging to the Spiny Oyster family and native to the Philippines. The beautifully intense reddish-orange Regius is an exceptional varietal example. I acquired the smaller Imperialis from a Filipino auction entitled “Dream Shell”. Its pink striations and rosy brown symmetrical spines truly made it that. Positioning the darker Regius against a lighter ground on the left, created an interesting contrast to the more delicate Imperialis floating against a deep midnight blue on the right. Though I called this piece “Drama Queens", in reality these spiny oysters don’t need to do much to draw attention. Each is breathtakingly lovely in its own right!