6 of 30 Comb Bittersweet Clam

You Can't Change Your Stripes (Comb Bittersweet Clam)

4" X 6"

Watercolor

$75

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This is the first bivalve that I've painted in the challenge. Gastropods seem to steal my attention, but the stripes on this shell won my favor. It is the size of a quarter with lovely color, not at all faded by the sun.

This painting would be a perfect accompaniment to yesterday's painting. I think they would look very nice hanging together. In fact, I'll offer them as a pair at a reduced price; click here.

5 of 30 Mudsnail Maybe?

Everyone Loves a Mystery (Mudsnail family?)

4" X 6"

Watercolor

$75

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I picked this shell to paint because It is so different than most of the shells in my collection. It isn't quite translucent, but it is thin. I thought it was unusual that half was white (with a few markings) and the other half an orangish-brown. I think I found this shell here in Florida since our move in August, but it is possible I had it before that. It is not readily identifiable as any shell in my new Florida Seashell book or with any image search could concoct for Google. It bears closest resemblance to the mudsnails, but it is too big and I think the aperture is too prominent. (Guesses or a knowledgeable answer in comments are welcome!)

When I started painting, I wanted to "lose" the dark edge into the painting's background. Instead of painting the background the same color as the dark in the shell to make the task simple, I chose to make it the complete opposite color on the color wheel and stir up some drama. Orange and blue are opposites. They are also the colors of my favorite college team.

Because I blended contrasting colors from the shell and background, the style of this painting is more contemporary. I really intended to do my shell series in a more simple way than I have so far. At one point, I contemplated only allowing myself a limited number of strokes per painting. (I was thinking 25.) After working on the painting to be posted Day 7 today, that seems like a joke that I should have taken more seriously. Maybe I'll try that in September.

4 of 30 Florida Fighting Conch

The Fight Left in Me, (Florida Fighting Conch)

12" X 15"

Watercolor

$270

Click here to purchase

This shell is not particularly pretty on the outside. It is pretty much just white with a brown flaky covering that could probably be removed with a wire brush. (see below). It's pretty large, so the conch living inside must have had a nice long life. However, what it lacks on the outside is made up for on the inside. The glow of the aperture (?) is just magnificent.

I almost did not paint this photo. I knew that the glow I was drawn to would not be easy to capture. There were few other features of the shell that were interesting enough to command attention from that angle. In the end, I decided to give it a shot. I added very light overlapping layers to give depth and interest. I think it turned out beautifully.

Sidenote:
When I went to get this shell to put in front of me while I painted, I noticed that the knobs of the shell do not protrude at equal distances. They closely resemble my knuckles these days, since I broke a bone in my hand in 2011.

Twinsies!

You may also notice that the size of this painting is larger than the last few days. Well, the shell I painted as a model is much larger. Although it doesn't bother me scale UP my tiny shells as on previous days, for some reason, it seems wrong to scale DOWN a larger one. The conch in my painting is roughly life size.