Today I finished this 10.5 x 14 inch watercolor of a seashell. I loved every step of this painting, which isn't always the case. Enlarging the shell allowed me to show off its' colors and textures.
I have a collection of seashells and I look forward to painting many more.
The wonderfully talented and passionate Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, decorated his house with, amongst other collections, seven hundred seashells. They could be found all over his home on the rocky shore southwest of Santiago. Shells were tucked into corners and embedded in floors. They lined bookshelves and tabletops. The poet believed that beloved objects preserve the spirit of their owner. It is said that the spirit that prevails at Neruda`s home, Isla Negra, is one of unabashed fun and unapologetic extravagance.