ACEO Sea Turtles and Coral Reef

"Spirit of Travel"

What a wild week!  Two power outages, living out in the forest on a bay at sea level becomes 'wild' when it snows and the winds pick up.  Two 80+ foot Douglas fir trees came crashing down last night in the forest near our house.  It was exciting.  Power was out but my family was watching Happy Feet on my daughter's laptop by the roaring wood stove and candle light.  Today the power was restored, so I'm working away to list a few items in our gallery. 

My love of turtles has been with me since childhood.  I grew up in west Texas and after a spring rain - box turtles could be found walking out on the roads.  My siblings and I rescued numerous turtles and we kept a few in our yard where they fed on cicadas, June bugs and prickly pear fruit.  I worked with Kemp's Ridley sea turtles in Dallas during the mid 80's. 

Here is my newest painting celebrating 'sharing and traveling'.  Sea turtles travel the world's oceans and the females return to the beach where they were born to lay their eggs.  This ACEO has some silver and blue sparkling ink added (a touch of magic).

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ACEO Moon Sea Turtle and Shark Paintings

Moonlight ACEO's


This week I am working on 'marine moonlight miniatures' - how's that for an alliteration!

Here is a blacktip reef shark gliding in the moonlight. The distinctive markings on this species make it a wonderfully artistic subject.

Blacktip Reef Shark "Moonlight Glide"

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Here is an ACEO of a sea turtle swimming in the magic of the moonlight. This was a fun miniature to paint and I enjoyed creating the effect of the moonlight through the water.

Sea Turtle "Moonlight Magic"

ACEO Sea Turtle and Tangs

"Cleaning Time"

Here is an ACEO of a sea turtle and yellow tangs. I love these wonderful marine reptiles and enjoyed working with Kemp's Ridley sea turtles in the mid 1980's. The yellow tangs are cleaning the turtle of algae growth that accumulates because of the slow movements of the turtle. The color of the tangs contrasts nicely with the deeper violets that I used to under paint the darker areas of the turtle. I also enjoyed painting the eyes of all the creatures - it really brings the focus to the eye of the turtle which holds much wisdom. In this time of 'cleaning up the BP oil spill', turtles are a focus for many biologists and volunteers. This painting is dedicated to the continuing efforts of those helping the turtles, other wildlife and the environment.

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Cleaning Time (2.5" x 3.5") by Colleen K Carrigan (c) 2010

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Sea Turtle and Tropical Fish

Sea Turtle "Entering Cleaning Station"

This week I have had a lot of fun researching sea turtles (one of my favorite marine creatures) and viewing numerous images of tropical fish to create a miniature painting. A little larger than my ACEO's - this painting is a 5.0" x 7.0". What a joy it was to design and paint. Sea turtles will seek out reefs where they enjoy a thorough 'cleaning' by the locals. The tropical fish and sometimes shrimp and crabs will consume the algae that grows on the turtles. Cleaning stations are a wonderful example of a symbiotic relationship where all the creatures benefit. The tropicals in this painting include: yellow tangs, a blue tang and raccoon butterfly fish.

Sea Turtle "Entering Cleaning Station" 5.0 inches x 7.0 inches

by Colleen K Carrigan (c) 2010

Baby Sea Turtle "Into the Sea"

"Into the Sea"







Finally, the baby sea turtle has made it past the the sand and entered it's new world! This journey has taken over a year in watercolor, but I have enjoyed each new painting beginning from a hatching to now - swimming near the shore. I wonder what adventures await our little friend in the months to come...



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Visit previous Post "Seaward Bound"

Sea Turtle Hatchling "Seaward Bound"

2010!

"Sand Flying" SOLD

Sea turtle hatchling previous post

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

It's wonderful celebrating the beginning of 2010 with a baby sea turtle painting. I love painting these 'tiny wonders'. In this painting, the little one is heading seaward. Many moons ago, I had the pleasure of working with one of the most endangered of these beautiful creatures - Kemp's Ridley sea turtle from the Gulf of Mexico. What an experience it was to care for several very healthy active individuals. They grew so quickly and thoroughly enjoyed their meals of fish, squid and scallops. At feeding time - it was literally a splashing fest! The care taker was always soaked - I gave up on the apron idea very early on as it did not do much to keep my face, neck and shoes dry anyway.

Enjoy the journey and have a wonderful 2010!

"Seaward Bound" SOLD

Visit Coral2Cove Gallery

Sea Turtle Hatchling ACEO

"Sand Flying"



This week - the joy of painting my very first sea turtle hatchling. I begin with a sketch:

Then I use pre-cut watercolor paper that I attach drafting tape to (rolled up on the center of the back of my art card). The miniature sized 'canvas' is adhered to a piece of recycled copy paper. I use this as my test palette while I progress through the painting. Generally, I only need a one half sheet size for testing my colors. This allows me to use one piece of copy paper for up to four art cards - refolding it to find a clean surface as needed.

The finished painting: a newly hatched sea turtle beginning the precarious journey from sand to sea. I had the pleasure of working with one of the most endangered of these beautiful creatures - Kemp's Ridley sea turtle from the Gulf of Mexico - many moons ago. What a wonderful experience it was to care for several very healthy active individuals. They grew so quickly and thoroughly enjoyed their meals of fish, squid and scallops. At feeding time - it was literally a splashing fest! The care taker was always soaked - I gave up on the apron idea very early on as it did not do much to keep my face, neck and shoes dry anyway.

Sea Turtle Hatchling "Sand Flying" 2.5" x 3.5" watercolor and ink by Colleen K Carrigan SOLD


Visit Coral2Cove Gallery to view this art card.

Sand Flying

Website: Coral2Cove

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