Still Life Class

Sea Shells by Richard De Wolfe 9X12 acrylic on canvas panel

I decided to try painting sea shells for our first still life class.  The first grouping that I made was more complex, with a little wooden 'treasure chest' spilling strings of pearls and other jewellery onto the table along with all the shells.  When I painted it, I realized it was too much for beginners to complete in just 2 hours, so I decided to simplify it using just the shells.  That worked much better and the students managed to do a great job recreating the scene for themselves.  For me, these small, quick studies are great exercises to loosen up and be a bit more spontaneous.   You can find many of my other works at www.rdewolfe.com.

My wife and I collected these shells (plus many more) along the shore at Atlantic Beach in North Carolina this spring.  I love the multitude of colours, shapes, textures and sizes that wash up on the beaches there!  Walking on the hard wet sand early in the morning is wonderful, especially early in the year before the heat of summer sets in.  Watching the surf roll in and the colours change across the sky makes a morning walk quite memorable.  I hope to go back again soon!