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Just for fun, I thought I’d share a few pictures of my latest commissioned piece in different stages.  I painted this per request from a childhood friend that I’ve known since third grade.  She wanted a female blue crab painting that was similar to my male blue crab painting.  To distinguish between the genders from a top view would be quite simple; the females have orange tips on their claws and the males do not.  She also asked that I use acrylic paint like I used for the male crab painting.  I typically paint with watercolors and hadn’t cracked open my acrylics in about two years!  Lastly, she wanted the crab either on a boardwalk or on sand surrounded by shells.  Beyond this, I could be creative and do my thing.  Here’s what I came up with…

(Click on images for full-sized view)

In this first image, I had painted only the crab.  To the left are photos I used to help me capture a more realistic portrayal of the crab, which was another request from my friend.  In the upper left corner of the image is a print of my male blue crab painting, to which I also referred.

 

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Here’s a closer view of the crab before I added the background and shadows.  Look carefully and you’ll see that I had already sketched in some shells, sea glass, shadows, and the water’s edge.

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Here’s how it looked once I added the background and shadows.  I chose to place the crab on sand near the water, portraying her in a natural environment, unlike the food catch portrayed in my male crab painting.  As my friend wanted, I included shells, and threw in some sea glass too!

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“Female Blue Crab” Acrylic Original SOLD/Commissioned

Finally, after discussing matting and framing options with my friend, she decided on a blue inner mat surrounded by white, then framed in green to accentuate the green in the crab.

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I love the final result, and so does my friend!  What do YOU think???

If you’re interested in talking with me about purchasing an original painting that you see on my gallery page or want more information on purchasing prints, note cards, or silk scarves, call 301-518-5954 or email Kim@bluewavecottage.com and I’ll be happy to assist you with pricing and any other inquiries you may have.  You can also contact me to learn more about Reiki and to schedule a Reiki appointment. Thank you!