Imperial Volute

 Imperial Volute

Another of my shells which hails from the Philippines. It is one of my favorites in the collection of shells from the time we were in the country. Again, the points are wonderfully preserved, and the color is fantastic. These shells are part of the Mollusk family, and its scientific name is Cymbiola Imperialis. To me, it's just a beautiful work of art. As you can see from the top of the shell, it is a lovely example of the Golden spiral.

These shells are native to the waters in between Malaysia and the Philippines in the Sulu Sea. They can be found in shallow waters just below the low tide zone all the way down to 80 meters. They prefer a sandy bottom. They feed on other Mollusks and invertebrate animals. They can grow large, all the way up to 9 inches. The one I have is 6 inches. In the wild they are covered by a thin layer of brownish periostracum. So, if you don't know what you are looking for, you may not see it!

This painting was fun to paint and a lot easier than I thought it would be! I was thinking I might have to do another piece instead of this one because of the degree of difficulty. 

I also painted white all the canvas Chris stretched yesterday this morning. We then went to lunch and bought lumber for a project Chris is working on to take to India. Christina keeps asking for various things to be brought to her because she misses home and wants items made by her parents. I get it, but it may mean another piece of luggage!

I also managed to alter the Octopus pants I bought at Goodwill. They were originally like sweatpants, but I opened up the legs and inserted a large black triangle flare on both sides of the leg. There are really cool looking now, albeit a little short. I may add a black band at the bottom to complete the look. I also found a terrific top to go with them, so my first outfit for the National Shrimp Festival is complete.

I've also got a couple of other projects at my sewing machine that must get done soon. Velcro added to the bottom of the new black curtains that cover my poles and weights. It keeps the curtains from flapping in the breeze, makes a clean line, and adds to the professional look of the booth. My goal is even more of a gallery look with the new black walls and white background artworks. The new octopus pants outfit will match the booth for sure! I've also got two pair of pants Chris wants made into shorts. He's lost weight and is having to use some of the pants that have been stored for a while. So, the new lifestyle is working but he cheats a lot!

Imperial Volute, Acrylic on canvas, 6 x 24 inches                                                                                         Day 87 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2025