Oyster Catcher, Oyster Can, Oyster Books

I’ve had this old Oyster Catcher decoy in my studio window for probably 20 years, knowing I would use it in a painting sometime, and I finally got around to it. I set it up on the shelf one night and shined a spotlight on it. The resultant shadow made the bird really stand out, so I added one of my late wife, Sam’s favorite cans “Neubert’s Mermaid Oysters.” She loved mermaids, so this painting is a little bit of a tribute to her. I’m always trying to get a lot of color into my paintings, so the orange shade on the can was a good addition.

Three of the books in the painting are real; if you want to know about oysters, you need to read these three. The fourth book, “The Oyster Factor,” is, of course, a made-up title, , and based on an early novel by Maryland native son and one of my favorite authors, John Barth. The actual Barth novel is called “The Sot-Weed Factor.” At some point I will do a tribute painting to John, using most of his books, which are usually set on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Maybe next year!

Original painting: 22 x 35” $3,500.
SOLD

Giclee prints on canvas: Limited Edition of 100 S/N : $300