Tidal Harvest
Watercolor on paper, on aluminum panel
16 x 20 in.
$2,900, framed
Available through the artist
The oyster is not pretty. It is a rock from the sea. If a child is collecting sea shells, the oyster is not prized, it is discarded because it is not symmetrical, colorful or shapely.
But the oyster is delicious. And as Jonathan Swift put it, “He was a bold man that first ate an oyster.”
Tidal Harvest was born of a love for the sea and her delights, specifically the humble oyster, which is unattractive, yet prized. This bountiful collection of oysters is rendered with a precision and clarity that shows the inherent beauty in the ordinary. Even as they age, and barnacles grow, what is inside the shell is what is savored and appreciated, born out over time.
Perhaps barnacles grew on artist Matthew Bird, as he painstakingly developed the realism and nuance in this painting! Every detail was carefully studied and recorded with paint.
This “harvest” is rich with visual delights: frothy bubbles in a smooth glass, slick marble, and craggy, barnacled shells that hide the briny oyster. It whets the appetite!
Matthew Bird maintains a studio outside Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife and children, where he paints with a deep love and respect for nature and life, enjoying both portrait and still life work.
Bird is a Signature Member of numerous organizations, including the National Watercolor Society where he serves as vice president, and his award-winning watercolor paintings have been exhibited in juried shows across the United States, as well as in Canada, China, England, Greece, Hong Kong, and Italy. His work is in permanent museum collections as well as numerous private collections.
Visit matthewbird.com for more work by Matthew Bird, or to sign up for his e-newsletter.
And go behind the scenes via:
Facebook: Matthew Bird Studio
Instagram: @_matthewbird_
