Man O' War, 5x7 Oil on Canvas, Beach Series

Sold

This is a Portuguese Man O' War, and it is quite beautiful in a weird way. It has tentacles with a painful sting, and even when it's lying on the beach those tentacles need to be avoided. Now here's the weird part: this is actually four organisms living in cooperation (wish Congress could do that). The sail is a gas-filled bladder (now that sounds like Congress); the tentacles are the killers that deliver prey; then there are two other organisms that do digestion and reproduction. I feel that such a remarkable example of God's handiwork deserves to be painted on gold. I wish you could see the metallic gold background on the computer monitor.

Carmen

Jellyfish, Original Oil Painting Marine Life 5x7 Daily Painting

Buy on Etsy

Jellyfish are so weird. The bell height and diameter can range from one millimeter to nearly two meters, depending upon the type of jellyfish. The tiny little box jellyfish is one of the most deadly, and practically invisible in the water. The lion's mane jellyfish has tentacles that can extend 36 meters! Surprisingly, the cosmopolitan hydrozoan jellyfish lives in fresh water. It is less than an inch in diameter, colorless, and doesn't sting. 

The jellyfish depicted above is the Pacific sea nettle.

Carmen