Artists Says Turtle Shell's Texture Inspired Her

Last week, Patch  by Theresa Bianco and asked readers what they thought of it in a series called First Impressions.

The following is what readers had to say:

said "SHHHH, sleeping turtle" and another commenter agreed.

The Artist's Turn

Theresa Bianco, said she painted the piece because her daughter loves animals.

She said, "My daughter loves animals, we have been to many zoos, when we took a trip to San Diego, I fell in love with this large sea turtle. He looked so peaceful and the textures and patterns on his shell inspired me to want to paint him. I took several photos but liked this composition the best because you do have to look a few times to maybe realize what the painting is of. Once I finished the painting I melted wax on his shell and neck, to create 'actual' texture on him. I've done several other animals this way and often landscapes as well. I now notice these textures more and more when I look at animals and want people to appreciate them the same way."

Editor's Note: If you would like to be a part of this series, e-mail lon.cohen@patch.com.