Oyster Parade

Oyster Parade watercolor 11x14” by Meera Rao 

I started this last November and finally got around to completing yesterday.  I used many photographs that I took of  oysters by the River bank and hours of observation to cobble together a composition. I decided to capture the oysters in the glowing early morning light.  Due to sundry reasons, the painting took me a while to complete but so far I am satisfied it.  

Meanwhile, I discovered some interesting things about Oysters: 

• Oysters have three-chambered hears that pump colorless blood throughout their bodies. They breathe with the gills, just like fish. Wild oysters can live 25 to 30 years but typically most dońt live past six years.  
• A healthy adult oyster an filter the amount of water it takes to fill a small bathtub every day.  oysters feed by pumping water through their gills and I. The process capture algae and other particles, sort of like a strainer. So by cleaning the water, oysters help maintain the balance of their ecosystems. 
• Oysters change gender. Most start out as males, but some change to female after they spawn once or twice ! 

“So have heard about the oyster who went to disco and pulled a mussel”  ~ Billy Connolly  :)