MY PAINTINGS OF MARINE CREATURES
Chirasri Jayaweera Bandara
1. Phylum
Cnidaria All Cnidaria are
aquatic, mostly marine organisms.
1.
a) Corals b) Sea Pen
(Both Class Anthozoa)
2.
Sea Anemone (Class Anthozoa)
3. Jelly Fish (Sub Phylum Medusozoa)
Corals
and Sea Anemone are Polypoids
Polypoids have tentacles and mouth that face up. These are attached to a substrate or colony of other animals.
Jelly fish is a Medusoid with bell on top and tentacles and mouth down.
11. Phylum Echinodermata Invertebrate marine animals. Characterised by a hard, spiny covering or skin.
1. Sea
star or Star fish (Class Asteroidea)
2. Sea
urchin (Class Echinoidea)
3. Sea
slug or Sea cucumber (Class Holothuroidea)
4. Crinoids
1) Sea feather star (Class Crinoidea)
2) Sea lily (Class Crinoidea)
11I. Phylum Annelida Class Polychaeta
Christmas tree worm. Scientific name Spirobranchus giganteus
1V. Phylum Mollusca Class Cephalopoda Octopus.
PAINTING 1
This shows collections of Corals, Sea
feather stars, Sea urchins, Star fish etc.
Note the four colourful corals at the bottom.
1 CNIDARIA
(1) (a ) CORALS
Corals are alive. A coral is actually made up of compact colonies of tiny identical animals called polyps, secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.
One species of Zoannthid coral can contain
a highly toxic, naturally occurring and potentially lethal substance known as
Palytoxin. 1 gm of Palitoxin can kill 60
people.
Size:
Each Polyp varies from millimetres to centimetres in diameter.
Life span: Corals are among the most long-lived species on the planet. Some species can live up to 4000 years.
PAINTING 2 Mushroom Coral
Coral having a flexible skeleton the shape of a feather. They are grouped with Octocorals ( soft coral )
They are named after their feather-like
appearance reminiscent of antique quill pens.
They have a big flat head of polyps, at its
end the tentacles picking food out of the water as the head is pushed along the
current.
They are coloured dark orange, yellow and
white.
Size: 5
centimetres to 2 meters in height.
Lifespan:
May live up to 100 years.
PAINTING 3 SEA PEN
(2)
SEA ANEMONE
They are named after the Anemone a terrestrial flowering plant.
Venom from Sea Anemone can produce a
burning sensation, it can be painful like a Jelly fish sting but not enough to
kill people.
Size: 1.5
cm in diameter and 1.5 cm to 10 cm in
length but they are inflatable.
Life
span: may live for decades.
PAINTING 4 Pink Sea anemone
PAINTING 5 Green Sea anemone
Free swimming Coelenterate with a
gelatinous bell or saucer-shaped body that is typically transparent has
stinging tentacles around the edge. Stings of some can be fatal to humans and
may have permanent scars on any victim lucky enough to survive.
Size: 3mm
to 3 meters in diameter. One species in
the cold Arctic sea is huge its body can be more than 7 feet in diameter and
tentacles can be up to 120 feet long.
Lifespan: Few hours to 1 ½ years. One species is capable of living forever.
PAINTING 6
Purple Jelly fish
PAINTING 7 Spanish Dancer Jelly fish
(1) SEA
STAR or STAR FISH (not a fish)
They have a skeleton beneath their skin.
The endoskeleton is made up of a complex network of hard bony plates made of
Calcium Carbonate and held together by hard flexible tissues.
About the time the eggs are released by the
female Star fish the male release their sperms. The eggs are fertilized and
begin to divide.
They cannot kill you but inflict painful
stings with the release of venom when they are accidentally stepped upon or
handled.
Size:
Inch to 3 feet Weigh up to 5 kg.
Lifespan:
Most 5 to 10 years up to 35 years.
(2) SEA URCHIN
Spiny globular animals. Few have venomous spines. They can trigger allergic reactions
Size: 3.5 inches to 7 inches
Lifespan: 4
to 30 years. The red spiny sea urchin is among the longest-living animal on
earth. 100 to 200 years.
PAINTING 9 SEA URCHIN
(3) SEA SLUG
or SEA CUCUMBER
They are marine gastropod mollusks. They are edible.
Size: An
eighth of an inch to 12 inches
Lifespan: 1 to 6 years.
PAINTING 10 SEA SLUG
(4) CRINOIDS
(1) SEA FEATHER STAR
They have a cluster of tentacles below the
crown and look like ferns.
Sea feather stars are not
poisonous.
Size:
They can grow up to 20 centimetres
Lifespan: Sea feather stars are thought as living fossils.
PAINTING 11 SEA FEATHER STAR
(2) SEA LILY
They have a stalk below the crown and look
like flowers.
Size:
24 inches
Lifespan: They have been around for at least 480 million years
PAINTING 12 SEA LILY
111. CHRISTMAS TREE WORM.
(phylum Annelida)
Marine worm that live on tropical coral reefs around the world
They are of colours of yellow, blue, orange and brown.
Male and female
Christmas tree worms casting their sperms and eggs into water in synchrony.
Fertilised eggs develop into larvae that find a Coral to make a home.
Size: 1 to 5 inches
Lifespan: 10 to 20 years up to 30 years.
PAINTING
13 CHRISTMAS TREE WORM
They are
considered the most intelligent of all invertebrates.
All Octopuses have venom but few are fatally
dangerous.
Natural colour is light brown/beige. They have red, yellow, black or brown pigment and they can change colour depending on the Surroundings.
The Greater blue-ringed Octopus of the world
is a venomous animal.
This Octopus can kill an adult human in
minutes by causing respiratory arrest.
Size:
They can grow up to 4.3 feet in
length and weigh up to 22 Pounds.
Lifespan: 6 months up to 5 years.
PAINTING 14 OCTOPUS
Chira, these paintings are amazing! The detail and the colour selection and the delicate touches display a person with patience, imagination and skill. Thanks also for the very helpful annotations on marine creatures.
ReplyDeleteMahendra
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for taking a lot of trouble to publish my paintings. I appreciate very much.
I must admit that I did not imagine and paint them but got photos from the Internet and Pinterest, looked at them and painted them.
When I was painting them I just wondered what their sizes were and I was interested to know their lifespan. Hence I went through the Internet and specifically looked for them for my interest.
I looked for the classification too.
So I thought the annotations will be helpful to know about these creatures in order to appreciate the paintings. Chira
COMMENT FROM PRAM
ReplyDeleteMy dear Chira
What a wonderful collection of paintings with such attention to detail. You are absolutely amazing. Not only is the art work beautiful you gave me a lesson in Zoology!! I had no idea about these creatures. The descriptions taught me a lot.
Keep up the good work. Please continue to paint. We are so blessed to have you in our lives
Much love and blessings
Pram
Pram
DeleteThank you very much for your lovely comment which I appreciate very much. I am glad you enjoyed it and learnt about these Sea creatures.
Not only I enjoyed painting them but also was curious to know about them and I too learnt about them. It was a lovely excercise. Chira
Chira you must enjoy the meditative balm of painting to produce such a wonderful collection. Very soon you will have enough for a public exhibition of your own work.
ReplyDeleteIt is so easy to lose track of time while on the job painting. Just the hobby for a sedentary existence in one’s own home in a lockdown. No matter if they were drawn from photographs it is so difficult to capture its beauty and magic on canvas.
You are indeed a fine artist to have captured the grace and the elegance of the sea creatures and the corals so beautifully. I like the use of the taxonomy and the descriptions to identify the subjects. This makes it less taxing to remember!! I must congratulate you on the selection of the background colours for the drawings. This indeed helps to focus on the main subjects so splendidly. Your choice of the colours is perfect. In the Spanish Dancer and the Sea Feather Star you have placed the dots and the lines so delicately and with such precision and patience, perhaps a tribute to your training in eye surgery. In the body of the octopus you have seized the undulations capturing it in exquisite 3D. I love the selection of the colour gradients of each of the sea creatures making them look so real and alive. In fact, they could easily be mistaken for photographs. Well done for this masterclass in painting of sea life.
Having seen many of these lovely creatures at the Great Barrier Reef and around Sri Lanka in the luxury of a boat with a glass bottom It would be such a tragedy to lose these gems of the ocean due to human negligence and global warming.
Nihal
DeleteThank you very much for your wonderful comment. I appreciate very much.
As I mentioned earlier I am only a novice at painting without any training at all. Though I have done more than 75 paintings by looking at photos on the laptop, I cannot dream of havng an exhibition as I must admit that I haven't reached that high standard. I started painting only acouple of years ago.I use only water colours and Acrylic paints and I paint on Kent paper.
At my age I am happy to paint in this manner.If was younger I may have gone on to oil paints and canvas.
I am painting for my pleasure. Chira
Thank you for showcasing this fascinating undersea life Chira. Most of us land creatures are unaware of this beautiful world. I wish I learnt the art of diving to enjoy the amazing life under the sea. Maybe in my next birth!
ReplyDeleteOnce again you have excelled with your artistic skills. I appreciate the zoological information which made it more interesting. Looking forward to many more beautiful paintings.
Manel
Manel
DeleteThank you very much for appreciating my paintings and the Zoological information. I value it very much.
Nihal had said that he had seen these lovely creatures going in a glass bottom boat.I too have gone in a glass bottom boat in Hikkaduwa to see the Coral reefs.
Manel how about going in a Glass bottom boat to see the underwater environment?
Batch mates how about giving your experiences in observing the underwater environment?
I am sure it will be good for us to know more about this beautiful underwater world. Chira
Chira, yet another example of your delicate hands!
ReplyDeleteSanath
DeleteThank you very much for your comment. Chira
Chira, these paintings are exquisite and show how skillful you are with the paint brush, as well as the scalpel. I enjoyed your zoological notes too. When we were very young we would travel to Hiikkaduwa to visit my cousins, and wade into the lagoon with snorkels. We would dunk our heads in the water and enjoy the beautiful world of the coral reef. No diving equipment was needed! I don’t believe those coral reefs are as resplendent now.
ReplyDeleteChira, regrettably I have not gone in the glass bottom boat at Hikkaduwa. I am hopeless in water can just about keep my head above doing a few strokes. Srianee I failed at snorkling too! Although I spent a good part of my childhood at Trincomalee residing in a beach front house in Dyke street it is sad that I never overcame the fear of the sea.
DeleteManel
DeletePluck up your courage and go in a glass bottom boat and view the beauty of the under water sea world ! It will be breathtaking experience. Chira
I was afraid that I would lose my comment and didn’t make it too long. I’ve always loved scientific illustrations and drawings of plants and small living things, I own a couple of books of such illustrations. Your paintings are just as good as the ones in my books! The main thing is that you are enjoying the creative process. Have you tried using colored pencils? Some can be blended with a wet paint brush, using water.
ReplyDeleteSrianee
DeleteThank you very much for your two comments appreciating my work. I value it very much.
No Srianee I haven't tried coloured pencils. Chira
COMMENT FROM MANIL KATUGAMPOLA
ReplyDeleteChira , Thank you for this visual feast . they look so real. You have surpassed yourself . Educating us too. I once read a podcast of a teenager in Madagascar ,who started a coral conservation project there , He then succeeded in making it world wide , Now I understand what pushed him . the corals are so beautiful. Chira you really are great. Manil katugampola Nee Hettiaratchi’.
Manil
DeleteThank you very much for your comment appreciating my work. I value it very much. Of course I enjoyed doing it. I get so much satisfaction when I find others appreciating my work. Chira
My aunt, Thatha's sister, lived close to the beach in Hikkaduwa and we wouyld visit them (and other relatives) about once a month. It was a long drive and we started at 5.00 am and stopped for hoppers on the way. We dutifully sang most of the way. After arrival and hugs and kisses from Nanda, we looked forward to the "sea bath". On many occasions, we would go the magnificent coral reef in a glass bottomed boat and be in total awe at the sight of this glorious, breath taking underworld we feasted on. After hours on the beach, trek home and have a well bath before eating Nanda's fish dominated lunch "like no other"!
ReplyDeleteMahendra
ReplyDeleteGlad to know you too have experienced the breathtaking sea world going in a glass bottom boat. It is best on a very bright sunny day to get the best visual outcome. It is out of this world isn't it Mahendra ?
l have heard of the lovely Great Barrier Reef in Australia which is a great tourist attraction. Our batch mates in Australia might be able to enlighten us on this. How about Kumar? Chira
Mahen, your day trips to Hikkaduwa sound very similar to the ones we experienced as kids, probably in the mid 1950s. Interestingly, it was also our Nanda and her family that we visited! She was married to a lawyer who had a practice in Galle. There were six ‘Hikkaduwa cousins’ and five of us! Sometimes other cousins from Colombo joined us. You can just imagine the fun and frolic that erupted. The visit to the Hikkaduwa Lagoon was a highlight of the day. Our parents, aunts and uncles were so patient with us.
ReplyDeleteI think we all fell asleep on the return journey!
Same time period too Srianee What we hated were the bucket toilets. They were air-conditioned though, as the sea breeze caressed our bums as we squatted for as short a time as possible! I think we too periodically dropped off to sleep on the way back..
DeleteMahen, your description of the ‘air-conditioned’ bucket latrines reminded me of an incident which occurred at the end of one of our April holidays in Bandarawela. The house that my parents rented for our holiday along with other relatives was a comfortable one. But, since there were so many of us there, some of us (mostly the kids) were assigned to using an outhouse with a pit latrine! The nearby country folk allowed their cattle to roam around the neighborhood grazing in other people’s properties . There were no fences and no one minded. The day we were getting ready to leave one of us kids went out early morning and found that the cadjan walls of the outhouse were missing. One of the roaming cows had knocked it down!
DeleteSuch interesting times! Just think what our children have missed!
(Chira, apologies for going completely off topic!)
Forget about the the bygones and look forward to to the future.
DeleteChira's paintings remind us of the glorious colours in the underworld. But this is an illusion. Colour is not an intrinsic property of objects. Colour is what how we perceive certain wave lengths of light. The colour we see just depends on the wave length of light reflected by the object. The actual sensation of colour experienced by each of us is different. My red may not be the same red that you see but whatever it is is unique and consistent to me and you. In other words, we are recognising the same experience as "red". I wonder how other animals "see" colours and the ultimate evolutionary purpose of colour?
ReplyDeleteHere is another starnge fact about how we see and hear. If we have a colour and mix it with a different colourm we get a comopletely new colour. Examole, mix blue with yellow and we get green. On the other hand, if we play the keys C and D at the same time, we get a harmoniuus sound within which we can still recognise the two individual notes.
The World around us is interpreted by our senses to "make sense". What Reality really is, is a fascinating subject to discuss. Buddhism delves deeply into this.
Mahendra
DeleteSince you spoke about glorious colours I thought of mentioning about colour vision.
There are two kinds of photoreceptors in the retina that are designed to absorb light. The rods are highly sensitive and allow you to see in a dark room. The human eye has 18 times rods than cones. Cones give us fine detail and colour.
Colour blindness is caused by deficiencies in the cone receptors. Colour blindness may be inherited and there is no treatment. Red green blindness may be detected with the Ishihara's colour test.
Before taking up employment the candidates are requested to get a medical eye test and the colour test is included. Those who fail the colour test are not employed by certain sectors. For example railway department does not take in colour blind people.
In my practice I have found a fair number failing the Ishihara's Colour test. Chira
Mahendra
DeleteYou were wondering how animals see colours. I might be able to enlighten you to a certain extent.
Cats and Dogs have two kinds of cones which are sensitive to blue and green light. Cats and Dogs have a high density of rods. They can see normally with little as 15% of light that humans need.
Animals with best vision
* Human - Best mammel vision
* Owls - Best night vision
* Sharks- Best underwater vision
* Chameleons- Broadest field of vision
* Butterflies- Best Colour vision
* Mantis and Shrimps-Most complex vision
* Eagles - Best eyes in Animal Kingdom
Chira
What about the 🐘 the jumbo with tiny eyes?
ReplyDeleteSumathi. I found this on searching the Web. Not directly related to your question but interesting.
DeleteElephant eyes are about 3.8 cm (1.5 in.) in diameter and their vision is moderate. Elephants traverse forests, savannas, and grasslands, primarily orienting with the trunk, as opposed to sight. Ex: There have been documented occurrences of elephant herds being led by a blind member. The complete lack of vision did not hinder the blind member’s ability to fulfill its leadership role.
Elephants have long eyelashes to help avert blowing sand, dirt, and debris from the eyes.
In addition to the upper and lower eyelids, elephants have a “third eyelid” which moves vertically across the eye. These eyelids function to protect the eye when feeding, bathing, and dusting (cooling down). Refer to behavior section.
Some elephants develop a white ring that encircles the iris as they mature. This ring is similar to an age-ring that may develop in humans (as they age) called arcus lipoides, and does not affect vision.
The eyes of an elephant are located on the sides of the head and therefore provide better peripheral vision (angle of vision extending from the sides to the rear), rather than binocular vision (eyes located on the front of the face, in which fields of vision overlap, creating depth perception)
Thanks, Speedy you have dealt with the query on my behalf. I would have done it for the interest sake. We keep learning new things, every minute. Reading books keeps the break active and fight against impending dementia. I have learned so many new words that I have never heard of,in my schooling days.
DeleteChira, the info about animal sight was very interesting. The point I made about how we "see" is even more interesting when we add what animals see. It is also true that some animals can see beyond the human visual spectrum. What the "real" world that is out there will remain a mystery.
ReplyDeleteChira, I wonder whether you could say more about your technique. I know you look at an image from the Internet or maybe a photograph and draw om Kent paper. What size is the paper and do you do a rough outline with pencil before painting? What is your technique to keep the right proportions? Do you layer the paint when you use acrylics? A lot of questions I know but I am keen to know your actual technique and lastly, how many "sittings" for a painting and how long do you take to finish one? Thanks in advance
ReplyDeleteMahendra
ReplyDeleteI am surprised that you are asking me for my technique when you are a great artist doing portraits beautifully. I can never dream of doing portraits.
Anyway here it is :-
I get all the photos on to my Desk Top. The advantage is that I could magnify and see any thing, if something is not very clear.
The size on the Lap Top screen is 15 cms height And 10 to 15 cms breath.
I get the proportion by measuring with a transparent 6 inch ruler.I measure in cms and mm. I measure from the top edge, side edge and also lengh breath of the object. I also measure at different angles too to make sure I get the correct proportions.
I draw a pencil outline before I paint. I layer the paint both Water colours and Acrylic in order to highlight the depth and also dark areas.
I take a couple of days to do a painting but I have done in one day as well depending on the availabily of time.
I think I have answered all your questions.
These may be useful for some body who is thinking of starting to paint. I assure you that it is lovely hobby, it makes you relax enjoy the outcome once you have finished painting. If I can do without any training, anyone can do it. All the best! Chira
Chira, I am one who believes in improving my skills by learning from others. I am thankful to you for your tips.
ReplyDeleteMahendra
ReplyDeleteI happy if you were able to gather some tips from my techniques.
Chira
My dear Chira do excuse the tardiness of my comment ... Things were hectic in the home front with my daughter in law admitted to hospital with severe abdominal pain. I had to cope with looking after 4 grandkids ..no easy task at the best of times but when they were so upset about their mother, unable to eat or sleep properly, comforting and caring for them stretched me to the limit. I had absolutely no time to relax let alone visit the Blog.
ReplyDeleteTashiya is back home again thank God but having to take it easy . Now at last I can find a little time for myself .
You are truly amazing Chira. Your exquisite paintings with so much painstaking detail ate indeed a treat. You must be having oodles of patience as well as an artistic vision to produce such delicate paintings. Thank you for the lovely treat . Perhaps you should think of having an exhibition once this wretched pandemic is over.
Suri
DeleteThank you very much for your comment appreciating my work. I value it very much.
Glad to know that your daughter in law is ok.
Chira
COMMENT FROM DR PUVANACHANDRA AND WIFE SHANTI
ReplyDeleteRead the blog with great interest and pride as some one who can call myself your good friend, a colleague and great admirer of your achievements .I would like to send my reply to Mahendra for publication.Ranjit and Anjali can be proud of all your achievement and you can enjoy your retirements as someone who has achieved great professional heights and contributed so much to the speciality and the country .Well done Chira .
Puvana and Shanti
Puvana and Shanthi
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your lovely comment appreciating my work. Being an Ophthalmologist I value your comment with great appreciaton.
Mahendra
Thank you very much for publishing this comment.
Dr. Puvanachandra worked with me at Eye Hospital many years ago.
He is a Consultant Ophthalmologist living in UK
My family 4 of us visited them when I was doing a Consultant Locum in Bangor, North Wales. Puvana and Shanti (doctor) have had meals at my home in Nugegoda. It is lovely to hear from them.
Chira
Dear Chira,
ReplyDeleteI hope my comment will come through successfully.
Your paintings are magnificent. I really marvel at your skill, effort and patience.
Although I cannot paint ,despite the best efforts of my mother, I admire the works of great artists and fascinated by their bohemian lives One whom I appreciate greatly is Paul Gauguin the French painter who lived in Tahiti for many years. I became interested in him after reading Somerset Maugham’s novel the Moon and Sixpence which was partly based on PG’s life.
Your paintings remind me of our school excursion to a Rockpool, as part of our zoology curriculum.I remember very well ,the beautifully coloured sea anemones, crabs, starfish and slugs. You have captured their beauty.
We can reach the Great Barrier Reef within four hours from where we are.
Kanthi and I have been twice and even snorkelled, although I cannot swim much. We were accompanied by skilled divers. It is a great natural wonder and a world heritage site.
Would love to see many more of your works in the future
Kumar
Kumar
ReplyDeleteLovely to hear from you. Thank you very much for appreciating my paintings. I value it very much.
I have been to Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide in 2006.
I'd love to see the Great Barrier Reef. But with the Corona outbreak travel is not possiible. I envy you. It is a glorious spectacular undersea world. In fact when I saw these beautiful coloured creatures on the internet I started painting them.I enjoyed painting them and found notes about them as I got interesed in them.
Chira