The octoriginal, the sand sketch and the final on canvas
From SQUIRT (the octo-artiste):
With this painting I wanted to provide a simple example of how I understand color. For octopuses color is a very complex matter. We use it in conjunction with motion to communicate when we are within eyesight of another creature or sometimes just for fun (lets turn reddish brown and sneak up on that rockfish!) .
The colors I put down on the left part of the canvas (red and orange) represent what I know is possible. on the right side of the canvas the light purple and blue are colors I am unable to express on my own skin. After making a few suggestions to Alex he came back with a sketch that I liked. I instructed him to paint the main portion of my head and body around the red and orange colors, while intertwining my tentacles through and around the purple and blue. The latter represents my appreciation of and desire to achieve these colors of vibrancy with the understanding that they are beyond my physical reach. The off canvas work, where my tentacles disappear off the side and reappear elsewhere, emphasizes this point.
