Tortoise

A Terra Cotta and Rose colored Tortoise paces through the desert sand. Desert. Peach, Pink, Orange, Yellow. Large Painting by artist Donald Ryker in textured expressionist impressionist art style with unique impasto glaze technique.

This tortoise reminds me of my grandfather’s pet tortoise “Beauregarde”. He lived in their backyard during warm weather and hibernated in a box in the garage during the winter. This fellow in my artwork is in his natural environment in the desert sand. When I painted this piece I was working to create a an representation for each of the biomes in the world and he is a good example of an animal living in a desert biome. I chose this image because of the shadow and light and the opportunity to explore the warm colors and geometric shapes on his shell. I started with neutral oranges and added reds and pinks to give him form. This was my second time using a sponge to create the native grasses. The color palette and grounded tortoise image give me a feeling of calm and peace. —Donald Ryker

Available as:
Original Painting $4,600
Print $55