Tag Archives: crabshell

Cracked Crab

Colored pencil sketch of cracked crab shell

Cracked Crab

At the coast last weekend (notice I didn’t say beach, most of the sand seems to have been sucked out to sea…) I found a crab shell, which when I picked it up was whole.  The colors and patterns were captivating – greens and purples and oranges, so vivid and clear!  Tiny arrows and horseshoes and stars in a beautiful ivory shade stood out from the spots.  But sadly, by the time I got home with it, safely tucked under the car seat, it had dried into a dull ghost of its colorful self, and a huge crack had split it nearly into two pieces.  Soaking it helped a bit, but the greens were gone.  Even so, I was determined to sketch, and the arrows and other patterns were still clear.  As I worked to capture the intricate edge, I realized how much  it reminded me of piecrust.   The light penetrated the shell and shone eerily orange through the eye sockets…  Life and light comes and goes, as Triton’s stallions thunder up and down the beach.