"Moonstones"

Today I went on a field trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see the work of Antonio Mancini, the late 19th century Italian realist. If you don't know his work, you owe it to yourself to check him out. His early work, including a piece he did at age 16(!) was spectacular! He got a bit crazy later in life, but then don't we all?
Yesterday's painting presented me with a new challenge: making a cluster of unopened oysters visually interesting. The daily paintings have hitherto been ala prima - direct paint with no glazing or scumbling. Painting the outer beauty of the oyster requires the richness and depth that only glazing and scumbling can give. Watch for the Cape May Salts to deepen in a week or two. I give you as an example "moonstones" - which benefited from a similar treatment.