10 x 10 inch oil on golden leafed panel

This is a small rodent skull I found with my friend Jaimee while walking on the beach at Point No Point near Seattle.

It's probably not possible to paint the lovely forms of an intricate skull without the inevitable associations of death. The narrow arch of the bone around the far eye socket is the whole reason I wanted to paint this object. But it can't seem to escape it's morbid associations.

Oh well, call it my Halloween contribution.