Sea Gulls/ Jersey Shore Acrylic Painting

"GTL: Gulls Take Lunch" | Acrylic, Garnet Gel Medium, and Swarovski crystal on canvas | 2018

Here's a new take on "GTL" with a few reality television favorites. Pauly D and Snooki dodge some hungry gulls on the beach while some other familiar animal characters observe their antics. Part of the Shiny Beautiful Things series, this painting is on canvas measuring 12" H x 16" W, unframed but wired to hang, and will bring many a fist pump.

For the Shiny Beautiful Things series, I decided to explore why we classify certain animals as trashy and hold others in such high esteem, considering we develop buildings on their natural habitats and are responsible for the majority of the trash on this planet. In my research, I learned the critters we deem invasive, feral, and unwanted weren't always this way – it's a learned response due to our overconsumption. Additionally, it's likely they remind us of the qualities we don't like about ourselves. The series depicts our maligned filthy friends finding ways to survive and thrive amid their trashy existence.