Sunday, June 8, 2014

Bumpheads with Frogs (222)

"Bumpheads with Frogs (222)", oil on canvas, 24x24". For sale on Etsy.
A parrotfish has a hypothetical encounter with a frog. The frog is a crab-eating frog (Fejervarya cancrivora), one of the only frogs that can tolerate salt water. The parrotfish is a green bumphead (or humphead) parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum). I brought the two together when I randomly selected the Parrot Fish color (a bluish green, #222 in Naomi Cuno's Colorscape book) and the encyclopedia topic of frogs and toads. Both species are found in the waters of southeast Asia. They would most likely come into contact among the aquatic roots of mangrove trees. Juvenile parrotfish sometimes seek out such environments for protection as they mature. A juvenile bumphead is depicted in the upper left of the painting. The coral reef habitats of the adult parrotfish are sometimes found directly beyond the coastal mangroves.

06-07-14. Maxwell, age 1 year + 11 months.