Nautilus

Shawn McNulty
Acrylic and Pumice on Canvas
40×40″
2019

Nautilus is an original abstract painting on canvas by visual artist Shawn McNulty. This painting is is 1.5″ deep, gallery wrapped with painted edges, and ready to hang with wire on the back.

Fun Fact: There is a story behind the title of Nautilus. I worked on this painting over several weeks at the studio. The black was the first layer. I usually use black in that manner because its strength will shine through. After much tinkering, the final layer was the bright yellow. I was watching a PBS nature documentary very late on the night before my final session with this piece. The show focused on interesting marine life, and I was focused on a cool scene of a Nautilus swimming through the ocean. All of a sudden, a shelf stacked with many boardgames came crashing down in the corner of the room. I installed the shelf probably 15 years or so before that night. The boxes were open and various game pieces flew across the room, probably creating even more exciting new games. My dog briefly woke up, looked around, and went back to sleep. It was a mess to clean up, but at least I had my title. This painting was part of my Elixir exhibition at Rosalux Gallery.