A few years ago, one of my regular customers commissioned me to paint a series of the endangered turtles of Michigan & I do one every year or so. The latest was of a Blanding's Turtle. He had bought a non-commission picture of this species, but I never liked the painting, thinking it looked like a squashed version of Nessie. Apparently others disagreed, since it had gotten juried into a show. But he told me if I wanted to do another picture of it, he would be glad to have it. This is the new & improved Blanding's turtle. I like it much better, though it's not a colorful species.
I'd finished it last Thanksgiving, but for one reason or another, we couldn't get together for the handover until right before Labor Day, when he was in town visiting his parents. He was very pleased with the painting & is looking forward to hanging it in his new Connecticut apartment.
