On a grey and rainy day in Seattle, a visit to the Seattle Aquarium means entering a world of exuberant colours. A carnival of textures, particularly in the Southern Pacific section of the Aquarium…

I admit that I was lazy and did not write down the names of these critters, anemones, and corals. I just feasted on their looks.

The corals (or are they anemones?) are spectacularly beautiful.  Luminescent, almost. Their texture is very inspiring for a textile artist.

Here is another example of coral – which looks a lot like a group of anemones but is not, apparently.

And this riot of lines is the mantle of a giant clam. I spent a good deal of time admiring its markings, a recipe for drawing lines.  The underwater world is a great source of inspiration on the use of colour, contrast, and line.

Oh, and at the top of this post, the Lionfish (Pterois) is my “over the top” poster version of this very dangerous, venomous creature. This is a fish that offers plenty of warning…

In the same tank, I spotted its cousin, the Clearfin Lionfish (Pterois radiata) on a side wall. I caught a slightly out of focus shot of it, below.

Lines, lines everywhere. Some lines as a form of come hither, some lines as forms of serious warning. And colour, naturally.