Roni Kingsley

I made a career of studying and teaching about marine invertebrates. Each of these fascinating, spineless animals has unique characteristics and behaviors that I tend to shamelessly anthropomorphize. I was observing an old photograph of my grandmother where she was a young woman involved in a questionable situation. The manner in which she was holding her body reminded me of a marine gastropod coiled in its shell: cautious, protected yet strong, but still vulnerable. These thoughts led to the painting of my grandmother and seashell. From this a body of work emerged revealing members of my family paired with marine invertebrates that I see reflecting their lives and personalities. Each of these paintings was done with the deepest affection, what sometimes felt like psychic connections, and often a bit of off-the-wall perspective.