Oyster shells crowd the whole canvas, their ridged edges and pale hollow interiors picked out in heavy white and silver paint. Touches of sandy gold and umber warm the shells' insides and edges. Between them, deep blue strokes curl and swirl like moving water.

The paint is laid on thickly with a palette knife, leaving visible ridges and sharp highlights. Because the shells overlap and fill the frame, the picture reads as part still life and part abstract pattern, with a cool, coastal palette.