Octopoda in Hudson Valley

I was very surprised and honored to receive the Director's Choice award for this year's annual members show at the Athens Cultural Center.  More than that, I was pleased to see people appreciating the humor of my painting Octopoda in Hudson Valley.  It was a painting that evolved over several years, starting as a snow scene and eventually moving to night skies and green grass.  But it was the addition of the trapped octopus which really gave the painting its legs, so to speak.  The octopus, an intelligent and mysterious creature, is well known for its ability to escape confinement, so in the longstanding battle between man and nature, it appears as if the octopus may have a fighting chance of victory. As for the frame, I have always wondered how to use this antique moulding I found in the basement, and since it seems to mimic the tentacles of the octopus, it was a perfect way to resolve the edges of this panel. Now I need to revisit other paintings to see which ones could stand to have an octopus added.