Field Journal: Enteroctopus Dofleini Painting

How many tickles does it take to make an octopus laugh? 10! Ten tickles. Tentacles! I have been wanting to paint this octopus for months, especially after watching "My Octopus Teacher." I love octopuses; here are some of my favorite things about them: 1. An octopus has three hearts (pumping blood that is blue instead of red due to a copper-rich chemical called hemocyanin) and nine brains- one central brain and a large nerve cluster in each leg that controls the movement of that leg. 2. The are SMART! Octopuses are tool users, problem solvers, and have shown that they think about the future. They have figured out how to steal crabs from fishing traps, escape aquariums, and create protection and disguises for themselves. 3. Camouflage. An octopus has these pigment cells all across its body called chromatophores that can change color in the blink of an eye, AND it can change the texture of its skin to match rocks, seaweed, or anything it is mimicking!