Lampropeltis Californiae - Original Acrylic

Lampropeltis Californiae — Original Acrylic

Original acrylic and watercolor on canvas, painting knife | 12" × 12" | Unframed

Lampropeltis californiae — the California kingsnake — is one of North America's most recognizable and beloved constrictors. Its crisp, high-contrast banding of black and white (or black and yellow) has made it an icon of the reptile world, as striking in life as it is on canvas.

This piece employs a mixed technique: the snake's body is built up in acrylic using a painting knife, creating bold, textured strokes that give the scales a sculptural, tactile quality. The hand is rendered in watercolor, its fluid transparency offering a deliberate contrast — soft and luminous against the impasto body. The result is a painting that rewards close looking, where two distinct mediums work together to capture both the power and the delicacy of the subject.

Medium: Acrylic (painting knife) and watercolor on canvas
Size: 12" × 12"
Presentation: Unframed
Subject: Lampropeltis californiae (California Kingsnake)
Series: Reptile Series
Style: Representational / Wildlife

A one-of-a-kind original — once it's gone, it's gone. Signed by the artist.

Fine Art Prints of this painting are also available — shop the canvas print or the matte fine art print.