I painted this still life with hamsters in early 2015. During that time I started painting still lifes inspired by 17th Century Dutch and Flemish Still Life painting. The oysters were inspired by Flemish painter Osias Beerts “Still Life with Oysters” which I’ve seen at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The hamsters were inspired viewing YouTube videos of Hamsters eating tiny meals which I thought were hilarious.