An artist uses discarded oyster shells as a canvas for his marine animal paintings.

Dominic Urbano said he noticed the art potential of the seafood shells while he was cleaning up after dinner in his home in Bulacan province, the Philippines.

Instead of throwing the shells away, the full-time painter collected them to scrub and dry before drawing on their glossy interior.

Footage shows the artist adding thin strokes of colour with a brush as finishing touches to a sea turtle image painted on an oyster.

Dominic said: ‘I start by rubbing salt on the shells to remove the smell. I also soak them overnight in soapy water. After rinsing in the morning, I will sun dry the shells, and they're good to go.

‘I didn't expect that the oyster paintings would fascinate many people. That night when I thought of the idea, I only wanted to recycle the shells.'

Dominic said he uses acrylic paint to illustrate 3D sea creatures on the surface of the shells. Aside from the turtle, he painted an octopus, koi fish, clown fish, and a crab in the collection.

He added: ‘My oyster series is new and I am excited about the possibilities. Maybe I will build something to hold the shells like a stand.'