Patriotic sea turtle

MILTON — James Priddy is painting the second sea turtle statue to go up in Santa Rosa County. 

As a Santa Rosa County corrections officer, Priddy regularly works with inmates to paint and touch up murals in town and at schools.

The Santa Rosa County Arts and Culture Foundation chose Priddy to paint the turtle. It will have a military theme, with an American flag on its shell as well as logos of the military branches, Priddy said.

He typically paints walls and canvases, and found painting a three-dimensional object a challenge.

"You have to deal with textures and different pockets. It can be challenging to get the look right and fill the voids," he said.

Priddy hopes to have the turtle finished by January. It will be displayed on the courthouse lawn.

The late Alicia Hansen painted the first turtle, known as Myrtle the Turtle, for the Florida Welcome Center on Interstate 10.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Patriotic sea turtle