Google Arts and Culture Lab has unveiled Splash Canvas, an interactive digital painting experiment designed by artist David Li, creator of the widely recognized Blob Opera. Announced on June 18, 2026, the web-based application reimagines digital canvases by replacing traditional tools with AI-driven sea creatures that function as both brushes and critics. The initiative continues the lab’s broader mission to explore how advanced computational systems can foster novel, accessible forms of online creativity. Users access the browser-based platform to drag aquatic characters such as octopuses, squids, and turtles across a virtual screen. These named entities, including Splosh, Splish, Splat, Smudge, and Scrape, apply vibrant, liquid-like colors while executing blending and erasing functions. Underpinning the experience is a sophisticated technical architecture that merges procedural fluid dynamics with local neural cellular automata. This combination accurately simulates paint spreading, color mixing, and realistic liquid behavior. The application further enhances immersion through real-time audio synthesis that translates brush strokes into dynamic soundscapes. Beyond visual and auditory feedback, Splash Canvas integrates multimodal artificial intelligence. Powered by Google’s Gemini and Chirp models, the sea creatures analyze user activity and deliver live commentary, whimsical critiques, and contextual art history insights. This conversational layer transforms a solitary painting exercise into an interactive dialogue between creator and algorithm. Upon completing a composition, participants can virtually display their work across varied digital environments, ranging from formal museum galleries to casual settings like dental office waiting rooms or anniversary cards. The project exemplifies Google Arts and Culture Lab’s ongoing research into playful technology adoption. By fusing machine learning, physics simulation, and generative dialogue, Splash Canvas lowers the barrier to abstract expression while maintaining a rigorous technical foundation. The experience requires no downloads or specialized hardware, relying entirely on web browser capabilities to deliver responsive, low-latency interactions. It stands as a testament to how generative AI can be deployed not merely for content production, but for educational engagement and interactive entertainment. Splash Canvas is currently available for public access through the Google Arts and Culture website. The lab intends to monitor user engagement and technical performance to inform future experiments at the intersection of digital art and artificial intelligence.