Not only is the Sailfish one of the fastest and most athletic sport fish in our world's oceans, it is also a keen hunter. They circle schools of fish causing them to congregate into a tight circle or a bait ball. In this work of marine art, I wanted to capture the behavior of this gamefish; thus the title "After School". Before my stepfather passed away, on his bucket list was to catch and release a sailfish in the offshore waters of Costa Rica. He had become quite the Sport Fisherman, and I
Of all of the marine life creatures that inhabit our oceans, I believe the Blue Crab is one of the most fascinating to observe. They are like armored clowns. Not only are crab claws one of my favorite cuisine delicacies, this work of marine art was an artistic challenge to paint with all of their delicate intricacies. To be so small the Crab has such a large personality.
The first fish I ever caught off the Florida coast was a beautiful Dolphin (better known as Mahi Mahi). It was a huge Bull Dolphin that lit the ocean up around him with electric flashing shades of blue and gold. I hoped in this work of marine art to depict a huge stealthy game fish similar to the one I caught. Truly this was a Bonito Toro or beautiful bull. The ocean is home to many fish but this species of fish is a living work of art.
While on family outings by boat, we would occasionally encounter dolphins that wanted to race the bow of our boat in a playful fashion. In this work of marine art, I wanted to capture the seemingly smiling face of this sea mammal. It is at the top of the list as the most endearing marine life species in our oceans.
While diving the ocean reefs of The Florida Keys, it is common to see little Clown Fish scurrying about among the beautiful but very poisonous sea anemones. These beautiful flower-like creatures are poisonous to most species of reef fish. Although their sting will stun most tropical fish, the Clown Fish dwell among them and actually hide within the sea anemones as a safe haven from other predator fish. These small bright orange tropical fish look clownish with their white stripes. I found them
Although Jellyfish have a nasty sting, they are graceful and beautiful marine life creatures. The most colorful is the Magenta Jellyfish. I observed a large group flowing in rhythm with the oceans current, which I thought imitated dancing; thus the title "Dancing Jellies".
The Eagle Ray is a prehistoric looking marine animal with an aerial looking body and a long barbed tail. They are in the stingray family, but they are larger and have spots. They look as though they have wings and swim in a swift graceful fashion. I was fortunate to observe these gentle fascinating marine animals in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean in Grand Cayman. In this work of marine art I wanted to capture this fight-like manner.
The Hawksbill Sea Turtle is one of the most beautiful and colorful of all sea turtles. While diving, one can observe them slowly gliding in perpetual motion, seemingly on a journey; thus the title “Hawksbill Journey”. I exaggerated the color with this scratchboard art piece and wanted to capture the soulful eyes of this magnificent marine life species.
The oceans reefs are home to many beautiful tropical fish but few as fascinating to observe as the Koran Angle fish. This marine life species displays a very unique pattern of both circles and stripes with brilliant shades of electric blues and greens. In this work of marine art I wanted to illustrate this and bring this Koran Angle Fish seemingly to life.
The ocean is teeming with spectacular marine life wonders. Few species are as bizarre looking as the whimsical and elegant Leafy Sea Dragon. These mystical looking little sea life creatures look as if they are half seahorse and half seaweed. They float effortlessly with the currents along the oceans reefs. In this marine art piece I wanted to capture the essence of the seemingly magical and noble little sea creature.
The Magenta Jellyfish is one of the most poisonous as well as one of the most beautiful and colorful of all the species of jellyfish. They float along the oceans currents in rhythm looking as if they are dancing flowers. In this work of marine art I wanted to create their transparencies as well as to capture the beautiful electric colors of this spectacular marine life species.
I felt fortunate to have gotten to observe a small Strawberry Grouper while diving the pristine waters in Grand Cayman. This bright red little fish was entertaining to watch as he circled an area of the reef bossing around much larger marine life species. His grumpy little face says it all.
Around the world, ocean waves roll onto our beaches leaving behind many beautiful sea shells. In this work of marine art I wanted to depict something rarely seen by human eyes - the Nautilus Sea Shell with a living sea creature housed within it as it drifts in harmony with the oceans tides.
Few marine life species captivate the hearts of ocean lovers as a Sea Turtle hatchling. Once the mother Sea Turtle digs a nest in the sand to lay her eggs she gently covers them over. In this work of marine art I wanted to capture the delicate shell and the endearing little Sea Turtle with its delicate shell as it breaks forth into “New Beginnings”.
As far as marine life goes, few creatures win over the hearts of people as does the Green Sea Turtle. For me it is their warm soulful looking eyes that capture my heart. They make their voyage across the world's oceans with grace and ease as they seemingly fly through the water; thus the title "Ocean Voyager". This work of marine art was created to captivate the hearts of others who also share an affinity for these gentle giants.
Lion Fish are only indigenous to the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, through no fault of their own, they have been introduced to the Gulf, Caribbean, and Atlantic Ocean. As a result these aggressive poisonous fish are wreaking havoc on the world's coral reefs and are now considered to be one of the most despised marine life species. Like them or not these "Ocean Warriors" are very beautiful and majestic looking.
The Crab, with its feisty temperament, is for me one of my all-time favorite sea life creatures to paint. The ocean is teaming with marine life oddities but the colors, intricacies and personalities of these little animals always tend to amuse me. This little Crab is ready to put up a good fight; thus the title "On Guard".
The Marine Angelfish is a commonly seen and makes its home among the ocean’s coral reefs. There are many beautiful species of Angelfish. In this work of marine art, I wanted to show off the beauty of this yellow angel fish with his contrasting blue stripes.
The Regal Angelfish is one of my favorite tropical fish to observe while diving. Of all of the reef fish they are some of the most active. They scurry in and out of the coral reef, chasing other fish out of their territory. This work of marine art was intended to capture the cartoon-like look of this fish with its blue lips and yellow, white and blue pattern. The Ocean is full of oddities but these little fish are among my favorites.
Oh what magical mystical looking marine life creatures! Our Creator has a great imagination! I have only seen sea horses in aquariums and was so inspired by this little guy that I had to paint him, albeit using exaggerated colors. I look forward to the day I meet one of these fascinating creatures in the ocean.