Admiral Raddus

Acrylics on 10 x 8 inch canvas

It’s been years since I finished any fanart, even though it’s something I spent most of my teen years creating. But as a giant Star Wars nerd who loves marine creatures who is also British, I couldn’t resist having a go at painting Admiral Raddus, the Churchill-inspired Mon Calamari who led the Rebel Fleet above Scarif in Rogue One. I guess I’ve long had a soft spot for Mon Calamari – we can all agree on the greatness of Admiral Ackbar, but I even liked Nahdar Vebb from The Clone Wars series, and the one time I played the Age of Rebellion tabletop game I opted to be the engineer Tendaar. I just think they’re pretty cool.

I also love to try identifying which real-world animals may have inspired fictional alien races. I wanted to paint Raddus not just because he’s an absolute badass, but because the texture of his skin reminded me of a cephalopod and his eyes of a sea turtle. What a cool dude.

The coolest thing was when I posted progress on Twitter and it caught the attention of Stephen Stanton, the voice of Raddus in Rogue One (as well as many other fantastic Star Wars roles). Fangirl moment. This was a fun little painting to do!

J27 Commission

Recently I was commissioned to create a tattoo design of the southern resident orca J27 (Blackberry) as a stippled ink piece. This is a style I absolutely love doing, and have been doing small-scale orca pieces using it throughout the year (these have mostly been shared on my Instagram). Needless to say, I was particularly pumped up about this project and had a great experience working through the design with the client. The original drawing is on its way to her and her tattoo artist will take it from there – I can’t wait to see the final-final version!

Here’s a look at some of the work that went into it, from initial sketches to the ink itself.

Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends…

“Breach” – Acrylics on 18 x 24 inch canvas

I find that beer does help.

2016 has been… a year, hasn’t it? From a personal standpoint, the last few months have been full of changes. In early November I left my job of almost six years to pursue a new path, one that really begins in earnest next week as I become a full time student for the first time in nearly a decade. The next three months will be very busy and I’ll have to work hard to squeeze personal art in, but I’m excited to begin my career as a UX Designer. Here’s to new things!

It’s kind of funny how the symbolism of this piece didn’t hit me until just now while coming up with a title for this post. It’s been ages since I painted using acrylics, having spent much of the year focusing more on drawings and ink – not that there’s anything wrong with that. I was struck by a photo my friend Tasli Shaw took of the southern resident orca L87 (Onyx) and she kindly gave me permission to use it as my inspiration. I don’t think I’ve painted an orca breaching since… well, I was probably a teenager, and I’ve come a long way since then. Originally I wanted to use this as an opportunity to paint quickly and loosely, but evidently my brain and brush conspired against me and I ended up getting really detailed and taking much longer with it. In any case, it was good to get this one in before my classes start.

Splash detail.

Cephalopod Awareness Days 2016

It’s the most wunderful time of the year: Cephalopod Awareness Days! October 8th-12th is the time to celebrate the world’s most intelligent invertebrates. Established in 2007 by The Octopus News Magazine Online (TONMO), Cephalopod Awareness Days are a way to bring awareness to the diversity, conservation and biology of octopuses (October 8th), nautilids (October 9th), cuttlefishes and squid (October 10th), cephalopods in legends and popular culture (October 11th) and their ancient relatives (October 12th).

If you’ve been following me for a while you already know I have a weakness for cephalopods (especially cuttlefish!), so I drew a colouring page featuring the four extant types to celebrate. Please feel free to download it, print it, share it, enjoy it, and use it to spread the love of some of the coolest creatures on the planet – all I ask is that you do not remove my website link from the image. Click on the link below the image preview to get your free PDF, and colour away to your three hearts’* content!

Download colouring page here!

*Did you know cephalopods have three hearts? All the more to love.

CITES CoP17

In Johannesburg right now, the 17th CITES Conference of the Parties (#CoP17) is taking place. From September 23rd to October 5th, over 2000 government representatives from all over the world will decide which species will see new international protection. You might remember the 16th CoP, which was a huge success for sharks and rays – the number of elasmobranch species listed under Appendix II increased from three to eight. There’s still a long way to go.

This year there are proposals for several more sharks and rays to be listed: all thresher sharks, all mobula rays, the silky shark and the ocellate river stingray. I couldn’t resist drawing a little show of support. Best wishes to all who are currently in South Africa fighting to conserve sharks, rays, and so many other animals and plants!

When in Doubt, Paint a Shark

White shark, acrylics on 12 x 16 inch canvas

After a jam-packed two weeks in England, during which I had time to do a few little sketches but no substantial art, I really wanted to just let loose with something really messy last night. I’ll share more about my trip in a later post because I’ve got inspiration to last me years (thanks, Natural History Museum!).

In my efforts to diversify my work and develop my skills, I picked up an old 12 x 16 canvas from under my desk and started slapping on some paint. I’m trying to move out of my comfort zone of super fine details and trying to get things “perfect”, and instead injecting more personality into each piece. This felt like a good time to experiment; I’ve been doing a lot of precise commission work lately (which I do love) so it felt quite freeing. I did the whole thing in one sitting – very unusual for me! – and so worked solely with fresh wet paint and a limited colour palette. I do enjoy watching subjects materialise out of the mess.

1. Slapping on the paint 2. Adding some definition 3. Brief pause to confer with my assistant 4. Nearly done

I was particularly inspired by two things: one was a gorgeous 2008 photo by the incredible hobbyist photographer George Probst (check out sharkpix.com!), who graciously sent me a larger version to reference. I just loved the scarring on this white shark and the tight framing. The other inspiration came from an artist I’ve been following on instagram for a while now, Aimée Hoover. I really admire her painting style and the scale at which she works – I’m currently too afraid to go quite that big but I can aspire to it! Her gorgeous brush strokes encouraged me to be less obsessed with the tiny details.

All in all, I was proud of myself for getting this done and I’m looking forward to doing more like it.

Oarfish!

Giant oarfish, acrylic on 6 x 12 canvas

A couple of months ago I received a commission request that I had to jump on. It was a species I’ve long been fascinated by and wanted to draw but hadn’t yet:

A deceased giant oarfish measuring 23 feet (7 m) in California, 1996.

the king of herrings, the ribbonfish, the streamer fish… most of us know it as the oarfish. You’ve probably seen them in the news because when they’re sighted (alive or dead) it’s quite a sight to behold; the aptly named giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne) is the longest bony fish in the world, achieving a length of about 36 feet (11 metres). Whale sharks (reaching well over 40 ft/12 m) still have the giant oarfish beat as the longest fish of all though.

My client is a volunteer at a natural history museum and fell in love with their oarfish specimen. She wanted a piece that helped to connect their preserved oarfish with its habitat in the deep, dark ocean, an idea I loved and was excited to work on. There were two specific challenges: one, oarfish are so infrequently encountered that consistent references were difficult to come by; and two, this massive species was to be painted on a very small 6 x 12 inch canvas. Both of these challenges helped to push me to be a bit more creative with this piece, and in the process I learnt a great deal.

This mighty little giant is now safely in his/her forever home in California. Thank you for this fun opportunity, Corinna!

Sweep the Hooch 2016

Each year, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper organises Sweep the Hooch, a huge cleanup effort spanning more than 70 miles of the Chattahoochee river in Georgia. On Saturday April 9th I joined over 500 volunteers for this year’s event and had a fantastic time! I really enjoy doing river cleanups. I was lucky to grow up alongside the sea in southwest England, and even though I currently live almost 300 miles away from the nearest ocean beach I know I can help make a real difference for the ocean I love so much. Rivers lead there, of course, but that’s not the only reason I place such importance on local cleanups – they’re also important ecosystems for so many species AND provide resources, enjoyment and beauty for the community. Who doesn’t love a clean river?

The largest vodka bottle I found. Yes, they were all empty.

Saturday morning was chilly, but we were excited to get going. There were about 20 of us at Island Ford Park, and the group was split in half to cover different parts of the area. My group took the route along Roberts Drive, so we got to wear some sweet National Park Service safety vests. Although we weren’t right on the river, it was still really fulfilling to clean there – roadside trash is still dangerous, unsightly, and can end up in our waterways. Plus, I reserve a special kind of hatred for people who throw rubbish out of their cars so it felt awesome to undo their grossness.

Wasn’t kidding about the box spring.

My friends and I filled three bags each and found everything from vodka bottles to the remains of a car accident to an entire box spring mattress. Seeing that pile of trash we’d removed at the end of three hours’ hard work was really satisfying – I maintain that a river cleanup is one of the best things you can do for the environment and a great way to serve your community. Thanks to CRK and the entire Sweep the Hooch team! See you next time!

Boom!

Go team! L-R: Brandyn, Charles, Julie (who took all these photos except this one), Ruth Ann, Mike, and me!

I regret nothing

I make no secret of the fact that I love both sharks and puns. Whenever I can mix the two, it’s a good day… and leads me to do things like this:

Where ya from, you cartilaginous thing?

Because zebra sharks (and others) breathe using their spiracles… which is funny because it rhymes with… anyway. It got stuck in my head and now it’s probably in yours too. Sorry!

For those of you who also like to have a giggle at nerdy ocean puns, this is available on shirts, mugs and stickers over in my design shop!

I also believe in a good cup of tea.

 

Squid ink

Acrylics on 8 x 10 inch canvas board.

This month I finished a small painting of a bigfin reef squid commissioned by a longtime friend of mine. She’s been obsessed with cephalopods since I’ve known her, so when she approached me and asked about designing her a squid tattoo I was both super thrilled and touched. Her request was for the piece to be realistic and I thought it’d be an added bonus if she got an original painting out of it too. Once the final sketch was approved, I painted the squid in acrylics on an 8 x 10 inch canvas board and scanned it in high resolution for her tattoo artist to use. She received the original a few days later, made the appointment, and… ta-daaaah!

I’m absolutely amazed at how perfectly Ed Weston at Custom Ink & Steel in Flint, Michigan recreated my painting on her arm, and I’m so happy she loves it so much! What a fun commission this was!

A Commission for Christmas

Last year I had the pleasure of working on several commissions to be given as gifts for the holidays. One of my favourite things about commissions is hearing feedback from the recipient, and now I know it’s safe to share what I was working on. This particular 16 x 20 inch acrylic painting was for the client’s wife and was to feature her three favourite animals: a manatee, a dolphin, and a sea turtle. Here’s a look at the process from start to finish, including a shot of the framed piece in its happy home!

A6

In the late 90s my school held a tabletop sale in the local town hall. 12-year-old-me ran a table to raise funds for whales and dolphins and to cover the cost of my first orca adoption. I already knew exactly which one it would be.

A6, also known as Strider, was an adult male in the northern resident community of orcas and the eldest offspring of A30 (Tsitika). Her matriline continues today. Born in 1964, he was often seen with his two brothers A38 (Blackney) and A39 (Pointer — I later adopted him too), and I still find photos of their three huge dorsal fins as they traveled together in books today.  (Here’s a good link from 2007 with ID photos of the A30 matriline).

A38 (Blackney), A30 (Tsitika), A50 (Clio), A6 (Strider), A39 (Pointer)

I remember the morning the newsletter arrived a few years later that told of his absence and presumed death. I was devastated. It was Strider that helped me connect with wild orcas from almost 5,000 miles away and it’s his fin that’s still etched in my memory; that notch in the upper third was so distinctive he became the first individual orca I ever learnt to recognise. In a lot of ways he’s still somewhat of an inspiration to me. I have his dorsal ID photo above my desk in the office and the postcard I was sent with the adoption certificate is on the wall of my studio almost 20 years later.

It’s odd, then, that I never really drew him until now. I’ve been planning out a large painting featuring a particular group of orcas with even more distinctive dorsal fins (I’m sharing the progress from thumbnail stage on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook) and it got me thinking about Strider. I just wanted to do a simple ink drawing with stippling to highlight his silhouette. I’d love to do a proper piece featuring him and his brothers soon.

Brothers

Acrylic on 6 x 12 inch gesso board

Happy new year! I’m not one for resolutions, but I do know it’s been way too long since I made a blog post. With the last couple months of 2015 getting increasingly busy I fell into the habit of updating instagram more than anything else (you can follow me here, by the way. Durp!) and neglected this poor blog, so I’m definitely going to be sharing more here.

After finishing a round of commissions in time for Christmas, I picked up one of a few gesso boards lying about in my studio and started playing with an idea I sketched out about a year ago: two adult male orcas breaking the surface of a choppy sea. These are of course two things I fall back on a lot – I love orcas AND choppy seas! – but I couldn’t help myself. I’ve also never completed something on gesso board before and really wanted to give it a go. It’s a very interesting surface, as it’s much more smooth than the surfaces I usually paint on but with just enough texture for me to feel comfortable with it. Next up: braving the super smooth clay board!

The Wonders of the Internet

While browsing Pinterest this morning, looking for tattoo inspiration for myself, I found my art on someone else’s skin.

Whoa.

A screenshot of the work in progress from 2009.

In 2009 I created this digital painting using openCanvas over a pencil sketch. I enjoyed the process given that the composition was quite different for me, as I’ve long been interested in the role of orcas in Native American culture. It’s an idea I’ve thought about revisiting and developing but haven’t made the time for.

I do take commissions for custom tattoo designs. I’m flattered by the use of my work and have been trying to find out whose arm this is – so far I’ve only been able to find it on Pinterest, pointing to a now-defunct site (even using Google’s reverse image lookup). The description mentions a tattoo shop in Massachusetts although it doesn’t appear in their site portfolio. I’d love to know who enjoyed this piece so much they wanted it on their body!

The Charge

Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 24 inches

On April 15th this year I went whale watching for the first time. It was also my first visit to Monterey Bay, somewhere I’d longed to go for years and years. It lived up to my expectations and then some – although there were no orcas to be seen, I got to see several feeding humpback whales, an enormous pod of Risso’s dolphins, and a small but curious pod of long-beaked common dolphins. The latter is a species that can also be seen in my home waters in the southwest of England, but of course throughout my life it was always a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, so I was ecstatic to finally see them. They’re so small and quick and utterly charming; the pod made a beeline for the bow of the boat where I was crouching and were so close my lens was too long to get a good photo! Watching them erupt from the water (which in itself is so difficult to photograph) was so fantastic that I knew I had to paint it.

Detail view.

Nice job me.