GLIDING THROUGH THE LIGHT 61X107CM – $8,500
I have loved having various interactions with stingrays from many years ago when my partner and I saved one which had been washed up on to the shore – eventually getting it back to a place where it could swim back out to sea- to swimming with massive Bull Rays at Bendelong Beach where they are so quiet and used to people that they enjoy a feed and a pat.. I have loved seeing them while snorkeling at Lady Elliot Island and have been amused at the way they bury themselves in the sand and most times are swimming around with sand on their backs. This painting took a lot of preparation because I used about 5 photographs to finally create the composition I wanted .
I had it in mind for a very long time but suddenly felt right about painting it for the Festival of Two Palettes this year. The painting took about 60 hours to complete and of course the main subject is the Cow Tailed Ray just gliding through the water like an eagle in the sky. The shimmer in the water is one of my favourite things to paint and is really only seen in more shallow water. As you dive deeper the water becomes bluer and the rainbows and shimmer are just not visible. So Gliding Through the Light seemed a very appropriate title.
Available through Morpeth Gallery from the 8th March.
