All of my seal pieces are motivated by the same thing – the realism, sharp contrast and focus when the seal pops its head out of the water and the distortion and abstraction as it goes under. With these paintings, there is a very busy section and then a section that is quiet. I like this contrast between the busyness and the quietness. The seal is just so streamline and has this great beauty in the water. It’s a perfect swimming machine. The reference shots for these pieces were all taken on the pier at Kalk Bay harbour in Cape Town. The seals swim on both sides of the pier wall. On the one side where the water is rough, massive waves come crashing in – on the other side, the ocean is calm by contrast. Seals are really exciting to watch, especially contending in those big waves.
Description: Cape Fur Seals.
Medium: Oil on canvas.
Dimensions: 145cm x 127cm