To Bleach or Not to Bleach?

The title refers to the corals bleaching, which is occurring alarmingly often on our reefs. Every summer when the temperature of the sea stays above the threshold level, the corals react by expelling their symbiotic algae. The algae are what give the coral animals their colour. Not only does this deprive them of one of their main sources of food, but if the sea temperature stays high for too long then the corals cannot recover from the event and die, becoming more dead limestone carcasses, overgrown with algae. The challenge was how to bring awareness of this threat and still create a pleasing piece of art.

The painting has a feeling of depth, which to a scuba diver is a thing of beauty, looking up towards the light at the surface.
What makes this piece unique is the added texture, created with pieces of dried fern (no corals or seasons were harmed in the production of this painting:)) These natural structures add to the atmosphere of being in an underwater grotto. Other abstract elements include stamping, dragging and printing patterns to create the look of coral polyps and textured growth.

The canvas is extremely good quality and was imported and custom made for the purpose. The piece can be hung without a frame and has deep sides painted a deep blue-grey.