Fish Fantasy #5 – Life through a fish eye lens!

Greetings.

I am very excited to share my new comission with you. This is the fifth in my series of fish paintings. I think it takes them up to a whole new level.

Warning – this post gets deep.

Fish Fantasy #5, alkyd oil media on canvas, 20×30″

A New Commission

This painting was commissioned by a local patron of the arts and friend of the family. I sent her a few sketches, we agreed on a composition, and I painted. The process took about two months. It went very well, I could not be happier with the process and results.

A note on technique. This painting was made with Galkyd, a fast drying oil medium. I have mentioned this stuff before in my post, WTF is Galkyd?! I understand it more now. Galkyd makes the paint make more transparent layers. Thats how I got the fading effect in the tails. It also speeds drying time for quicker delivery.

A work in progress shot, showing the first couple of layers.

One cool thing is that this is the first piece created in the SCLeccentric art studio tent! It’s a proof that my tent concept works.

How does this painting fit into the rest of the series?

This is the fifth oil painting I have done involving fish. Here are the other four:

I forgot what I named this one. Circa 2010.

In each case, a fish (or squid), is the main subject. They are painted from intimate low angles to emphasize the feeling of each animal.

There are some shots that humans just can’t get. Even great nature documentaries like Blue Planet are missing something.

In my opinion, the problem with nature docs is that they are looking down on the animals. They are always people filming animals. The animals are not presented as people.

I fully believe that every animal thinks of itself as a person. Who are we to argue?

These are meant to be paintings of people. People who happen to be fish. Each one invite you into the exploration, struggles, and triumphs of these fishy people. They are intimate moments in their lives. When the viewer is put in the fish’s shoes, it is an experiment in radical empathy.

Can a person empathize with a fish?

How can we hurt an animal, when that animal is a person just like us?

Are humans ready to let in the idea that we aren’t the only people on this planet?

Is it just a pretty picture for someone’s living room?

Hopefully this series provokes these sorts of questions. Honestly though, I am just happy people are enjoying my work. It is an honor that people want my paintings on their walls, and I am happy about that. I can’t wait to start on my next commission.

Let me know what you think in the comments. I am open for commissions if anyone is interested.

Thanks for reading,

-Sam