Sea Food Chain - Stingray

This painting, completed in 2007, is part of a triptych. It is unusual for me because it is a whole scene under water. Most of my paintings... more

by Nancy Tilles

Title

Sea Food Chain - Stingray

Artist

Nancy Tilles

Medium

Painting - Oil On Canvas

Description

This painting, completed in 2007, is part of a triptych. It is unusual for me because it is a whole scene under water. Most of my paintings concentrate on single subjects. This painting tells the story of the sea and how every living thing has a purpose and must eat other living things to survive.

The images were inspired first by an underwater photograph I took of the yellow tail snapper feeding on seaweed. The activity reminded me of a kind of food frenzy. I chose the center image because of the patches of sand that reflected the sky above giving it a feeling of a lagoon under water. I carried the yellow tail snapper throughout the three paintings. In the center panel, the fish are being stalked. The one about to be caught has been marked by me with a red tail. The first panel shows a stingray floating high above the sand it usually hides in.

My family and I have been snorkeling in Key Largo now for the past five years. It is such a privilege to have such a treasure in our own "back yard". Our duty is to enjoy and protect it.
"Sea Food Chain" - triptych oil on canvas 108" wide x 48" high

Uploaded

August 26th, 2012