Ocean

Looking up from under the surface of water, you see the sun shining bright, the blue surface, and then colorful dark horrors of reds and oranges swirling to the bottom and right.

This piece is a digital abstract painting that depicts the dark depths of the ocean. The blue–black hues represent the abyssal depths where light does not penetrate, and the red and orange swirls represent the ethereal, unknown creatures that live in these dark depths. The painting is meant to evoke a sense of mystery and wonder, and to remind us of the vastness and power of the ocean.

The appeal of this image for me comes from the fact that the sun is so clearly pictured. You, the viewer, are beneath the surface of the water, looking up and seeing the familiar bright star above. It’s not an abstraction; it directly translates. So then what the hell is this red and orange and green and black neon eldritch gunk rising up around you towards the surface? If the sun directly translates, what does this translate to? How does your brain complete the metaphor when one side is so straightforward and the other is not?

I love the colors in this one, I love the brightness, I love how it grabs your attention and how the motion really does flow like water from underneath the surface of the ocean. The mystery and the power of the dark depths of the ocean rising to meet us speak to me on a primal level.