Electric Blue

SOLD, commissioned (95cm x 65cm (37" x 26") Acrylic on board)
Please contact craig@wildlifeartist.co.za for enquiries
© Craig Bertram Smith

Fishes of the tropical seas are some of the most beautiful and inspiring to me. The colours found on the majority of tropical species are often overlooked as the blue depths wash out most colour. But near the surface , the sun's rays are still strong enough to reveal their magical hues. This is the case of the bluefin trevally / kingfish, at depth it is a drab and pale, but close to the surface it is vibrant and vivid.

A highly prized angling species among light tackle fishermen, the bluefin is a bold, aggressive predator yet it's striking electric blues contrasting against copper  flanks make it one of the most beautiful. The fins, spots and edges are so intense that it is as if the colours are lit up from beneath the skin, which in fact they partly are.

I wanted to emphasize the fishes ‘metallic’ colours throughout the body, resenting the fine details of scales, spots and fin rays. I wanted to paint the kingfish fully illuminated in an excited state as it chases the fly. The challenge for me was to bring out the "electric" blues against the predominantly blue background. The movement in the scene is enhanced by the wave crashing against the edge of the reef.