Craig Bertram Smith
Sunset Explosion
Sunset Explosion
SOLD (61cm x 91cm (24" x 36") Acrylic on Canvas)
Please contact craig@wildlifeartist.co.za for enquiries
© Craig Bertram Smith
The wolf of the sea, the Great Barracuda is highly sought after by game fishermen. They have a fearsome reputation as being hard and dirty fighters. Their fangs towards the front of their mouth give them a particularly unfriendly appearance. Their teeth are like razors and can slice through any bait fish that are unlucky enough to encounter them. As the Painting “Sunset Explosion” illustrates, they are most often caught in the last hour before dark or at the break of dawn. This acrylic on canvas painting (61cm x 91cm) is still one of my favorite paintings and is referred to “the fish with a cigarette” (as my wife calls it). I have been tempted to change the Red popper to something else but I decided to keep it as it was intended to be. The Red popper lures are a fisherman’s favorite as they are more often caught on these than any other lure. The painting puts the viewer in the moment, it tells you what time of day it was caught, it shows it’s ferocious nature and also shows it’s incredible sleekness, colour and aggression. I really enjoyed painting the indication of light coming from behind – note the slightly transparent fins picking up the orange and yellow of the setting sun. I wouldn’t want to be stuck in the water when these beasts are around..