Otter Wise

"I like otters. You can find them on the Pacific coast, from Alaska to the Monterey area. They exist in a cold-water environment. These otters are swimming in a giant kelp forest - that's the term oceanographers and scientists use for it. Otters roll themselves up in kelp to sleep so they won't float away.

"I painted one otter in profile and other full-face to give the viewer a full otter 'experience.' I had about ten times more water droplets in the original painting than I have now. I really enjoyed doing them but the sheer number was getting ridiculous, so I started painting them out. I guess I just got carried away. I designed this painting to give the viewer a close-up experience with otters."