Starting with a tanned brown background this artwork gives a very different colour scheme to an underwater ocean scene, dismissing aqua blues and greens for the night. After layering in some dark violet blue paint I found a home in the painting for an outcropped coral reef with rich marine life.

A coral grouper surveys his territory as a top predator in this coral reef painting. Groupers have large mouths to generate strong suction when they draw prey in.

A bright red sea sponge and an ochre gorgonian, or fan coral, make the most of the nutrient rich purple waters brushed in behind them. Coral reefs are like underwater rain forests, with a huge variety of life.

Red and cream coloured soft corals are painted into the large purple brush splatters. Arched marks on the right purple brush strokes are from my fingers accentuating the curve.

Thick drips of blue violet paint turned into a young giant clam in this coral reef painting. The largest of all mollusks, giant clams can live more than 100 years and weigh 440 pounds, thanks to a symbiotic relationship with algae that feed them sugar in exchange for a safe home.