This 30 by 24 inch original canvas wall painting “Island Shopping” depicts a sea otter swimming upwards towards the surface in an underwater western Vancouver Island ocean paradise. The underwater scene comes to life over and through splashes and daubs of green, blue and purple acrylic paint that form an abstract background.

I painted this sea otter swimming towards the surface after my innermost desire to swim and explore the ocean as she does, seemingly playing all the while. If you’ve ever watched a ferret you may recognize the similar movement otters have with their flexible spines, except their feet are large and webbed for propulsion.

A handsome sea otter face emerges out of the green pools and drops of thrown acrylic paint to give the viewer a quick look before swimming to the surface of this seascape painting. We can see the long whiskers that sea otters use to help find hidden prey in crevices and the sea floor.

I threw light blue and deep yellow green daubs of acrylic paint sideways and at different angles to create an underwater kelp atmosphere, looking up towards the bright surface waters from below. Herring swim past rays of sunlight shining through the waters and the fish shimmer in places to match the dazzling light.

A northern kelp crab, or spider crab, sits still and hides warily hanging onto abstract green paint splatters suggesting kelp. Kelp is both the summer diet of these crabs and their protection. In this painted scene, we don’t know yet whether the sea otter visiting us will entirely miss the crab, or see it and dive back for a more shopping.