An art patron in Florida contacted me in the winter of 2023 with a unique idea for a painting. She admired my Forgiving Sea paintings and wished to have her love for the ocean, reefs, and inhabitants captured in a bold work of art. She also wanted to have her family represented in the artwork. So, over the holidays, she asked them to choose a sea creature to represent them in the encaustic painting I was planning. After getting the list, I began planning the 5' x 5' composition on paper and researching the various fish, marine mammals, and pelicans in the painting. Several years ago, I met an underwater photographer, Caleb Calloway, and asked him if he could help me with images that would work for the "Marine Scene." 

The large wood panel, paint, encaustic medium, and artist materials, including a hot plate and torch, were all delivered to Florida for the week of painting. I planned out all the steps necessary to complete it in five days, and having sketches done in advance helped the process move smoothly. 

When arriving in Florida, the weather provided a solid day of rain, but I was prepping the wood with encaustic gesso and the first layer of wax. A day at the beach for some fun and inspiration would come later. 

The client watched as the painting began to reveal itself, and she encouraged me to keep adding bold, warm red, orange, and coral wax colors. I brought Flamingo red and warm pink encaustic paint with me, and those beauties helped capture the sea sponge and coral reef. Beach walks with her and her dog allowed me to find sea shells and bits of red sponge that had been washed ashore. Painting the fish, seahorse family, and cuttlefish was a delight, and getting to know my client and visiting Florida during the winter was a dream job. Please see my Instagram page for more images. https://www.instagram.com/studiocarolynspringer/

 If you want to create a legacy piece to be made for generations, email studiocarolynspringer@gmail.com, and we can talk about it.