FISHES OF THE SALISH SEA

The faculty from the University of Washington’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS) department commissioned this painting. The original is 7 by 15 feet, acrylic on canvas and took me about a year to paint. It’s hanging prominently on the wall at the SAFS building. What is the Salish Sea? Here’s what Wikepedia has to say: The name Salish Sea was coined only in the late 20th century, and was officially recognized by the United States in 2009 and by Canada in 2010, to describe the coastal waterways surrounding southern Vancouver Island and Puget Sound between Canada and the United States of America. Its major bodies of water are Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

There are about 100 species of fish depicted along with the Seattle skyline, a pencil, a paintbrush, a slice of pizza, the Edgewater Hotel, the Kalakala ferry, and Professor Trevor Kincaid.