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50×40
2018
A turtle is not just an animal. It’s an entire ecosystem. The turtle shell is inhabited by suckerfish, lionfish “graze” on it. I’ve been meaning to capture this harmonious world. Тurtles used to take walks in deep water in this area. I was lucky that Sasha, a divemaster who was assisting, knew their habits so well. We found two turtles immediately at a depth of 28 meters. Divers know that even being provided with nitrox, I had very little time at my disposal. I don’t think I’ve ever worked experiencing such a severe lack of time. The conditions were perfect, the turtles circled me, posed in turns, and were really great.
I finished the painting on the second dive at a lower depth already without the turtle. In such a way I completed painting the lionfish and grass. The painting is characterized by large strokes and lack of detail. I decided to leave it as it was perceived at depth.
P.S. Underwater artist Olga Belka thanks the Anantara group and especially the Anantara Dhugu resort in the Maldives for hospitality, full assistance, and support, as well as the Aquafanatics dive center for safety and the best diving conditions when creating this underwater artwork.