In Defiance of the Gods Painting

This was a commission I completed in 2021. When I do wildlife art, I like to make sure that I get the details as correct as possible, both in the appearance and behavior of the animals depicted. As part of the preparation for this painting, I did a lot of reading on great white hunting behavior. A few interesting details you can see in this painting: Light angle: A recent study found that on non-overcast days great whites tend to attack with the sun behind them. Scarring: Great whites that have a diet heavy in pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, etc.) often have a fair amount of scarring on their snouts and faces owing to the fact that a lot of seals will fight back, biting and scratching the shark Eyes: Most people think that great white sharks eyes turn white when they attack because a nictitating membrane protects them, but this is actually incorrect. Great white sharks belong to the order commonly called mackerel sharks, a characteristic of which is a LACK of nictitating membrane to protect their eyes. Instead, great white sharks have a tough cartilaginous shield on the back of their eyes which they expose when they roll their eyes back into their heads to protect them during an attack. Seal defensive behavior: In the heat of a shark attack, seals can often be seen swimming closer to the shark rather than trying to run away, you can see videos where seals pinwheel over or under the sharks snout, sticking close to the shark's skin rather than attempting a straight-line getaway. This is because in any contest with a shark, a seal's main defense is the sharks size and the seal's maneuverability. Sharks are also the only fish that lacks the ability to swim backwards. So the safest place for a seal to be at the start of the attack, is as close to the shark as possible, but behind the shark's violently swinging head, before they attempt to give the shark the slip and make their getaway. Seal's eyes: if you look closely you can see the shark reflected in the seals eyes

Painting:Oil on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:40 W x 30 H x 2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.