Seal of Reproval

The seal in this painting was the catalyst that provoked me into creating my eco art as a response to my mounting anger at the tidal wave of plastic and detritus in our streets, countryside, and oceans.

I came across the seal with a frisbee around its neck whilst on a sketching/wildlife watching trip at Blakeney Point, Norfolk. The tour leader said that the RSPCA had made repeated efforts to catch the seal, but it had always escaped. They believed that the plastic was cutting into the creature’s neck and that it was likely it would die of starvation or infection caused by a wound.

Inherent in the painting is my appeal to:

· Governments into prioritising sustainability and protecting our world

· Manufacturers into adopting better product design and more sustainable materials

· People to consider the impact of careless actions on other precious, living, creatures

I have deliberately chosen an anonymous beach setting to show that sort of tragedy this is happening everywhere rather than just a single event in Blakeney. The luminous sunset is used as an allegory of the approaching death of this creature and, as a result, that of its pup.