Koi carp in a feeding frenzy. A confusing vortex of yellow, orange and white carp. The complexity of this scene appealed to me as both a challenge to paint and a striking composition. The water's surface reduces some fish under it to ambiguous and flowing shapes while others burst above the surface to reach the food. I have tried to capture the bright colours and shimmering surface texture of the fish. To retain the bold appearance of the fish I have reduced many to a few block colours with greater focus and detail in the centre of the picture. Begun in 2005 this painting took five years to complete with the whole canvas being covered several times over before I was happy with the result. Oil on canvas over a stretcher type frame, this piece was dried for six months before being varnished to retain the vivid colours.
