I painted this duology simultaneously, wanting to get the same tone in both of them. It was not a large stretch of the imagination to see a forest sprouting along my subject’s back. Marine iguanas vary hugely in colour and variety in terms of appearances, some with enormous spines like a mohawk. They can also develop calcification build-ups on their scales, making the texture of their skin utterly bizarre-looking. They are very impressive and agile swimmers, but I like them best when they lie flat out on the rocks like old men on holiday, drinking up the sun. The Winter iguana sits on the volcanic rock of hot springs found in Iceland, chosen because it too develops a strange calcification at the rising and falling water levels.

Acrylic on wood

120cm x 90cm

2021-2023

Original artwork and limited edition prints available for purchase