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Otters fill me with joy. Make no mistake they are an apex predator and I am glad I am not a salmon, but when you see them playing in the water they have a grace and agility that is simply mesmerizing.
For the past two years I have donated a piece of artwork to the UK Wild Otter Trust to be auctioned in support of their work rehabilitating injured otters. What I love about their approach is that they also work to increase understanding of otters in the wild. There is a natural antipathy between the fishing community and otters, but if you increase understanding and decrease points of conflict both nature and sport will benefit.
In the autumn of 2024 I was lucky enough to visit their rehabilitation site. It is not usually open to the public and we were careful not to get close to the otters. If they get too used to humans, they can never be released. However it was fascinating to see how they bring them back to heath and to see (at a distance) some of the young otters being nursed.
I painted this picture of three otters playing underwater after that visit. I wanted to capture their strength, agility and beauty. The gold aims to show you how precious our native wildlife is. Once they are gone, they are gone. They deserve our protection and respect. I hope that every time you look at this piece, it will catch the light and light up your hope, energy and playfulness.
It is a 90x90cm so will make an impact in any room. It is currently unframed, but if you want to increase the size or make it stand out from the particular wall where you plan to hang it, a float or tray frame would look good. The otters are painted in ink and watercolour on an especially prepared deep edge canvas. The background was then enhanced with hand stenciled texture, before imitation gold leaf was applied. The piece is protected and sealed using a UV resistant finish. It is strung and ready to hang.
You can find out more about their work here: https://ukwildottertrust.org/
