My series, 'Of High Seas and Low Tides' was one that stemmed from my will to explore extremely detailed work, however, the series took on a distinct theme right after my first illustration- the Sea Turtle, covered in coral.

As soon as I'd drawn this, it dawned on me that this is not the true state of our seas. What I had drawn was the ideal state, not reality.

So each image of Xanadu was drawn alongside one representation of Reality.

I wanted to feel my emotions swing when I looked at any of the drawings. When looking at the Octopus, I wanted to feel tangled. And I feel like I succeeded. 

A big part of this series for me was to draw emotion. To do that there were minor details I had to focus on. The fraying of rope, the creases in plastic, the flowiness of coral; things that contribute to the image but add an additional layer of 'the passing of time'. You see how long the trash has polluted the seas by the condition the trash itself is in. You see how alive the coral looks because it's young and new.

This was one of the first times I put in that level of focus and drew for the sake of more.

(For the entire series, please visit my Instagram page)

Merchandise of this series is available on my online store.