Gaze of the Coral Sea is a surreal watercolor painting which is focusing on a half submerged human eye surrounded by bleached and healthy coral. I chose watercolor as my work’s major medium, fluid texture that perfectly captures seawater’s softness and coral’s fragility. I used watercolor for delicate nature studies, and its layering technique lets me vividly contrast healthy and bleached coral states.
My idea and concept development came from human vision to ocean health. In my painting, the eye reflects a ship, symbolizing human impact. There’re also two artists who inspire me: Janet Hassinger’s detailed coral watercolors and Sean Yoro’s underwater eye
murals, they both guided my symbolic and technical choices.
Through my exploration of the ocean theme, I realized that how deeply human actions could shape marine life. My work urges viewers to see the ocean’s fragility and recognize how our power could heal it.