Prehistoric Creatures of the Sea 1991

Don Ivan Punchatz made this painting of sea creatures with what looks like acrylic or maybe gouache, using a limited palette of blues and greys. The application of paint is quite flat and opaque, lending a sense of stillness to the underwater scene. Look at how Punchatz uses a build-up of thin layers to create depth and form, a bit like glazing. It’s pretty smooth but up close you can see soft, dry brushstrokes that give the creatures texture, especially around the head and neck. There's one small detail I love; the tiny white marks which suggest stars or particles suspended in the water. The fish, in particular, have this great sense of volume. Punchatz has similarities with 70s artists like Roger Dean, whose album covers did so much to shape the aesthetic landscape of that period. Like Dean, Punchatz seems less interested in definitive answers and instead embraces ambiguity.