SUSANNAH SAKAL

---

As a lifelong sailor, the idea for Fish n’ Charts came to me while sailing on an overnight passage to the Bahamas from Florida. Nautical charts are not only a navigational tool, they also hold the ancient traditions of the sea. While diving and snorkeling, I would encounter multiple species of fish and witness them swimming below the very waters the charts above described. This inspired me to create art that combined paintings of fish that are connected to the charts of where they lived. 

My process is to design the image of a particular species of fish, cut it on a wood substrate, and then search through nautical charts to find the area that describes the habitat of that particular species. I then create the image of the fish using combinations of acrylic and resin. Building up layers of color, I blend the image so that the fish appears to be swimming off the chart. I enjoy
combining the abstract with the realistic to produce pieces that tell a unique story.

​