Sperm Whales Napping
Medium
PaintingMaterial
CanvasDescription
Oil, raw pigment, enamel on oil primed linen
38x38" (97x97cm)
When sperm whales need a nap, they take a deep breath, dive down about 45 feet and arrange themselves into perfectly-level, vertical patterns. They sleep sound and still for up to two hours at a time between breaths, in pods of 5 or 6 whales, presumably for protection. No one knew whales slept vertically until a 2008 study documented the behaviour. And no one captured a really good photo of it in the wild until 2017. French photographer Stephane Granzotto was documenting sperm whales in the Mediterranean for his book on the creatures when he came across sleeping whales. I was very moved by this information, and beauty of nature, enough so to paint from a photograph of Stephane's. I don't usually paint from a photo…Try it!
