Sink or Swim

If you’re signed up to my mailing list you’ll already know that I’ve made what’s felt like a really big decision: From now on I will only be creating sea related illustration and products. 

The catalyst for this was last year’s 100 Day Project which resulted in 100 Things That Live in the Sea. I so enjoyed this project and the final outcome; it all just felt right. I’ve always loved wildlife and until now sharing my love of it through illustration meant drawing and painting all the animals I could think of, but I started feeling lost and a bit overwhelmed. The sea creature illustrations slowly started to take over and when I looked at all of the work I had on offer I felt I no longer made sense to make and sell all the animals, but instead to focus on but it feels part of the natural world that has always fascinated me.

When I was for years old I was given The Little Mermaid on VHS as a birthday present and I was totally obsessed. As a student I obsessively watched Blue Planet DVDs, repeatedly. If I’d been another sort of person I might have studied marine biology, but I’m not, so I paint sea creatures, rather than study them, which I suppose is my way of learning about them. And then there is the connection to my dad, who grew up by the sea in Spain, and always talked of it as this mysterious, dangerous but amazing thing. 

So there will be no more cats and dogs, but my shrimps are sticking around and there’ll be lots more whales and other lovely sea creatures coming over the year. If you’re interested in my other work I’ve created an online portfolio at www.VictoriaDraws.com which I will update as often as my over-active brain will let me.