UnderwaterPaintings by D. Schaffer

Original Oil Paintings of Underwater Marine Life from Northern California Dive Sites

Go to Artist's Statement Go to Artist's Resume Slideshow of Paintings


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Ling Cod in the Kelp - Oil Painting
Ling Cod in the Kelp
36"Wide x 60"High
original oil painting available
California Kelp - Oil Painting
California Kelp
36"Wide x 60"High
original oil painting available
Kelp in Monterey Bay
Kelp in Monterey Bay
30"Wide x 30"High
original oil painting available
Kelp Forest in Monterey Bay
Kelp Forest in Monterey Bay
36"H x 18"W
original oil painting available
Sea Surge in the Kelp Forest
Sea Surge in the Kelp Forest
48"Wide x 24"High
original oil painting available
prints available

What's a giclee print? Click here for more information.
Giant Purple Sea Star
Giant Purple Sea Star
24"Wide x 24"High
original oil painting available
prints available
Red Anemones and Bat Starfish
Rock Star
(Rock Fish + Starfish)
20"Wide x 20"High
sold

Harbor Seal in Monterey Bay Kelp
Harbor Seal in Monterey Bay Kelp
28"Wide x 32"High
original oil painting available
Featured on the January, 2006 cover of
California Diving News
Click here for more info.
Rainbow Starfish
Rainbow Starfish in Monterey Bay
20"Wide x 20"High
original oil painting available
prints available
Featured on the December, 2002 cover of California Diving News
Click here for more info.
Looking Up at the Boat
Looking Up at the Boat
48"Wide x 36"High
oil painting on linen covered birch panel
original oil painting available
Harbor Seal in Rocks
Harbor Seal in Undersea Rocks
24"Wide x 22"High
original oil painting available
Portrait of a Harbor Seal
Portrait of a Harbor Seal
24"Wide x 24"High
original oil painting available
Charlie's Zodiac on Carmel Bay
Charlie's Zodiac on Carmel Bay
55"Wide x 25"High
tryptych on three canvases
original oil painting available
prints available
Rock Crab and Strawberry Anemones
Rock Crab and Strawberry Anemones
18"Wide x 24"High
original oil painting available
Spider Crab
Spider Crab in Monterey Bay
24"Wide x 22"High
original oil painting available
Green Anemones in the Rock of Monterey Bay
Green Anemones in the Rocks of Monterey Bay
49"Wide x 21"High
tryptych on three canvases
original oil painting available
Hydrocoral in Monterey Bay
Hydrocoral in Monterey Bay
16"Wide x 16"High
original oil painting available
prints available
Cold Water Coral
HydroCoral - Cold Water Coral
18"Wide x 18"High
original oil painting available
Cabezon in the Kelp Holdfasts
Cabezon in the Kelp Holdfasts
32"Wide x 28"High
original oil painting available
Ling Cod in Dark Mode Oil Painting
Ling Cod in Dark Mode
28"Wide x 22"High
original oil painting available Jury selected as
promotional artwork piece for
2003 Bodega Bay Fisherman's Festival

Red Anemone in Monterey Bay
Red Anemone in Monterey Bay
20" x 20"
original oil painting available
Masking Crab in Deep Water
Masking Crab in Deeper Water
20" x 20"
original oil painting available
Starfish Stampede
Starfish Stampede
60"Wide x 36"High
original oil painting available
Fantasized Undersea Aberration
Fantasized Undersea Aberration
30"Wide x 20"High
Not For Sale
Spider Crab
Spider Crab in Monterey Bay
24"Wide x 22"High
original oil painting available
Rockfish in Monterey Bay
Blue Rockfish in Monterey Bay
40"Wide x 30"High
original oil painting available
prints available


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Paintings from our March, 2002 trip to the Silver Banks
(between Dominican Republic and Turks & Caicos Islands)

Oil Painting of Encounter with a Humpback Whale Mother and Calf
Encounter with a Humpback Whale Mother and Calf
28"Wide x 22"High
original oil painting available
prints available
Humpback Whale Looking at You Oil Painting
Humpback Whale Looking at You
prints available
Reflection of Humpback Pectoral Fin
Reflection of a Humpback Pectoral Fin
prints available
 

Paintings from our July, 2001 trip to Papua New Guinea
near New Britain Island

Shark's Dinner Oil Painting by Donna Schaffer
Shark's Dinner?
40"Wide x 30"High
original oil painting available
prints available
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With this body of marine life oil paintings, all created since 2001, I am endeavoring to recreate the images, colors, and shadows of the undersea world as I've seen it. However, these paintings are not "copies" of my undersea images. I adjust the lighting angles to counteract the effect of strobe lighting, or I remove the artificial light completely and give the painting an underwater feel where shadows are barely evident and contrast is low. Settings are based on reality, I won't create a school of "pretty fish" in a species that never schools. I won't mix marine life into a setting that wouldn't occur. In my painting technique, I don't strive for picture-perfect realism, in fact, many of the paintings work well as abstracts too.

The silver thread is that these paintings are meant to resonate with scuba divers and marine biologists. Many paintings are planned for this Northern California series, and with each dive I go on, I have more subjects I wish to paint!Artist's Statement Click the "About the Artist" button for more information on this series of paintings. You can contact me, Donna Schaffer at 707-328-5281 or e-mail me at dsscha@hotmail.com.

Copyright © 2002-2007 by Donna S. Schaffer
All rights reserved.
All images on this website are copyrighted!


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UNDERWATER WORLD ARTISTS NET
Institute of Underwater Art