"Ocean Fire" explores the dissolving boundary between human and environment, merging into living systems of water current and marine life. The image was built gradually through layered transparencies of oil glazes and ground natural stones. Malachite, turquoise and ground lapis lazuli, red iron oxides and violet hematite are a few of the pigments used. Veils of lapis move across the painting like currents, allowing the viewer to look through the paint almost as if through water. The bubbles themselves are formed with lapis catching and shifting the light. Instead of just an underwater scene I hoped to build an environment out of geological color, allowing mineral pigments to create depth , movement and immersion.