Ed Gorham has always been fascinated with water and the creatures that live in it. His process of painting mirros the movement of the water his creatures will inhabit on the canvas. He begins by covering the canvas in dark paint, then applying several colors, each thinned to a different viscosity to encourage the colors to mix in a sort of "controlled chaos." The painted surface dries, it appears that the paint is still flowing. Next he coaxes the creatures out of the background with brushes and palette knives. The multiple layers allo some creatures to remain in the background — dim and amorphous — while others become clear and intricately detailed, realistic, or even fantastical. Using this style, the artist can hide the main focal point in plain sight, and the viewer can involve himself in an exploration of the work to any degree, at any distance or angle.
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