Lifestyle & Art

Section

Kate Jonker Portfolio

Softness, by Kate Jonker
Softness, by Kate Jonker. Tubular hydroid, photographed using a very slow shutter speed and wide-open aperture to create a dreamy effect. Lit with two torches, one with a yellow filter and one with a pink filter

Kate Jonker is an award-winning underwater photographer and coach, internationally published writer and public speaker, dive boat captain and dive guide based in South Africa.

Setsuo Hamanaka Portfolio

Bigeyes, 65.2 x 90.1cm, oil on canvas oil on canvas by Setsuo Hamanaka
Bigeyes, 65.2 x 90.1cm, oil on canvas oil on canvas by Setsuo Hamanaka

Self-taught Japanese artist Setsuo Hamanaka creates beautiful, detailed and dynamic paintings of aquatic life in a variety of settings from the open ocean and mangroves to freshwater ponds and cityscapes. X-Ray Mag interviewed the artist to learn more about his creative process and what inspires him about the underwater realm.

Curtis Atwater Portfolio

Close Call, 12 x 16in, acrylic on canvas board, by Curtis Atwater
Close Call, 12 x 16in, acrylic on canvas board, by Curtis Atwater

Canadian artist Curtis Atwater creates beautiful paintings of marine life and underwater scenes that capture the light and dynamic motion of species under the waves. X-Ray Mag interviewed the artist to learn more about his creative process and perspectives.

Nansi & David Gallup Portfolio

Life Opalescent, 22 x 28in, oil on linen, by Nansi and David C. Gallup
Life Opalescent, 22 x 28in, oil on linen, by Nansi and David C. Gallup

American collaborative artists David Gallup and Nansi Bielanski Gallup create dynamic, compelling and atmospheric paintings of marine life and underwater scenes, rich with color, texture and light, inspired by their adventures under the waves. Well-traveled divers, the husband-and-wife team have dedicated their artistic endeavors to raising awareness and understanding of coral reef and ocean ecosystems.

Dave Clarke Portfolio

Octopus, electroformed copper sculpture, by Dave Clarke
Octopus, by Dave Clarke. Electroformed copper sculpture, 40 x 30 x 30cm

British artist and avid diver Dave Clarke, currently based in South Australia, creates beautiful, detailed and dynamic patinated copper, bronze and recycled steel sculptures of marine life, which seem to flow in the liquid medium of the sea. X-Ray Mag interviewed the artist to find out more about his creative process and perspectives.

Rico Besserdich Portfolio

No. 2, photo by Rico Besserdich
No. 2, photo by Rico Besserdich

Rico Besserdich is a widely published German artist, lecturer, photography instructor, writer, adjudicator and professional underwater photographer living in Turkey. His work has appeared in over 300 magazine and book publications around the world and has been translated into nine different languages.

Lisa Tubach Portfolio

A World Within a World Within a World, oil on canvas, 48 x 60 inches, by Lisa Tubach
A World Within a World Within a World, oil on canvas, 48 x 60 inches, by Lisa Tubach

Drawing on profound experiences underwater, as well as shark and reef conservation work in Belize, Hawaii, Puget Sound, Bahamas and Australia, American artist and James Madison University professor Lisa Tubach creates exuberant, dynamic and compelling paintings inspired by underwater forms, creatures and ecosystems, as well as the perils facing the ocean’s fragile reefs.

Judith Gebhard Smith Portfolio

Hammerhead, encaustic, 8x10 inches, by Judith Gebhard Smith
Hammerhead, encaustic, 8x10 inches, by Judith Gebhard Smith

Intrigued by the pairing of art and science, American artist Judith Gebhard Smith creates stirring, atmospheric and haunting pastel drawings and encaustic paintings of marine life and underwater scenes inspired by her experiences diving exotic locations around the world where she has met diverse and curious creatures of the underwater realm.

Olga Nikitina Portfolio

Red Fish in the Red Sea, by Olga Nikitina. Oil on canvas, 25 x 20cm
Red Fish in the Red Sea, by Olga Nikitina. Oil on canvas, 25 x 20cm

Russian artist Olga Nikitina is an underwater painter with a degree in interior design and a dive instructor at the Egyptian Red Sea who creates brilliant and beautiful impressionistic paintings capturing the sublime light and textures of coral reefs and the dynamic energy of marine life. X-Ray Mag interviewed the artist to learn more about her creative process and perspectives on art and life underwater.

Dray Van Beeck Portfolio

Parrotfish, 44 x 59cm, from the Hybrids digital art series by Dray van Beeck
Parrotfish, 44 x 59cm, from the Hybrids digital art series by Dray van Beeck

In this issue, we celebrate Dutch digital artist and dive professional Dray van Beeck, who passed away suddenly on 19 April 2021. Together with his wife, Karin, he managed the Bali Diving Academy Pemuteran in Indonesia. A fine artist, avid diver and underwater photographer, Dray created surreal and fantastical scenes in digital artworks composed using his own underwater images.