40x40 inch oil on canvas
 
COMMON NAME: 
Humpback Whale
 
SCIENTIFIC NAME: 
Megaptera novaeangliae
 
TYPE: 
Mammals
 
DIET: 
Omnivore
 
GROUP NAME: 
Pod
 
SIZE: 
48 to 62.5 feet
 
WEIGHT: 
40 tons
 
I wanted to paint the humback because of the challenge of it. With such intricate detail It was daunting to paint such an iconic animal. 
 
Humpback whales are found in every ocean in the world. Their Latin name, Megaptera novaeangliae, means "big wing of New England." It refers to their giant pectoral fins, which can grow up to 16 feet long, and their appearance off the coast of New England, where European whalers first encountered them. They have dark backs, light bellies, pleats on their throats, and a small hump in front of their dorsal fins, leading to the common name of "humpback."