Coral Reef

Artist: John W. Megahan

Title: Coral Reef

Media: Painting - Acrylics

Dimensions: 20” x 13”

Date: 2007

John W. Megahan has a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Masters of Biology.  He has a passion for both art and biology and eventually decided to combine the two and become a biological illustrator.  In 1996 he became the Sr. Biological Illustrator at the University of Michigan’s Museum of Zoology, he teaches at the University of Michigan’s School of Art, and does freelance work.

“John Megahan’s work is a stunning combination of precise realism and artistic expression.  Inspiration is found in varied landscapes from deserts to sea coasts, serene rivers to austere mountain views.  His wildlife portraits are truly captivating in their spiritual understanding of each animal he paints.”  – Pierre Paul Art Gallery

The piece “Coral Reef” is a painting that was one of the many illustrations Megahan created for a children’s book, “W is for Waves”.  The piece was created using acrylics.

The “Coral Reef” illustration now has a scene set under the sea.  The setting allows for us to see coral reef and a few creatures below the surface of the sea.  The foreground begins with a shaded orange piece of coral, which then moves to the far distance of the background, depicting more coral of various shapes and colors.  At the top of the drawing sits the beginning of the ocean, where sunlight beams down to help illuminate the coral reef down below.  The way the artist captured just below the surface of the sea and the light radiating down from the sunlight are key components as to why this piece struck a chord with me.