After the Spill

Emil photographed this brown pelican - one of hundreds - about a mile off the Santa Barbara coast in May 2019, in the company of thousands of common dolphins right at the site of the world's first major marine oil spill in 1969. To me, the background of this painting subtly evokes the spill and brings memories of its resulting havoc, explains Emil. The colorful exuberance of the pelican celebrates the astounding recovery of marine life here, and hope for the future.