Three Mackerel on a Plate

I painted these mackerel on a heavy old oak panel. The paint behaves differently on wood and I was able to capture the texture of the fish and the wet shine on their skin by using the paint in slightly transparent layers. This painting was about me respecting the handsome beauty of mackerel, these fish always remind me of the clear waters on the west coast of Scotland, when I would hang a line optimistically over the stern of the boat, but hope someone was around to help me take anything I caught off the hook…