Echo of the Blue Whale

This artwork was featured in the artist's 2024 solo exhibition, Living Ghosts: Above and Below the Waves, held at the Salamanca Arts Centre in Hobart, Tasmania. The exhibition focused on Tasmania's threatened and endangered marine species, highlighting the urgent need for conservation to prevent their disappearance.

The piece depicts the Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus), which is classified as Endangered both in Tasmania and globally by the IUCN.

At nearly 200 tons, the Blue Whale is the largest animal ever to have existed on Earth. Historically, whaling decimated its global population, and today, the species faces ongoing threats from vessel collisions, entanglement in fishing gear, climate change, and habitat pollution.

Efforts to protect the Blue Whale include international legal protections, whaling bans, and population monitoring.

Created using mixed media (paper and acrylic) on recycled board, the artwork is ready to hang.

In support of conservation efforts to protect Tasmania’s endangered marine life, 25% of the proceeds from this piece will be donated to the Australian Marine Conservation Society.

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Wendy now lives in Hobart, Tasmania, but she grew up in tropical North Queensland, so the flora and fauna of that region feature heavily in her work. She works mainly with heavy-bodied acrylics, applying the paint impasto style to create texture. She loves using bright colours, and is not afraid to get her hands dirty, as she often uses her hands and fingers instead of brushes!