Great Blue Shark| Marine Portraits Watercolor

A Portrait of the Sea in Strength

This one-of-a-kind Great Blue Shark gouache watercolor was originally painted more than fifteen years ago by CEDAR Y SAND founder Stacey Testa as part of a personal marine naturalist series for her father. Its streamlined body, cool vibrant steel-blue hues, and precise detail capture the shark’s commanding presence as one of the ocean’s most powerful predators. Now revisited and reimagined, the artwork is collaged with our signature hand-marbled suminagashi paper, where swirling tide-like patterns extend the movement of the sea into the matting itself.

From Brushstroke to Suminagashi

Each mat is hand-marbled onto Hosho paper using the Japanese technique of suminagashi, designed to echo the currents of water and air. Once dried, it becomes the setting for the painting—merging the lifelike realism of the shark with the fluid abstraction of marbled ink. The result is a portrait that feels both naturalist and poetic, a timeless study of ocean life.

Matted & Ready for Display

Professionally mounted in an archival off-white mat (24 x 18") with an image area of 19 3/8 x 10 1/4". Every piece is hand-painted, collaged, and assembled with care. Ready to frame, this shark portrait carries the presence of the sea into any space—whether coastal, contemporary, or collected.

A Gift of Sea & Story

Perfect for ocean enthusiasts, lovers of natural history, or collectors of one-of-a-kind art, this Great Blue Shark painting balances scientific detail with artisanal craftsmanship. Both a tribute to the shark’s majesty and to the memory of the sea, it makes for a distinctive and meaningful gift.

From the Suminagashi Impressions Collection

This artwork belongs to Marine Portraits, a series within Suminagashi Impressions, where gouache paintings of marine life are collaged with suminagashi-marbled mats. The series features Blackfin Tuna, Mutton Snapper, Cooked Lobstah, and Great Blue Shark—each one a one-of-a-kind original painted and reimagined with CEDAR Y SAND’s signature marbled paper. All pieces are designed, painted, and finished exclusively by CEDAR Y SAND in East Hampton, NY.