Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has been working with Southampton-based artist and illustrator, Hannah Horn, to create a series of large, interlocking artworks that celebrate the Solent’s extraordinary marine life.
The murals, which consist of six underwater scenes painted and inked onto 8ft-by-8ft (2.4m by 2.4m) boards of marine plywood, took the artist around 65 days to complete.
Six locations
The artworks are being displayed at six coastal locations around the coast of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
When pieced together, the individual works form a giant 24ft-long (7.3m) and 16ft-high (4.9m) map of the Solent, showcasing a variety of captivating species including thresher sharks, undulate rays and mantis shrimp.
Where to find them
The murals will be displayed indefinitely at their locations. In Hampshire, they can be found at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Southsea, the Calshot Activities Centre near Southampton and the Hill Head Sailing Club in Fareham.
On the Isle of Wight, they are on display at The Needles Landmark Attraction, the Aqualibrium Galley at St Helens Duver and on the Queen’s Road, Cowes.
Secrets of the Solent
The Trust commissioned the series as part of their National Lottery supported project, Secrets of the Solent, which works to celebrate and raise awareness of Solent’s protected species and habitats.
Ferrero: Solent home to a wealth of marine life
Dr Tim Ferrero, Senior Marine Biologist at the Trust, said,
“The Solent is home to a wealth of marine life which is seldom seen by visitors to the shore or even by those who live around it.
“From migrating thresher sharks to our carbon-storing seagrass meadows, there is much hidden beneath the surface which is worthy of our protection. Our project is on a mission to raise awareness of this vibrant environment and art is a great tool by which to do that.
“We hope these murals inspire viewers to learn more about the wildlife in the Solent and take action to protect it.”
The Trust hopes the murals will become landmarks in their locations and inspire viewers to take an interest in the area’s diverse marine environment, including its internationally important seagrass meadows.
Seagrass meadows support rich biodiversity and provide crucial nursery and foraging areas for a variety of wildlife, including the UK’s two protected seahorse species.
On one of the mural panels, a cuttlefish can be spotted attaching its dark black eggs, known as sea grapes, to a long frond of seagrass.
On another panel, a thresher shark with its characteristic long tail can be seen approaching a school of fish. Thresher sharks visit an area off the coast of the Isle of Wight every summer, where it’s believed they breed and have their young.
One of the most recent to be installed is an artwork featuring an undulate ray and small-spotted catshark at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Southsea,
Harper: It’s important to raise awareness about local marine wildlife
Rebecca Harper, an aquarist at the Blue Reef Aquarium, said,
“We’re excited to receive this mural at Blue Reef as it really represents the diversity present within the Solent.
“It’s important to raise awareness about local marine wildlife – specifically the shark family, as their numbers are declining throughout the world.”
To bring the murals to life, artist Horn utilised a variety of artistic techniques, including pen and ink linework. She also employed iridescent and metallic paints to give vibrant animals like sea slugs a more life-like, luminous appearance.
Horn: A wonderful opportunity to learn about the marine species
Artist Hannah Horn said,
“My work centres around the beauty of the natural world and showcasing animals in their natural habitats, so I saw this project as a wonderful opportunity to learn about the marine species in the waters local to where I live, and to document them in a creative way.
“Deciding how the murals would fit together to make one giant picture while still functioning as standalone artworks was challenging but ultimately very rewarding.
“I hope that people enjoy the murals and come away with a curiosity for the amazing variety of species that can be found throughout the Solent.”
To see a map of the mural locations and learn more about the Secrets of the Solent project, visit the Website.
News shared by Jake on behalf of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. Ed
Image: Top image of Hannah Horn in front of Blue Reef mural © Sian Addison
