the underwater painter capturing life from the seabed

russian born diving instructor and professional underwater painter olga belka captures scenes from below sea level, creating incredible portraits and still life paintings whilst resting on the seabed herself. after diving to the bottom of the sea with paints, brushes and canvas in tow, belka sets up shop, staying there for up to six hours at a time. whilst down there she carefully studies and captures the surrounding scenes, sometimes adding a little bit of her own imagination to complete each work.

images courtesy of olga belka via facebook

‘I wanted to capture the underwater beauty and share my impressions with other people‘, she explains. ‘an artist is not a profession, it is a mission. I want to share my vision of the underwater kingdom with the world. that is why I do paintings underwater. for me, the sea is a boundless resource of inspiration and energy.‘

ensuring that she only captures the beauty of the ocean rather than damages it, she uses only specific paint types and canvases that are environmentally friendly. belka lives in thailand where she teaches children and adults how to dive but often considers those who cannot afford to do so: ‘how can they see underwater beauties?’, she asks. ‘it is impossible to render this beauty with photos and videos.’