My sustained investigation is about the connection between the ocean and life. For this project specifically I chose to focus on the diversity of marine wildlife. Not only do aquatic animals live in/near the ocean, but birds do as well. I chose to paint sand pipers. I chose them specifically because they are my favorite bird. I used gauche and water color to paint the ocean in the background. I used various brushstrokes for texture in the water. I layered different colors to add depth to the birds.