Ship at Sea (Inverted)
by Myrna Galloway

Ship at Sea captures the relentless power of the ocean as waves crash against the hull, testing the vessel’s strength. The scratchboard medium heightens the contrast—dark, churning water etched in sharp strokes against the solid form of the ship. It is a study in endurance: the ceaseless motion of the sea against the fragile determination of man’s passage through it.
 
Scratchboard as a Medium

Scratchboard is one of the most precise and unforgiving art forms. Each piece begins as a board layered with white clay, sealed beneath a coating of black India ink. Instead of adding pigment, the image is revealed by carefully removing the ink surface with razor blades and fine tools, exposing the white beneath.
 
Every stroke is permanent—there is no erasing, no painting over, no second attempt. This means the process requires complete control and foresight, with a true zero margin of error. Shadows, highlights, and textures are built line by line, stroke by stroke, often numbering in the thousands. The result is an image sculpted out of light, where fur, feathers, or intricate details emerge from the darkest surface.
 
The work is intensely time-consuming. A single piece may take weeks or months, as layers of precision cuts gradually form gradients, depth, and atmosphere. Scratchboard demands not only technical mastery but patience, discipline, and endurance. It is a medium that balances exacting control with the risk of permanence, producing artworks defined by their striking contrast and extraordinary detail.
 
 
 
11″ x 14″ (Vertical)
16″ x 20″ (Vertical)
18″ x 24″ (Vertical)
Canvas width, in
10.98
15.98
17.99
Canvas height, in
14.00
20.00
24.00
Canvas depth, in
1.25
1.25
1.25
Frame depth, in
1.75
1.75
1.75