This was a commission with a difference. The owner had taken the underwater photograph himself, and my job was to translate his encounter into paint — including the shimmering yellowtail scad moving around this incredible shark.

Grey nurse sharks look intimidating, with needle-like teeth visible even when their mouths are closed, but they're generally slow-moving, docile sharks and pose little threat to divers. Schools of fish often gather around them, creating scenes just like this one.

But they're also incredibly vulnerable. Females produce a maximum of just two pups at a time, usually breeding only every second year, which means populations recover painfully slowly when numbers are lost.

The animals that look most dangerous are sometimes the most fragile. Grey nurse sharks are both.

Acrylic and oil on canvas · 50 × 76 cm (20 × 30") · Original

Painted from a reference photograph by the collector.