March 6th 2025 | DAF

Slowly We Unfold | Eric Zener, 2025

Such an impressive painting! All the different light being reflected throughout the water and the distorted reflection of the girl on the water’s surface requires so much attention to detail and understanding of the water itself to get right. The reflection could easily just look like a blob of colors, but instead, it is instantly recognizable as the girl’s reflection and perfectly captures how the uneven surface of the water can alter a person or object.

The skill is took to create this is insanely impressive, and the realism of the work is a star component, but I am just as impressed with how he was able to illustrate a feeling in this piece. As I look at the painting, I instantly know the feeling of swimming aimlessly around a pool and beginning to breach the water to take my next breath. The painting recreates a sense of the weight of the world being washed away and being surrounded by the freedom of the water.

I would love to right here in this painting and swimming around on a sunny day.