Inspired by the work of Jacques Cousteau, Wyland began painting the underwater realm in the early 1970s, hoping people would respond to his work's message of environmental responsibility.
Today, he is the world's most widely collected marine life artist, internationally renowned as a pioneer of the environmental art movement. An estimated one billion people view his artwork each year — particularly the mammoth Whaling Wall murals he paints to promote the preservation of the oceans and their creatures.
Over the years, Wyland has explored many mediums — painting in oils and watercolors, sculpting in bronze and Lucite, shooting fine art nature photographs, even creating expressionistic abstracts that incorporate seawater. His art captures whales, dolphins, sea turtles, manatees and reef life in their natural habitat, alive with spirit and grace.
Wyland's paintings and sculptures are known for their vivid coloration, true-to-life detail, and the soul that shines through the eyes of each marine creature portrayed. A passionate diver, he spends innumerable hours each year swimming with aquatic inhabitants, drawing inspiration that fuels both his art and his life.
Philippine-born Arozi is a self-taught artist who began drawing at an early age. Now living in Australia, he has gained international renown for painting passionate seascapes that showcase the translucent light of the ocean and the transparent light of the sky.
Arozi defines his style as realism based on fantasy, and his art as a quest to capture the ocean's magnificence and the light that illuminates it.
He uses both real and fictional locations for his settings, blending light and shadow to depict the breaking waves of the sea against the sky. He employs the technique of glazing: superimposing thin layers of paint atop each other to achieve a rich depth of color.
The storms that have churned the world's seas in recent years have inspired an evolution in Arozi's artwork and his palette. In his sailboat series he strives to communicate the exhilaration and challenge of sailing through an unexpected storm. His series featuring stormy shorelines uses dark colors to emphasize the ocean's turbulence and evoke the sense of a tempest.
Steve Barton is renowned for the lively textures, vibrant colors and masterful brushwork that characterize his casually elegant scenes of cottages, tropical locales and arrangements of bright blossoms.
His paintings convey a feeling of warmth, relaxation and joy. Each image draws viewers into a colorful world of serenity and renewal -- offering a refreshing visual haven to counter the stresses of everyday life.
To make his paintings seem as one with their frames, Barton has created a unique wavy frame. The frame becomes part of the painting it surrounds, giving art lovers the opportunity to see it from different perspectives as they view from different angles.
Romero Britto’s pop art pieces are vibrant with color, commanding yet whimsical. For example, his paintings of fish, some with knowing eyes that seem to follow the viewer, illustrate his unique sense of humor.
Britto was born in Brazil and has traveled through Europe, finding inspiration by viewing the works of past masters. After relocating to Miami, he was commissioned by Absolut Vodka to design an image incorporating the vodka’s logo for its popular ad campaign.
Today acclaimed around the world, Britto believes art can reflect a celebration of the good and simple things in life. He shares that celebration with collectors at Wyland Galleries.
The canvases of Wil Cormier depict a serene world of mystical underwater cities, mermaids of Atlantis, and shipwreck treasure.
Paintings of vivid blues and greens interspersed with splashes of vibrant color, intricate detailing, and a feeling of playfulness draw viewers into the scene — enticing them much as a storyteller entices with words.
Cormier developed a fascination with the ocean and marine life while assisting his father with marine research. Following a successful career as a commercial illustrator, where he won numerous awards and honors for his movie posters and book covers, Wil Cormier returns to his artistic roots through his imaginative and joyful seascapes.
Though he once was a working cowboy, William DeShazo is fascinated by the ocean.
His seascapes are characterized by an unparalleled use of light that infuses each canvas with a sense of the motion and grace of waves and spray. Using the painting and glazing techniques of the Old World masters, DeShazo creates images whose pure color detail have earned worldwide praise.
He paints in oils on smooth, rigid panels. A single painting may have as many as thirty layers of paint and glaze, and may take as long as two months to complete. The care DeShazo pours into his work, and his exceptional grasp of color, are apparent in each finished piece.
In one painting, light blossoms from the windows of a water's-edge cottage framed in bushes and flowers; in another, a full spectrum of sunset hues is recreated through a skillful use of graduating levels of color.
Always, DeShazo strives to engage viewers' emotions by putting his own emotion into each piece — while leaving an element of mystery to spark the imagination.
Born in Chongqing, China, Yongqun Guo developed her unique painting style after studying with traditional Chinese artists. She uses handmade paper and rice paper in her intricate drawings, and long-lasting ink colors derived from natural material.
Guo's village scenes feature the architectural style, landscape and huge trees of her hometown. Her paintings of cranes, which symbolize good luck and loyalty in China, depict native Asian Crown cranes or American sand cranes.
The movement in Guo's paintings — storms, wind, animals running, birds flying — adds mystery and life. She leaves space for viewers to use their imaginations, bringing immediacy and personal involvement to her vibrant images.
Scott Hanson's love of the Pacific Ocean and its marine life led him to move from his native California to Hawaii. Now based in Kona, he has gained a worldwide reputation as a master sculptor of contemporary marine art.
Hanson is an avid diver who can hold his breath for over five minutes, enabling him to free-dive to depths of over 100 feet to view the marvels of deepwater ocean life. The talented artist uses his underwater camera to capture the exotic marine life he sees.
From his photographs, Hanson fashions his unique bronze and stainless steel creations — from mini-sculptures to glass-topped sculpture-based tables to monumental pieces more than 18 feet tall. His work captures the fluid motion and shimmering grace of his favorite subjects, such as dolphins and mantas, in their ocean habitat.
As a dedicated conservationist, Hanson supports a number of environmental organizations. His art has been recognized by celebrities, dignitaries and corporations alike; his corporate client list includes such prestigious names as Ford Motor Company and Excel.
Guy Harvey's multifaceted background as a marine biologist, scuba diver, conservationist and angler brings a dimension to his art that sets the highest standard for quality and realism. His detailed artwork is instantly recognizable, whether the format is original painting, giclee, tile art, or mural.
Harvey's abiding devotion to artistic and environmental education shows his respect for the sailfish, tuna, marlin, and other marine life that he depicts.
Guy Harvey first exhibited his work in his native Jamaica, presenting a collection of illustrations inspired by Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea." Currently residing in Grand Cayman, Harvey travels worldwide for continuing inspiration.
Michael Maiden is the world's leading sculptor of the American bald eagle. His bronzes showcase the eagle's natural grace and raw power, depicted with the exquisite attention to detail and supreme knowledge of the species that typify his work.
Whether spreading their wings to soar triumphantly, or landing in a moment of arrested motion, Maiden's eagles carry a powerful symbolism. Rich patinas lend color and vibrant life to each bronze.
Maiden is also known for monumental sculptures such as a reproduction of the U.S. Capitol Building's statue of Freedom, and the Whidbey Island Naval Aviation Memorial in Washington State.
As well as eagles, Maiden creates engaging bronze depictions of Florida's pelicans among other subjects. In addition, he produces remarkable avian contornos, or sketches carved from cast sheets of bronze.
Before beginning his own career in sculpture, Michael Maiden established a respected fine art foundry that casts bronzes for other artists including Wyland. His work can be found in corporate and private collections and museums around the world.
The son of artist Milan, Migvel inherited his father's creative passion and made it his own. His images portray the natural wonders of Hawaii, from the region's violet-hued peaks to its golden beaches fringed with windswept palms.
Migvel's canvases examine rainbow-wreathed mountains, sunsets shimmering across the water and waves sweeping over half-submerged rocks. Always, he applies expertly blended color to illuminate and highlight his subjects, while his work's dynamic motion communicates the vitality of the living sea.
Widely acclaimed for the power and majesty of his paintings, this second-generation artist is first in the eyes of collectors from several continents.
Born in the Philippines' Angeles City, Milan began painting as a young child. His work captures both the energy and enticing serenity of his subjects in nature.
He is completely self-taught and uses primary colors in his palette, expertly mixing them to achieve the delicate hues of lush tropical pools, the deeper shades of dense forests, and the sensitive variety of colors of the waves in the ever-changing sea.
Milan's beginnings in the world of art were in the commercial field; today his fine art has been commissioned by prominent collectors from around the globe — including Australia, Europe, the United States, and his native Philippines.
The vibrantly-colored paintings of Australian artist Velia Newman express her love for the beauty of her surroundings. The beaches, surf, natural bushland and water activities of her homeland are a major influence in her work.
Mostly self-taught, Newman began painting when she was just nine years old, following in the footsteps of her mother, romantic impressionist Anita Newman. She has also worked in ceramics and other mediums.
Newman’s dynamic images have appeared in numerous Australian galleries as well as throughout Asia and the United Kingdom. She lives and paints on the northern beaches of Sydney and is widely acclaimed as an artist to watch.
Noelito began painting when he was six, using scraps of wood, burlap, and paper as his canvases. Now an accomplished artist whose work is collected internationally, he draws his inspiration from the paintings of Rembrandt as well as other Flemish artists.
Noelito employs a technique known as chiaroscuro, contrasting light and shadow effects to create a dramatic balance between the elements portrayed. He applies his paints in thin translucent layers, one atop the other, using powerful colors and gradients of hue to achieve the rich depth of color for which he is known. His seascapes fuse passion and technique, mystery and emotion.
Born in the Philippines, Noelito lived in Hawaii for many years, depicting the area's magical sunrises and sunsets, moments of wave-swept motion and soft light filtering through the waters of the sea.
Now Noelito has returned to his native Philippines, where he donates his time teaching art to underprivileged young students. In this way, he believes he is giving to others the inspiration he found in his own childhood.
Grant Pecoff’s land-and-waterscapes, blending the realistic and the abstract, portray a world glowing with vibrant life.
His penchant for using vibrant, unexpected colors to depict familiar scenes was sparked by an assignment during his studies at San Francisco’s Academy of Art. Instructed to convert a favorite photo into an abstract image, he discovered a new worldview that gave his creativity an exuberant new freedom.
Today, Pecoff continues to create pieces rich in the color that, he says, represents the joy of life and character of the world. His subjects include boats against water dancing with light, lush tropical foliage, and everyday vistas transformed by his unique perspective.
The work of surrealist painter John Pitre has influenced American art for more than 30 years.
Widely considered an artistic visionary, Pitre incorporates sacred aspects and powerful social commentary into his paintings. He uses his art to encourage viewers to consider life's biggest questions, and discover what lies within their hearts and minds. Many of his well-known canvases explore man's spiritual leanings.
Throughout his career, Pitre has been extremely successful in combining visual beauty with an underlying message. His interpretations of such issues as overpopulation, ecological destruction and nuclear war have made his paintings modern-day classics. His masterful "Restrictions" has been translated into a million-selling poster.
Pitre, who calls himself a storyteller, creates his painted worlds from his imagination rather than from reference. He begins the process of creation by contemplating a theme that moves him.
A resident of Honolulu, Pitre is an inventor as well as a fine artist. He is the developer of Genesis Paint, a heat-set paint that combines the best qualities of acrylics and oils.
Born in Detroit, Steven Power moved to Southern California in early childhood and became a dedicated surfer — a pastime he still enjoys, which provides ongoing artistic inspiration.
The son of a commercial automotive designer, Power now lives on Oahu and paints tropical fantasy landscapes in an ultra-realistic style. Through his work, he seeks the perfect natural world just as a surfer seeks the perfect wave.
He is best known for brilliant images that may incorporate sparkling waterfalls, high mountain peaks, lush jungle vegetation, or seas bathed in diamond-bright light — whatever elements he sees as necessary to depict the universal ideal of paradise.
Romme’s enthusiasm for painting comes naturally; he is the son of Milan, whose works have entranced Wyland Galleries’ collectors for many years. He himself is best known for masterful seascapes -- many featuring windswept waves so realistic that viewers can almost feel the salt spray.
Romme discovered painting when he was 22 years old, and since then has immersed himself in learning and creating.
His passion for art may be inherited, but his canvases depict the majesty of ocean and shore with a grace all his own. He believes that he will never tire of painting beautiful seas and shores.
Inspired by training from his artist father and an apprenticeship with seascape master Noelito, Rommel has emerged as a powerful force in the contemporary art world.
Yet he was not always able to devote his professional life to fine art. To meet family obligations, he worked in furniture and aircraft design before returning to the painting he could not deny.
A resident of Pampanga in the Philippines, today Rommel is known for his warm, inviting floral portraits. His images embrace the bold, vibrant palette learned from his early mentors — fusing color and harmony into compelling canvases that showcase some of nature's most perfect creations.
Dino Rosin is world-renowned for his superlative sculptures in glass.
Rosin was born in Venice, Italy, and his family moved to the glassmaking island of Murano when he was two months old. He honed his craft studying with leading Italian artists in glass, and later collaborated with legendary masters including Picasso and Chagall.
Rosin is best known for his use of the striated glass called calcedonia. His sculptures are characterized by rich cobalt blues, rose tones and even reds — as well as a rare grace of line and form. The exact flow of lines and color of calcedonia cannot be duplicated, making each of his pieces unique.
Barry Stein’s unique sculptures of frogs and other wildlife are inspired by his desire to share with others the beauty of nature. His understanding of his subjects’ anatomy enables him to create in exquisite detail.
Oregon resident Stein is a self-taught artist who has spent countless hours in the wild researching and observing. He carves his originals in wood, allowing for exquisite detail, then casts them in bronze and applies their patinas
Barry Stein’s sculptures, including his vibrant and whimsical frogs, are displayed in national and international venues. They can also be found in prestigious collections around the world, including that of the Pentagon.
Tracy Taylor, a painter of lively watercolors that incorporate a vivid sense of whimsy, feels that one of the primary values of her art is its approachability. She refers to her technique as "advanced coloring book"—drawing pictures and then coloring them in with vibrant-hued watercolors.
Taylor's work invites viewers to share its creator's sense of lighthearted enjoyment. She is perhaps best known for her exuberant, expressive paintings of tropical fish.
Using splashy, appealingly smudgy primary colors, Tracy Taylor captures the vitality of the undersea world and the personality of its denizens — allowing collectors to experience them both without getting wet.
Tiamson began painting at the age of 12 in his native Angeles City in the Philippines. His childhood works were carefully scrutinized by his father, also an artist, who became his first teacher and mentor.
Tiamson believes that every creature is a work of art, and this belief is apparent in the versatility of his creations.
From the exotic flowers of tropical Hawaii to his surreal and abstract modern images, there is no area in which Tiamson does not shine. Driven by his art's excitement and challenge, he employs a unique style and vibrant color palette that appeal to a wide range of discriminating collectors.
Hawaii-based artist Walfrido has earned international acclaim for his passionate, powerful seascapes. His classic work is influenced by the light and strokes of the impressionists and the time-honored precision of the Old Masters.
Walfrido finds particular satisfaction in creating dramatic interpretations of natural vistas, often tinged with symbolic meaning. The changing moods of the sea provide a touchstone for his work.
Whether centering on flower-rimmed water's-edge caves, a blazing ocean sunset or the delicate dance of light on breaking waves, his images impart a mindful sense of energy and hope.
An exploration into expressionistic palette knife techniques recently led Walfrido to discover a hybrid style that combines his traditional light-swept seas and skies with expressive details done with a palette knife.
Subjects explored in his hybrid canvases include waves and shorelines seen from oceanside caves, low-lying bridges whose curves recall the curves of the human form, and dock scenes conducive to daydreaming.
Walfrido is also acclaimed for powerful lava-inspired images that pulse with the raw energy of nature.
Jim Warren has spent more than 35 years creating a surreal body of work that combines elements of satire, whimsy and dedicated environmentalism.
His oil paintings tell stories, create enticing alternate worlds, and blend warm, realistic representations with fantasy-like themes.
Warren's work has been said to occupy a niche between Salvador Dali and Norman Rockwell. In one classic canvas, little-girl mermaids host a tea party in their underwater home. In another, a beautiful woman reveals the tiger that underlies her perfection.
Widely known as a "master of imagination," Warren has expressed his artistic vision in a multitude of ways during his career. In addition to painting fine-art canvases and commissions, he has done illustrations for hundreds of book covers, earned a Grammy Award for the cover of Bob Seger's "Against the Wind" album, and created an iconic environmental poster. He has also completed a group of paintings featuring favorite Disney characters.
His fine art has earned the soft-spoken Warren a legion of celebrity fans, ranging from author Clive Barker to actress Juliette Lewis.
Glass sculptor David Wight is known as “Big Wave Dave” for the majestic ocean waves he creates.
His stunning sculptures are inspired by the waves he has seen in his Pacific Northwest home and his travels throughout the Caribbean, where he was first enthralled by a waterfall.
Fascinated by water in all its forms, Wight studied at the Pilchuck Glass School under master instructor Therman Statom. He began his artistic explorations by creating blown glass water fountains, but soon moved on to making the water itself. Today, in an industrial-style foundry, he uses his deft and delicate touch to mold molten glass into shimmering wave sculptures.
