Wyland knew he had to get up close with the marine life he loved to depict in his ocean art.
By the late ’70s, the budding artist had already moved from Detroit to Laguna Beach, the place he first encountered a gray whale just offshore during a fateful summer vacation.
But Wyland was fascinated by other whale species – specifically the playful humpbacks – so he would soon split his time with the island of Maui, a tropical getaway where the then-starving artist could spend his days diving eye-to-eye with the massive, magnificent creatures.
Wyland’s famed gallery, which has been a part of the historic Lahaina town for nearly four decades, was destroyed in the deadly fire that tore through the community killing dozens of people and burning homes and businesses. The artist talked Tuesday about his storied past with the magical island that helped mold his artistic career.
It was in 1979 when Wyland said he decided he would spend his summers in Laguna Beach, doing the seasonal art festivals, and warm winters in Maui to get up close with his subjects.
He stayed at the Pioneer Inn before finding his own small studio just across from Lahaina’s massive, historic Banyan tree, with a view of the quaint harbor.
His tiny apartment on Front Street didn’t even have a shower, so he made friends with the dive shop owner downstairs, who would let him use the outdoor, ice-cold shower every morning, he said.
“I was a starving artist, then,” Wyland said. “I loved it, it was awesome.”
He was soon invited to be part of a research dive team, swimming eye-to-eye to humpback whales, which he became famous for depicting in his artwork.
“Those were the good old days, I would swim with humpback whales all day and come back and paint scenes,” he said. “It was the best life. It was just awesome. Lahaina had a profound impact on my art and life. So it’s very personal for me, to see it go up in flames like that.”
Wyland recalled seeing a big seawall near his…
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