How impressed with Wyland should I be?

So marine artist/environmentalist [Robert] Wyland was finishing up his 93rd Whaling Wall mural today in my neck of the woods. I went to watch a couple of times and brought the Little Miss Winterbottom, too. It was fun to see him spray painting the piece. He puts on a great show for the school children. He seems to be a very nice guy. And the whales are rather impressive.

But since I studied design and illustration, or “commercial art,” I’ve never been much in touch with the finer arts community.

So how is Wyland regarded as an artist?

I love his work and have one of his prints. When I visited his gallery on Maui, there was an original oil painting of a dolphin on display. The dolphin was pictured hanging vertically in the water, looking at the viewer. It was one of the most incredible paintings I’ve ever seen - I almost expected to see the dolphin swim away, and the light of intelligence in its eyes was remarkable.

I didn’t even look at the price. As the wife of an Army E-5, I knew there was no possible way I could afford it. I can still see it sometimes when I close my eyes.

Eh, I am underwhelmed by him, though I don’t think he’s as big a hack as Kincade.