If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of the renowned artist Wyland. Over the decades, his artwork has inspired environmental awareness and conservation, specifically as it relates to the marine world. His art encompasses many mediums, from photography to sculpture, from jewelry to massive murals. An environmentalist for decades, Wyland created The Wyland Foundation to give children the necessary tools to nourish their creativity while learning the importance of healthy oceans and waterways. The foundation strives to both inspire and empower children to become stewards of our marine world through education, public projects, and community events.
During DEMA — the scuba industry’s main trade show — last year, Wyland was hard at work at the Sherwood Scuba booth. He brought with him an octopus statue and his boundless creativity. Right there on site, he painted one of the Sherwood tanks with a blazing red octopus. From that original painting, Sherwood Scuba has created 250 cylinders with the lithograph of Wyland’s work. They’re available for sale at dive retailers across North America for $270 USD ($365 CAD). The proceeds of every sale will go back to the non-profit Wyland Foundation.
But if you’d like the original tank, you’re in luck — it’s up for auction right now on eBay. One hundred percent of the proceeds of the tank auction, along with the table he used to paint the tank, will go to the Wyland Foundation. But you’d better hurry, the auction ends on Monday, March 27, at 9 a.m. PST.
Regardless of whether you bid on the original, buy a lithograph tank, or just want to admire the artwork, there’s a good chance that Wyland will be back at DEMA this year to produce another one of his works of art on a new Sherwood tank.
