C'mon down to the Whaling wall

By Nick Perry

Dennis Conner's work may need a bit of touching up, and Sir Peter Blake could be painting by numbers, but the big guns of world yachting will be lending a hand to the rapidly-developing America's Cup Whaling Wall.

American marine artist Wyland, with a little help from his yachtie friends, is painting the two-storey high, 128m-long mural on the western side of the Maritime Museum in the Viaduct Harbour.

It is the 84th wall Wyland has painted of a planned 100 around the world. His biggest, in California, used 25,000 litres of paint over more than one hectare of wall space.

"The first 83 were practises for this one," he jokes, "I have big visions, with whales charging along the wall, absolutely flying - its going to be great."

A far cry from the archetypal uncommunicative artist slaving away in private, the exuberant Wyland is inviting the public to come down and talk with him as he paints.

"I like everybody to get involved in the project and be a part of it."

"I have no idea of what the mural is going to look like. They [the museum] asked to see a rendering and were a bit nervous when I told them I don't do that."

"But they had seen my other work and said they believed in what I was doing."

Wyland says he was inspired to come to Auckland by the work Sir Peter was doing with the Cousteau Society, as well as being friends with the Hawaiian Abracadabra syndicate.

But the artist has a battle over whether he or Oscar the rescued Oahu dog gets to ride with the Hawaiians.

"Oscar is the 17th mammal and I am the 17th man," says Wyland.

He says the work is a gift to Auckland, and hopes it will inspire marine conservation. He is aiming to finish it by Friday, in time for the combined America's Cup and Louis Vuitton Cup opening ceremony.