Echoes of Tranquility
Christina P. Wyatt paints a universe of fantasy full of wonder, vibrancy and her love for the ocean
To speak about Christina P. Wyatt’s artwork is to dive into an ocean full of symbols and metaphors. The sights are serene and quiet. One can almost feel the warm Floridian waters caressing the skin; invading the senses.
As a native Floridian, Wyatt grew up surrounded by water. Miami was home for many years until she moved to Maine, where she decided to pursue formal education in arts. She started with an Associate Degree in Applied Arts in 1978, from the University of Maine at Presque Isle. She then continued her visual arts studies at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, achieving a Bachelors Degree in painting and printmaking in 1981. The turquoise waves and white sands of Florida were calling her name.
Wyatt lived what she described as wonderful years in Maine and Virginia. Still, her heart never left her native state and in 1993 she decided to permanently settle in Fort Myers. She painted for herself until the year 2000 when she found an almost instant following with visitors at the popular galleries on the nearby islands of Sanibel and Captiva.
With a painting entitled The Gate Keeper, Wyatt introduced us to the magical creatures that would become her forte. The painting, created sometime i n the l ate 1990s, suggested a mermaid in the background. The artist describes the piece as a start of sorts since it opened a path to other magnificent compositions. “The first mermaid painting came not long after [ The Gate Keeper]” says Wyatt, who unfortunately does not have a photograph of the artwork, yet remembers it fondly.
WYATT MADE THE BEST OF HER AUSPICIOUS LEARNING AND INSTINCTIVELY COMBINED HER LOVE OF THE SEA AND THE WONDERFUL NATURE THAT SURROUNDS HER.
The artist’s portfolio includes much more than mermaid- themed pieces. Wyatt is a master surrealist who experiments with a variety of subjects. Her admiration for the late Nancy Camden Witt, who mentored Wyatt for a number of years, spun a revolution of pieces that defined the artist in the surrealistic movement. “I admire her immensely and her passing was a very difficult time for me,” comments the artist while holding a treasured signed and now very flimsy copy of the self- published book On Alternate Days: The Paintings of Nancy Witt.
Wyatt made the best of her auspicious learning and instinctively combined her love of the sea and the wonderful nature that surrounds her. The paintings developed into the perfect pairing of realistic, flawless figurative works with unexpected scenery and a touch of whimsy. Painting with acrylics and oils, her works portray aquatic scenes and beach landscapes in cool hues. The other, very unique ingredient to these masterpieces is Wyatt herself.
The most noticeable feature of this petite lady with short dark hair is her tranquil, serene deportment. She’s quiet and introverted, but very sweet and sincere. Much like the impeccably achieved scene in Ocean of Dreams, where two beautiful mermaids peacefully lay sleeping, curled up in a Yin- Yang position and covered in pearls and seashells. The artist’s quietude is conveyed onto this canvas, which stands as her most popular creation. “It [ the painting] has been very important and many reproductions have sold through the galleries that represent my work,” adds Wyatt, who spends months at a time on one single piece and prefers to sell signed
giclée reproductions of her works. The artist cooperative space, Tower Gallery, in Sanibel represents Wyatt’s artwork. President of Tower Gallery and fellow artist Steve Bufter has worked with Wyatt for several years. “Describing her style is best left to the critics and purchasers of her art, but she approaches fantasy with
THE ARTIST’S PORTFOLIO INCLUDES MUCH MORE THAN MERMAID- THEMED PIECES. WYATT IS A MASTER SURREALIST WHO EXPERIMENTS WITH A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS.
a realism that is hard not to fall in love with. Her tenure at the gallery is driven; I’m sure, by many things but certainly by the love for the arts,” says Bufter. “The gallery is approaching 32 years as an artist community and as such, has acquired a loyal following itself. The gallery is always a destination for returning residents and visitors to the island, and each of the 22 artists have their loyal collectors. Christina is a serious artist and The Tower Gallery represents serious art,” adds Bufter, who oversees and organizes events in conjunction with a committee of which Wyatt is currently a member.
The newest addition to this artist’s notable body of work is The Mermaid’s
Sanctuary. It is yet another example of the aptitude of the artist, whose imaginative creatures seem as real as the known fauna depicted around them. The anemones, shells and fish contribute to the stillness of the underwater setting, along with a curious, repeatedly present sea serpent that acts as the mermaid’s pet in many of Wyatt’s scenes.
Mermaids may not be real, but in Christina P. Wyatt’s underwater world, they are. They are as alive as you and me. Just stand before one of her paintings and submerge. Soon, you will find yourself deep- sea diving in a world of aqua blue, where swimming mermaids leave behind the overwhelmingly subtle sounds of tranquility.