Gregg Hamby, left, and Laguna Beach artist, Wyland, work together to recreate the first of Wyland’s 100 whaling walls on a giant canvas adjacent to his gallery in Laguna Beach on Monday, July 15, 2019, 38 years after he first painted the mural on the Hotel Laguna. Hamby has worked with Wyland for over 20-years and his art director. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
By LAYLAN CONNELLY | [email protected] | Orange County Register
Robert Wyland’s hand moved swiftly, adding vibrant color to the kelp in his 130-foot-long masterpiece, the ocean glistening just a short distance away.
The artist thought back to when he first stood at this spot in Laguna Beach off South Coast Highway, 38 years ago, creating his very first Whaling Wall, one that would inspire 99 more massive murals set on buildings and walls around the world.
It was his 25th birthday when he painted this wall on the Hotel Laguna property. At the time, it was meant to be his one and only.
This mural has special meaning not just because it was the start of what would become a lifetime effort making his marine mark around the world – but because he’s been waiting patiently for decades to give a piece of his art back to Laguna Beach after the mural was destroyed.
“It’s funny how the universe works,” he said, blue paint covering his hands. “It’s being reborn.”