Marine Wildlife Artist Colin Lapinskie

In spite of his artistic ability, Colin never set out to paint. His first dream was to join the military, but his parents persuaded him to attend college. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in drawing from Northern Illinois University. He recalls that his work during this time was very depressing and dark. He was not drawing for himself, but for his teachers. He was taught to steer away from realism, and consequently he concentrated on somber subjects using dismal colors.

His figurative paintings and drawings during college are works of gloomy interiors and figure studies. His first marine wildlife painting, Scattered, was completed after his graduation. It depicts a school of Heniochus Butterflyfish. Colin describes it as "a dark underwater painting"—a natural transition from his more drab works at university, to his future paintings of bright undersea wildlife.

Even though he is landlocked in Chicago, he has always had a love for the ocean. He remembers seeing some marine paintings and thinking, "people paint this sort of thing—this is what I want to do." His earlier works portray the "fantasy" style that is more commonly found as a theme in marine art.

In 2002, Colin decided to move more toward realism. It was a matter of pushing himself to paint what he really saw and loved about the ocean. He does not want his paintings to be strictly a photographic representation; but rather, a depiction of the artist`s passion to capture the life of the ocean through his art. Colin feels his paintings—Frenzy and Dolphins of Tsuneo— capture this passion best.

Colin is an avid hobbyist of aquariums; and although not a certified scuba diver, loves to snorkel. He has been to various places in the Caribbean Sea, Pacific and Indian Oceans.

He is intrigued by the ocean and its` beautiful colors. He feels like it is a different world entirely. By combining this love of undersea wildlife and art, he finds painting to be therapeutic and something he must do.