Watch: Guy Harvey Paint the Norwegian Escape
Norwegian Escape, with hull artwork by Guy Harvey (photo courtesy of Escape.NCL.com)
Guy Harvey has graced Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Norwegian Escape, with his marine life artwork.
Harvey portrays marine life with unparalleled authenticity and appeal, such as marlins and butterfly fish paintings. He draws upon a degree in marine biology, a doctorate in fishery management and his childhood experiences growing up in Jamaica to capture the beauty and majesty of ocean life.
Norwegian Cruise Line announced in March 2015 that Harvey was selected to design the signature artwork of the 4,200-passenger Norwegian Escape, which is scheduled to debut in October 2015. The cruise line provided a video giving a behind-the-scenes look at how the ship was painted:
The 1,065-feet Norwegian Escape is the largest canvas Harvey has worked with to date. The ship will homeport in Miami and sail seven-day Eastern Caribbean itineraries starting November 14, 2015.
“I am deeply honored to be asked by Norwegian to paint the hull of the newest and largest ship in their fleet,” said Harvey in a press release. “The larger than life paintings of popular but endangered marine creatures in the Caribbean will heighten public awareness about marine life.”
Alongside being an artist, Harvey is a scientist, conservationist, diver and an angler in support of “catch and release” fishing practices. The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation raises awareness and funds for research and educational programs that help conserve marine environments.
Guy Harvey (Photo courtesy of John Bell)
Harvey’s art career took off in 1985 following a successful one-man exhibition featuring 44 original works based on Ernest Hemingway’s “Old Man and the Sea.” By 1988, Harvey became one of the world’s top saltwater game fish artists, and decided to turn his hobby into his profession.
In addition to the ship’s beautiful artwork, Norwegian announced that international rapper Armando Perez, better known as Pitbull, will be the ship’s godfather.
Park West artists painting cruise ships
The Norwegian Breakaway (Photo courtesy of NCL.com)
Harvey joins an exclusive club of Park West Gallery artists who have painted the hull of a Norwegian cruise ship. Peter Max was the first artist chosen by Norwegian Cruise Line to paint the hull of a ship, applying his colorful pop art to the 4,000-passenger Norwegian Breakaway that began sailing in 2013.
“The artwork is a composite of New York City and cosmic imagery— the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline, a giant sunburst, planets, stars, and musical notes. That’s my New York! And now Norwegian Breakaway is my New York cruise ship ‘canvas,’” said Peter Max from his New York studio.
The Norwegian Getaway (Photo courtesy of NCL.com)
David “Lebo” Le Batard also belongs to this group, chosen to paint the hull of the Norwegian Getaway. Using his innovative Post-Modern Cartoon Expressionism style, Lebo’s design depicts a mermaid lifting the sun over the waves. He says when approached with the offer to paint the hull of a cruise ship, he saw an opportunity to create a prominent image that defines the Miami seascape.
“Having grown up in South Florida, the ocean has been an immense presence in my life and has been infused into my work as an artist,” he said in a press release. “It is truly an honor to have been offered this canvas, as it gives the world an opportunity to see my work in a way few artists ever get to see in their entire lives.”
The 4,000-passenger Getaway was delivered to the Miami port on January 10, 2014.
