Reuben Pressman watches as Hunter Payne sketches underwater at the Florida Keys. Payne’s exhibit Let’s Draw Underwater is on display at the Studio@620 Jan. 27 through Feb. 17.
ST. PETERSBURG – After several millions of years crawling out of the water and onto dry land, multi-media gonzo artist Hunter Payne will take humanity back into the ocean as he dives off the deep end for his next art exhibit, Let’s Draw Underwater, running Jan. 27 through Feb. 18 at The Studio@620.
The Grand Opening is Friday, Jan. 27, from 7 to 10 p.m. and will include the first viewing of the projects accompanying documentary. Admission is free of charge.
Let’s Draw Underwater will feature hundreds of drawings created entirely underwater by Payne, accompanied by a documentary of his adventures in the Florida Keys where all the work for the exhibit was produced.
"If it doesn't seem like it's possible, that's the project I need to do," said Payne. "That's where life's fun. The ideas that scare me, the ones that I know will most likely be a failure, those are the ones I want to put my energy towards. Drawing underwater? Florida Keys? That's an idea, man."
According to Payne, the Grand Opening on Jan. 27 will include, “Free admission, chocolate milk, a lot of weird art, the very first look at the documentary and other awesome secret things that would be anticlimactic if I gave them away. I will also be autographing sports jerseys all night.”
To fund the project, Payne, 21, took an unlikely and truly 21st century approach to raise the $1,000 needed to purchase Mylar paper and art supplies that work in saltwater, an underwater video camera to shoot footage for the documentary and pay for boat transportation to the dive sites.
He made a plea on Kickstarter.com, an online community focused on funding creative projects. Payne’s pitch was so intriguing and different that strangers donated $1,292 in less than four days, nearly $300 more than his goal. To view Payne’s pitch video, log onto huntermadeit.com/lets-draw-underwater.
To reserve tickets for the grand opening, call the Studio@620’s box office at 727-895-6620. The Studio@620’s gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday noon to 4 p.m.
The Studio@620 is located at 620 First Ave., St. Petersburg.
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