macleanstory - Jay Maclean Underwater Oil Paintings and Music

Butterflyfish on Coral (top left, 2' x 3', 1987, owned by my sister Jan Cahill, Sydney, Australia). These are shy fish and Jay improvised a jazz piece for one of his butterflyfish paintings. To hear it, click on Shy Butterfly .

Butterflyfish in Vase Coral ( 18" x24", 1987) owned by Tom Powell, New Zealand

Lionfish (5' x 3', 1988) is a favorite, kept for Marlon Maclean. In 2007, I did a spontaneous keyboard composition about this painting. Listen while you watch the fish stalking.

Grouper (20" x 14", 1989), owned by Garry Russ, Townsville, Australia

All Puffed Up (60"x 60", 1999)

Lionfish in Cave (48" x 33", 1989, owned by Alice Pullin, London, UK)

Manta #3 (24"x24", 1990, owned by Tom Powell, New Zealand )

Mysterious Squirrelfish (18" x 72", 2003)

Pointed Butterflyfish Pair (15"x20",1989)

Eyeballing grouper (4'x3', 1999)

Reefscape (5'x3', 2000)

Fish paintings accompanied by jazz compositions!

Jay learned oil painting from the late Perdigon Vocalan in Angono, a village and major artists' colony near Manila, in 1987. The subjects are all marine, possibly because Jay is a marine biologist. Most of the paintings are based loosely on photographs and memories. Among the earliest paintings is the Butterflyfish on Coral (top left) and the Butterflyfish in Vase Coral (second left). The grouper (fourth left) is one of the smallest, and the pufferfish (fifth left) is the biggest. Apart from the lionfish (third left), those without an owner are looking for one.

Rabbitfish (3' x 6', 1999), owned by Shahid Zahid, Manila, Philippines

Parrotfish (5' x 3', 1999, owned by Bill and Tess Staub, Manila, Philippines. Parrotfish have an interesting swimming style. Hear Jay's interpretation in a spontaneous 2007 keyboard composition.

Giant Clam (40"x22", 1990)

Dreamscape (43" x 34", 1999-2007)

Mysterious Butterflyfish (18" x 72", owned by Jeff and Sandy Hammett, Manila, Philippines). Hear Jay's composition about this painting: "Shy Butterfly"-you look so lonely).

Ghost Pipefish (48" x 18", 1999, owned by Australian Embassy, Manila, Philippines)

Weaverfish (1999, 5'x3', owned by Rob and Lyn Rothery, Manila, Philippines)

Lionfish Portrait (3'x5', 1999, owned by Ancheta Tan, Manila, Philippines). You can Listen to Jay's interpretation of a lionfish at home.

Sweepers (5'x3', 1999). These fish lurk in big schools in caves by day. They swirl out in oceanic ballets at dusk. Jay made a "spontaneous" four hand composition in March 2008, as he imagined that ballet. Click to listen.

A more colorful version is Sweepers2 (4'x4', 1999). They move to the same ballet. Click to listen..

Windless in Anilao (3' x 5', 1989), owned by Daniel Pauly, Vancouver, Canada. The small boy under the umbrella on the beach is probably playing with a hermit crab, like Marlon used to do. Click on Hermit Crab Crunch to hear Jay's idea of a crab's life.