NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla. — The vivid colors surrounding the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast from marine life are stunning. Carey Chen, a world-renowned artist, is bringing what he's seen on the sea to the walls at a new North Palm Beach Restaurant.
Born in Cali but raised in Jamaica, "[I'm a] true Island boy," laughed Carey Chen as WPTV caught up with him at the new Seminole Reef Grill. "I've been fishing most of my life. I was a fisherman before and I was an artist."
You may have heard of the PGA National resident's name or seen it on a T-shirt.
"He's one of the best fishermen in the whole world and he's probably the best marine artist in the whole world," said Bruce Caprara, who is the managing partner of Seminole Reef Grill.
"This is what I do every weekend. I fish all over the world," Chen said as he showed off his new mural that he's creating.
Chen said he uses his time on the water for inspiration.
"Big giant fish eating other fishes, jumping over the water, doing the weirdest thing you have never seen before. You know?" Chen said.
He said he uses his photographic memory to paint his canvas.
"And if you notice that these are darker, so what I do is I push them back so it looks three-dimensional," Chen said.
He is no stranger to the spotlight. Chen brings his vivid colors in his art to merchandise at stores like Walmart, Bealls and West Marine.
As far as the food at the restaurant, which will have steaks, sushi and more, "What the great thing about Florida is we have first seafood right here, and it goes straight in here and can't get any better than that," boasted Chen.
Caprara said the establishment will be boat-to-table "[and] the walls will be like an art gallery."
"It make sense, you know, a restaurant and a gallery. Why just a gallery?" laughed Chen.
But will the mural be done by the time the restaurant opens?
"I'm going to Panama to do another mural and we'll take a little intermission from this one and then finish that one and come back and finish this one," Chen said.
Chen is on island time. But the Seminole Reef Grill plans to open mid-February.
