When the Atlantic Shark Institute reached out to Paul McPhee to create an original painting that would be used to create RI’s shark plate, he immediately had a vision. “I knew I wanted it to be vibrant, large and eye-catching,” McPhee shared recently, “but that was just the beginning of a wonderful, and long journey” he added.

Paul McPhee is a renowned marine artist whose work with oils and watercolors has been seen worldwide. You may have seen his work on Jaws paintings for Universal Studios or featured on exhibitions with Wyland or Hogue. His artwork in the entertainment industry earned him a Grammy nomination and he has done commissioned paintings for celebrities and high profile individuals alike. However, his work on marine life is where his passion lies, and the shortfin mako, the star of the ASI’s shark plate, is a shark he absolutely loves. “Folks like to call it the Ferrari of the ocean and I couldn’t agree more. It’s the perfect creation, it has all the elements of an apex predator and it’s beautiful. It’s also the logo of the ASI and that made me even more excited,” added McPhee. “Jon Dodd and I probably spoke 20 times over a year about the painting, the vision, the coloration, the size and more,” McPhee shared.

However, creating an original painting with specifications for a license plate, versus working with little restriction, was a different thing entirely. It required certain dimensions and margins not required in a normal project. It also restricted the colors used to four while Paul often uses dozens of colors and tones in his original works, based primarily on what he sees. Thin lines could not be used as printing may not pick them up for example. Halftones over certain percentages may “fill in” and create a single color, while halftones under certain percentages might “not print at all.” In essence, Paul was asked to create a beautiful original artwork, but it also had to meet very detailed specifications for the creation of the plates. “It had me thinking quite a bit about the process, every stroke and every color,” McPhee joked.

McPhee has thousands of shark photos he uses for inspiration for each painting he does. For some he uses one image or photo and others are a combination of things he sees in a variety of images. “In the case of the ASI’s shark plate, I narrowed it down to five mako images I thought could really work based on what Jon had described and I envisioned. I had actually chosen one

when a RI resident, Brian Raymond called and asked if I would use his photo to work from. As it fit the criteria I had set, I decided to use it.” Then the work began.

While all McPhee original works are time consuming, the shark plate took much longer than expected, about 80 hours in total according to McPhee. “There were so many things to consider with every stroke that it was both challenging and fascinating,” he shared. “It was a labor of love knowing my artwork would be on countless license plates, all over RI, and everywhere those vehicles might go.”

However, the question that both Jon and Paul couldn’t answer was how many people would like the original artwork and how many would want it on their car or truck. After almost three years of effort, more than a year on the painting itself, the plate was finally released to the public in late April and it didn’t take long to get the answer. Orders started pouring in immediately and McPhee’s work supporting shark research conducted by the ASI was an enormous hit. In fact, it was so popular that it reached the production requirement of 600 plates being ordered in less than 10 hours. Some charity plates in RI have taken over eight years to achieve the same. The ASI team was elated.

Residents immediately asked for it to be offered for their combination plates as well, then commercial and now motorcycles. Each step of the way it has taken on a life of its own and according to Jon Dodd, it hasn’t slowed down yet. “It’s really funny in a way,” he shared, “You spend almost three years working on something not knowing if anyone will really like it, or want it, and then it becomes the fastest selling charity plate in RI history. It’s a great story with so many people to thank for countless reasons, and everyone at the ASI couldn’t be happier.” The ASI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with no paid employees so 100% of the funding will go towards this important research. “As we say, shark health is ocean health and ocean health is our health. What could be better than that,” Dodd concluded.

To purchase a shark plate for your passenger, combination, commercial or motorcycle vehicle you can visit www.atlanticsharkinstitute.org.

You can find Paul McPhee and to see some of his works on a wide variety of sites including Pinterest and many others.