Christian Riese Lassen is a self-taught marine artist who was raised on the island of Maui, and found his original influence in nature, especially the ocean. His style is super-realistic, and many of his paintings feature whales, dolphins and fish, which he depicts both in and out of water. He describes this creative approach as "Two Worlds", a depiction about the interconnection of the Earth's bio-systems.

"The thing about art and surfing is: a wave is like an empty canvas. I try to do something new and different with each; every time," says Mr. Lassen.

In 1998, he was selected by the United Nations as Goodwill Ambassador for International Year of the Ocean. For a commemorative stamp, he created the painting, ...