Clinton's Wyatt waters and the art of cruising.

Watercolor artist Wyatt Waters had never been on a cruise until last summer. There was never time. Along with the painting he feels inspired to do, there is a waiting list of people who want to pay him to paint something specific. He also has six books to his credit and more stirring in his head, and a gallery to run in Olde Towne Clinton with his wife and business partner, Vicki.

Travel gum Glenn McGehee gets credit for the idea that would find Wyatt Waters taking to the high seas.

"Carnival had launched a huge ship with an art theme throughout," McGehee said. "That's when I thought ... why not offer a watercolor class? And of course, who would be better than Wyatt Waters to teach it?"

The class attracted an eager and varied group of students hoping to do a little painting and island-hopping at the same time. Packing for seven days at sea was challenge enough for Waters without making room for an art board, a stool, two gallon jugs to carry water in, paints, a big sketch book, a palette, paper towels, watercolor paper and his favorite No. 38 paintbrush.

Art student and seasoned traveler Kennie Bumpas tied the jugs with string and wrapped them around her neck as the van pulled up next to the dock. An attendant took one look at them and quipped, "Floatation device?"

Classes were on site in Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. While at sea, they met at 7:30 a.m. in a lounge that was not in use during the morning. When asked if he liked to the watch the sun rise, Wyatt paused and said, "You can watch it set. It's kind of the same thing, only in reverse."

He is a man who gets a lot of work done. He often quotes his late father, a coach by trade.

"Daddy used to say there's always room in the world for someone who works hard enough," Waters said. "I thought that was strange back then. Now I tell my daughter I'm a hippy with a work ethic."

Wyatt is very much in demand as a painter. He has stopped taking commissioned work since he has "all he can do." He is also a gifted teacher and has taught at Millsaps and at his alma mater, Mississippi College. "Some folks can paint, some can teach," said art consultant George Allen. "Wyatt can do both. He just may be the best we've ever had."

"I had wanted to do this for quite a while," Waters said of the cruise. "It's such a contrast to our Mississippi mud. (The water) is clearer than our tap water! The weather was so accommodating, too. You know, you kind of get what God gives you."

What God gave Wyatt seems disproportionate to the general populace. Not only does he paint, he also writes songs. He turned down a career as a staff writer for a large record label in Nashville. His vocal style falls somewhere between James Taylor and Kenny Loggins.

"A lot of what I write happens when I'm feeling kind of depressed," he confessed to a small gathering the last night on the boat when he serenaded them with his own songs, using a travel guitar he bought for the trip.

Wyatt Waters' watercolors are known for being fresh and alive with color. "I remember not seeing this much color, but there really is more out there than we're seeing. It's expressive seeing versus physical seeing. You have to exhaust your seeing to get to the feeling."

He works from life, not photographs, and the lessons he teaches say as much about living as they do about painting.

The next Wyatt Waters art cruise is set for May. For details, see www.mcgeheecruise.com or www.wyattwaters.com.

WYATT WATERS' WORDS OF WISDOM

* Painting is more about making mistakes work than about having everything go right.

* Look twice. Paint once.

* You don't drive a horse, you ride it. The horse has something to do with how you get there. So do the paper and the paint.

* Painting should be about stretching yourself.

* You can make some interesting mistakes.

* There is no formula. It's taking a chance that matters, that allows you to think on your feet.

* There's a danger in playing it safe. As you near the conclusion, it's tempting to say to yourself, "I better not try that ... I might mess it up."

* You never get the perfect painting. It's always out there somewhere ... you keep reaching for it.