'Let's Draw Underwater' Art Exhibit Premieres

Just add water. That seems to be the theme of an unusual art exhibit that makes its debut Friday night at Studio@620 in St. Petersburg.

Artist Hunter Payne's drawings – produced while submerged in a watery environment – will get their first public viewing. It's all above water.

“If it doesn’t seem like it’s possible, that’s the project I need to do,” Hunter Payne said in a news release about the unconventional artwork.

“That’s where life’s fun. The ideas that scare me, the ones that I know will most likely be a failure; those are the ones I want to put my energy toward. Drawing underwater? Florida Keys? That’s an idea, man.”

Payne certainly is not afraid to take risks. He dropped out of college and quit his job to pursue the adventure of a lifetime. He decided that producing an entire collection of art was his calling.

The catch? He would do it completely underwater.

He tapped the power of the Internet to fund his idea. After making a video pitch online, Payne raised almost $300 more than his $1,000 goal to make the adventure happen.

He needed the money for transportation, art supplies and a video camera to capture it all for a documentary that shows the creative process underwater.

With the $1,000 Payne raised, he was able to make his way down to the Florida Keys and begin the journey. He ended up creating hundreds of drawings underwater.

The premiere of Payne's exhibit, appropriately titled "Let's Draw Underwater," will take place Friday at 7 pm. His documentary that chronicles the journey also will premiere.

If you go

"Let's Draw Underwater" is at the . Admission is free, and Payne promises a lot of other "awesome secret things" to be a part of the evening as well.