Tasty Jack'S — Under the sea never looked so good. (Allen Warren)

Don’t just admire the view of the Gulf from what you see above the blue waters. We know how you can see what’s swimming beneath and it’s at a Gulf Shores restaurant, Tacky Jack’s. Keep reading to find out how a local artist painted a 38-foot mural inspired by the landscape and wildlife near him.

Meet artist E. Allen Warren

Image0 Gulf Shores — An artist since day one. (E. Allen Warren)

Since first grade, E. Allen Warren knew he wanted to be an artist. After trying out some other jobs, E. Allen found his place right where he should be—with a palette and paintbrush in hand.

“As a young adult, I tried numerous other professions. Sales. Manual labor. More sales. Hospitality industry. Baggage handler at DFW airport. Forklift operator. Freight delivery driver. None of which satisfied me, but all the while I created art and sold my wares to friends. I recall selling my work to classmates in elementary school though I don’t consider myself to have been a professional back then—merely an aspiring professional artist.
After a financial windfall in 1997, I opened an art gallery in Dallas and I’ve been chasing that next creative project ever since. Put simply—art is life.”
E. Allen Warren

Based in Mobile, he paints a whole variety of jaw-dropping paintings, including:

Fine art
Kids rooms
Murals
Portraiture
Signage
Stage props
Theater sets

Bringing a view of the Gulf to Tacky Jack’s

After submitting his idea of painting the sea creatures of the great, big deep, Tacky Jack’s hired E. Allen to paint their 38-foot mural. That sure sounds like a big feat to undertake, but he finished the mural in just over a month.

“When I arrived on scene to take photos for design purposes, I was struck by the scale of the 38-foot elevator tower. It was previously painted with manatees, and considering that Tacky Jack’s is a seafood restaurant a new underwater scene was a no brainer.
Standing at the base of the tower as I looked up, I was reminded of times that I’ve scuba dived and looked to the surface above. That led me to depicting more than thirty creatures that are found in the Gulf of Mexico. I arrived at portraying diverse sea life as seen from under a tall pier and played around with perspective—creatures above viewed from underneath.”
E. Allen Warren