Grace
“My father was very sure about certain matters pertaining to the universe. To him all good things-trout as well as eternal salvation-come by grace and grace comes by art and art does not come easy.”
― Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It and Other Stories
Don’t Suck…
…the Colorado River dry.
Nice Video on Why Fly Fishers Do What They Do
If I had to explain to a non-fisherman why I love fishing so much, I’d just show them this short film by Peter Vong.
Self-portrait in Stream
This was a really fun experiment. It’s (8″ x 24″) acrylic on plywood like many of my paintings, but it takes a different approach than most of my work. I sketched a scene entirely from my imagination without the aid of a photograph or any other visualization (that’s a first), I painted quickly (another first), used bold colors, and didn’t fuss over things (and another first). I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. Maybe I’ll do some more like this.
It all started with a sketch done with a Sharpie on a piece of gesso’d scrap plywood…
Quickly dash in some sky and purple mountains…
Keeping the colors bold, add some foothills and a stream bank …
Add some water…
And a few trees…
Finally, put myself fishing in the stream to complete the self-portrait…
Best Outdoor Sports Related “Sh*t People Say” Videos
I’m sure you’ve seen a number of “Shit People Say” videos lately. Yeah, I know, that’s sooo last week, and you’re probably tired of them by now. That said, here are a few outdoor sports iterations of the popular internet meme.
Sh*t Cyclists Say
Sh*t Runners Say
Sh*t Ultrarunners Say
Sh*t Fly Fishermen Say
Sh*t Triathletes Say
Sh*t Kayakers Say
Sh*t Skiers Say
If you come across any other interesting ones, let me know.
Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
It’s been about a year since I’ve finished my first painting, and this is it. I’m posting this now as I’m reorganizing my office, and I’m trying to figure out where to hang it.
It was done in acrylic on plywood (2′ x 4′), and painted over a few months during graduate school. I was originally attempting to just throw down some paint to teach myself about mixing color and getting used to the medium, but I think it turned out pretty good.
This painting was inspired blatantly copied from the cover shot of Catch Magazine, March 2010. The photo was taken by Brian O’Keefe of a nice rainbow being released into the Beaverhead River, Montana. I purchased the image through the magazine and used it as my computer background image for several months before I decided to attempt to paint it.
If you are not a subscriber to Catch Magazine (it’s free!), I highly recommend you check it out if you are an artist or a fly fisher. Brian O’Keefe and Todd Moen have created a beautiful publication that never ends to inspire me to fish, photograph, and paint. http://catchmagazine.net
Nowadays, I usually don’t copy paintings from other works, but you gotta start somewhere.