A Vivid Brown, 30" x 60", oil on canvas.

This painting developed essentially as a "follow up" to my Brown Trout Abstract, 2.  One of the photographs I had used as reference just stuck in my mind- I had been attracted to the super glossy sheen of the brown trout's gill and back side, along with the striking contrast of the dark spots.  The canvas had to be big, the colors bold, the marks….as intriguing as the natural beauty of the fish itself.  Jason Tucker of Fontinalis Rising provided the source photo below.  He has many great insights and photographs on his website, be sure to check it out.

Source photo: courtesy of Jason Tucker

I’m always cruising fishing blogs and websites online- from time to time there are certain images that stop me in my tracks. Such was this image of a dorado caught in the Corn Islands. My many thanks to blogger and adventurer Nick Kuchmak… when I asked for permission to use his photo as a main source for a painting he was thrilled- and I was more than excited to reference this fish…the eye, the colors, WOW! I immediately knew a large canvas would be the way to capture all this beauty. I had fun playing up the colors and altering proportions that still conveyed the essence of this fish while keeping that open sense of wonder every time you look at it!
Be sure to stop by and see this painting in person at any of my Florida art shows (see Events page for more details).
And if you want to instantly get the urge to drop everything and travel the world, be sure to check out Nick’s blog: Around the World on a Toilet. It’s awesome!

This new painting is one of my favorites. I have been obsessed with an image of a permit that my friend John Hohl of Alaska Fly Anglers had shared with me some time ago from his trip fishing for permit in Mexico.

John always captures the most beautiful photos, and this image imparts on me a feeling of peace and calm…with a mix of excitement as well. The dorsal fin on the permit is just so dynamic! And I love how the shape of this fish creates its own composition at the water’s surface.
“Permit Notion”, 36″ x 36″, oil on canvas. Gallery

Really what is happening here is the Tarpon is equally emerging and retreating on the picture plane. At the pulse of what I do is to infuse movement into each painting…almost simultaneously capturing the water and the fish. “Sight the Tarpon” is a lovely example of that. I paint using mainly the palette knife to simply impart a raw energy to my paintings- that excitement I feel when fishing, seeing these beautiful creatures and being on the water- the palette knife allows me to move paint around in a way that captures all of that. Those memories are with me when I paint, and even if I haven’t yet caught a particular species (in this case the Tarpon) the imagery of the fish are so beautiful to me that I end up painting what I imagine the experience would be like. This painting started out with no outline, I just applied that colors that I saw in the water and eventually started carving out the forms of the Tarpon with the knife. I loved the process on this piece; it was inventive, curious, and inspired.

A stunning work of pure color…thanks to the brook trout of course! This painting was a joy to create. Be sure to see it in the Gallery.

I’m having a blast creating these special one-of-a-kind paintings! For this painting, my client really liked the original Brook Trout (Glance) composition- see it here in the Gallery- but wanted a larger sized painting to fit his space. What is great about this scenario, is that the client ultimately gets their own original work of art based from a composition they are already comfortable with, but get special “tweaks” made just for them. This version of glance contains even more variation of color than the first- a very elegant play on dark and light- with a combination of navy and bronze to create the dark areas, and then electric flecks of blues, greens, yellows, and reds pop this brook trout to life! Stunning. I’m enjoying watching this one dry…it will be missed!!