Is there a certain species that you are drawn to expressing through painting?
For many years I would have answered this question without a pause, Brown Trout. But as I spend more time fishing the flats of the Florida Keys, I become more and more interested in painting Tarpon. I guess my fascination begins with hunting them on the flats. I find myself lying in bed at 4 a.m. thinking about what area I’m going to look for them first. That same fascination stays with me as I sit in my studio, sketchbook in hand, brain storming the next scene I will paint. As an artist, the more intrigued I am with my subject, the further I will push into developing it in my art. It’s really as simple as that.
Do you have any other artist (outdoor or non) that you admire ?
I definitely admire many of my peers. The fish art genre has expanded and exploded in the last five years! There are so many talented and passionate artists pursuing fish as their subject, it makes this field that much more engaging and fulfilling, and for me, becoming complacent is not a problem, because with such a talented bunch of artists in this genre, its important for me to keep pushing hard to continue capturing peoples imaginations and attentions. The artists in my opinion, who are really bringing it (I mean working hard to bring something new to the genre), are the ones that I think are worth following. They will be the face of fly-fishing in the future.
My work is influenced by several late Master Painters. I only shoot to bring a bit of what they were able to convey with their work. Van Gogh is my favorite. The energy of his paintings is amazing!
What has been the coolest thing you have seen your art in or on ?
Coolest thing my work has been on… a prosthetic leg. A war vet who lost his legs asked me to send him stickers to cover his new legs. It was a mind blowing thought, and it still weighs heavy on my heart everytime I think of it.