I am a firm believer that people who love to fly fish are naturally predisposed to appreciate art. It is as simple as that. Reason being, since fly fishing itself is such a creative process, people must have some capacity for enjoying similar expressions of creativity as well. I think any passionate fly fisherman would agree that he or she recognizes both the beauty of what they are fishing for as well as the emotional connection they have to the places it takes them. These creative abilities are so naturally interwoven into the activity of fly fishing that a lot of people don't even realize that they possess them at all. As an artist trying to carve out a niche for myself in the fly fishing industry, this is an ideology I heavily rely upon. Whenever I find myself needing reassurance as to the direction I am taking my artwork, the thought of the fly fishing community being an innately creative bunch reminds me that Im working in front of the best kind of audience.
Ive always been an artist and I’ve always been obsessed with fish, so the fact that I’m in my mid-twenties and I’m involving myself with both of those things makes a lot of sense to me and those who know me well. To briefly highlight my beginnings, in Kindergarten, I had my first art show at the end of my grandparents driveway. From what I can remember, the subject matter of the show consisted of fish and hawk drawings I had created that morning at my grandma’s dining room table. Passers by would stop and peruse the colored pencil drawings done on cheap copy pater, laid out over a plastic fold up table. Although I don't remember the price point, I distinctly remember selling a few drawings to strangers.