Monday, March 31, 2008

No. 91


Original - Available send email for details.

Purchase Limited Edition Prints Here.

"Agent 99" 10" x 14" Watercolor and gouache. Thanks Thomas for the suggestion!

Sunday, March 30, 2008

No. 90


"Free Form" 10" x 12" Just a quick fly sketch with black Prismacolor on white paper. The hook is a bit off but it was fun laying down the marks for this one.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

No 89



"Graffiti Fly" The family went out for pizza tonight. This particular restaurant has graffiti everywhere. It is part of the charm of the place. You can write anywhere, except in the bathrooms. I happen to have a Sharpie with me and I went to work on the table cloth. I had originally started to draw a fly on one section of wall, but I found that it had a waxy surface and the marker was having trouble. The pizza was great by the way!

Friday, March 28, 2008

No. 88

Original - Available send email for details.

Purchase Limited Edition Prints Here.

"Jack in the Box" 10" x 12" Watercolor and gouache. I met Matt Zudweg at the Great Waters Show in Chicago. Matt is an extremely talented artist and fishing guide. This fly is one of his original designs. Matt creates some beautiful antique signs and he guide for smallmouth and steelhead in Michigan. You can also purchase his flies here. Thanks Matt for the inspiration!

Blog Watch

Just a couple of blogs that you might want to check out. From time to time I come across blogs that might interest some of my visitors.

The Anglers Net
Fly Fish Yellowstone
Daily Fly Paper
Broken Fish

Thursday, March 27, 2008

No. 87

Original - SOLD

Limited Edition Prints - Available soon - Send email for details.

"Scud" Graphite and Charcoal on Pastel paper - 8" x 10"

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

No. 86

Original - SOLD

"Branded" I broke out my kids wood burning set and created this fly on a scrap piece of cedar.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

No. 85

Original - Available send email for details.

Purchase Limited Edition Prints Here.

"Wolly Worm" 8" x 10" Gouache on Canson colored paper.

Monday, March 24, 2008

No. 84

Original - Available send email for details.

Purchase Limited Edition Prints Here.

"Golden Eagle Orange" 8" x 10" Gouache.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

No. 83

"Eastro-Peep" Happy Easter!

No. 82

Original - SOLD

Limited Edition Prints Available at ARTCREEL.

"Redwing" 10" x 14" Watercolor, gouache, charcoal. Another Classic steelhead fly. I know I have been doing allot of these lately, but I have the shack nasties as my buddy Corey would say, and I can't wait to get out on the river. I started this as a charcoal drawing, then just painted the front area to highlight it. Let me know what you think of this technique.

No. 81


We were in Michigan for the Easter Holiday. On Friday we had a foot of snow! So much for Spring. I went out Friday afternoon to clear the snow from the van. Before I did that, I drew a couple of flies on the windows.

No. 80

Original - Available send email for details.

Limited Edition Prints - Available soon - Send email for details.

"Lady Mary" 10" x 14" Watercolor and Gouache. This month's drawing winner, Damian sent me an email of thanks for winning March's print drawing. I told him I would pass the thanks on to my youngest Son, since he is the one who drew Damian's name. For those of you who are not familiar with Damian, check out the beautiful salmon flies that he ties here! Damian had sent my son a beautiful salmon to show his thanks. He was so excited when he received the fly in the mail. He said, "Dad, you should paint this fly!" So I did. This painting does not do the actual fly justice, but my son said he likes both the actual and the painted.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Latest News!

I will be out of town for the Easter Holiday. Do not fear, I will still be drawing a fly a day. I started todays, but weather conditions have forced us to leave earlier than expected. I will finish today's fly this evening. I will not be able to post Thursdays-thru Sundays flies flies until Monday morning. So stay tuned for the next round of flies and have a great Easter Holiday!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

No. 79

Original - SOLD

Purchase Limited Edition Prints Here.

"March Brown" 8" x 10" Watercolor and Gouache.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

No. 78

"Wooly Worm" 8"x 10" graphite and charcoal. Had to draw one of these.

Monday, March 17, 2008

No. 77


"Lucky Charm" Digital image. Happy St. Pat's Day! This was a quick digital image of the closeup series I want to start. Sometimes I will digitally work out colors and composition before I paint. This will end up being a finished painting someday. Hope you noticed the river of beer the fly is swimming in. I think it is either a pale ale or a stout! All I think this fly will catch is a leprechaun!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Originals and Prints are now available!

I have had numerous requests for purchase of the original artwork and prints. You can scroll through the posts to find the originals and prints that are available. Simply click the link and it will take you to the purchase page. Originals that are sold will be noted as such. The prints are run on a limited edition basis. All prints are signed and numbered. Each limited edition print run will consist of 30 prints only. Please note that not all of the originals and prints are ready for purchase at the writing of this post. Check back daily as I am working diligently to make them all available this week. Thanks everyone for the great emails. overwhelming support and words of encouragement. The STORE should also be up by weeks end. The STORE will contain the new and improved version of the Bite Me shirt along with Brook prints. If anyone has any problem or questions on the purchase links, do not hesitate to email me.

No. 76

Limited Edition Prints Available at ARTCREEL.

Original - SOLD

"Cobalt Scimitar" 8" x 12" Watercolor

Saturday, March 15, 2008

No. 75

This is a close up sketch of a fly for an upcoming painting. Instead of sketching the entire fly, I have been focusing up close on certain areas of the fly. There are wonderful details and shapes to be found in when looking up close. When I was in college, I had a photography class where I did a series of closeup black and whites. My favorite is a picture I took of a sliced green pepper which was back lit. You get to see all of the veining and details that you would not normally see. I want to do a similar series with the flies.

Friday, March 14, 2008

No. 74

Original - Available send email for details.

Limited Edition Prints - Available soon - Send email for details.

"Polar Shrimp Spey" This was a quickie using pastels on a watercolor background. After looking at it, The hook is really messed up! Click on the image and you will see the economy of strokes used to compose the image.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

No. 73

Purchase the Original or Limited Edition Prints.

"Egg Sucking Leech" 9" x 10" - I have steelhead fishing on the brain! The warmer weather has broken up the ice and I think I will be able to fish next week! Until then, I will be painting a bunch of steelhead flies! The colors on this one would make a good Halloween fly.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

No. 72

Original - Sold

Purchase Limited Edition Prints Here.

"TragoPrawn" 5" x 8" gouache on Canson paper. Back to painting. This pattern is from Dec Hogans "A Passion for Steelhead". I like the shapes and the whole idea of fishing for steelhead with a prawn pattern. Plus I really like the orange color. If you have not been able to tell yet, orange and blue are my favorite go to colors. I painted this one free style. No underlying sketch. I just grabbed the brush and started to lay down the shapes.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

No. 71


"Etch A Sketch Fly" Here you go Eric!

Monday, March 10, 2008

No. 70

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Original SOLD

"Callibaetis Nymph" Watercolor and Gouache - 8"x11"

Sunday, March 9, 2008

No. 69


"Food Fly" I made this hook from some coated fencing wire. I enlarged an Alec Jackson spey hook and used it as a template to bend the hook. All that was needed was some food placed in the proper location and viola - a food fly. The spin off to this will be one constructed only from fruit. And the name .....Fruit Fly! (It was a long weekend).

No. 68



Purchase Original Painting or Limited Edition Prints

"Orange Heron" 8"x 11" Watercolor and gouache. I was on a Boy Scout camping trip with my son over the weekend. Saturday afternoon I had an hour to myself so I pulled out some paper and cranked out a a fly. You can see my setup next to my cot in the cabin we stayed in. This was the last cabin campout for the winter, next month we go back to tents. I saw this fly in the Dec Hogan book - "A Passion for Steelhead". It is one of my most cherished books. I have read it cover to cover numerous times. As quoted from this book, " The Orange Heron is the fly that started the spey fly craze more than 20 years ago. The late Syd Glasso of Forks, Washington was the first steel header to devoutly tie and fish speys for steelhead. The Orange Heron is perhaps the model spey fly - at least in the steelhead world-to which the latecomers are compared. I am here to say that the Orange Heron is not only beautiful in its simple elegance, it's a damn good steelhead fly." What can I say but this is one great fly and it was allot of fun to paint. There is nothing like the long sweeping heron fibers that just makes a fly look like it is moving a hundred miles an hour standing still.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Just a note

I will be without internet access over the weekend. But never fear I will still be drawing flies. I will post Saturday and Sundays flies on Sunday evening.

No. 67

Original - SOLD

Limited Edition Prints - Available soon - Send email for details.

"Marabou Spider" This post is dedicated to my best buddy and fisherman extraordinaire Corey for his Birthday! This fly was chosen because of his ability to catch and release steelhead . I look forward to ice out so we can go chase the chrome! You are truly a great friend and extraordinary person - Happy Birthday CDIZZ!

Thursday, March 6, 2008

No. 66

Original - Available send email for details.

Limited Edition Prints - Available soon - Send email for details.

"Stone Fossil" 8" x 8" Sepia ink on watercolor paper. If you look closely archaeologists have discovered a 2 foot long stone fly dating back to the cretaceous period. T-Rex would have had to use a double hander to cast this one! That big hook must have been carved from bone.This did not come out exactly like I had planned. I basically drew the image with sepia ink. I let the blobs and lines of ink dry for about 5 minutes, then I washed all the excess ink away. I did this as an experiment previously and I thought I would try it again with the fossil concept. Not the exact result I had imagined, but maybe your imagination will help fill in the blanks.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

No. 65

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Original - SOLD

"Skykomish Sunrise" 12"x 11". Another classic steelhead pattern. The fly was introduced in 1940 by Ken and George McLeod. I have always enjoyed the colors on this one.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

No. 64

Original - Available send email for details.

Limited Edition Prints - Available soon - Send email for details.

"Tarpon Fly" 10" x 12" ink and watercolor. I have been getting emails requesting some saltwater patterns. I have to admit that I have never done any saltwater fishing, but I would like to some day. You will be seeing more saltwater patterns painted up. Real cool shapes and great names for the flies. This fly is the Stu Apte Tarpon Fly. I believe that this is a classic pattern for tarpon. So all you salt folks out there, send me your suggestions. I already have a beautiful background ready for the next salt fly!

Monday, March 3, 2008

No. 63


"Ant" Bob from our club tied this fantastic pattern. This lame sketch does not do it justice, but it is posted fly! Good bad or indifferent, a fly was posted!

Featured Artist


I am the featured artist over at MidCurrent! Check it out.

And the winner is....

The winner for the Month of February drawing is ....Damian! I will send you an email with the details for choosing and the mailing of your print.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

No. 62

Limited Edition Prints Available at ARTCREEL.

Original - Sold

"Shang's Special" 10" x 12" Ink and watercolor. A Carrie Steven's original. There are so many of these patterns and I am going to paint up. This drawing was done from a fly provided by Darren at the Daily Fly Paper. Thanks Darren for the inspiration! You can see many more of this style of streamer at Chris Del Plato's site.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

No. 61

Purchase Original Artwork and Limited Edition Prints

"Stimulator" 11" x 15" Watercolor and gouache. I love to fish with this fly. It is also very effective with a dropper trailing the hook.