This past fall the family and I took our usual camping trip to the South Carolina coast. Besides collecting the assortment of fun memories and photos, I collected a few drift wood pieces of knotty Palm wood. "What are you going to do with those" my wife asked - my answer 'I have no idea'.
Well this morning I found a purpose for at least one of those knotty burls. I cut it in half and using the beautifully smooth inside of the burl I used some paint and painted up a head of a rainbow trout. I had never attempted this before but figuring that it cant be to much different than painting on paper, I gave it a go.
First I found the obvious place to place the head and sketched out a trout. I didn't want the whole piece of wood to be covered with paint so I stopped at the tail end of the gill plate.
Next step was use the paint to do what I do and paint up the trout. I used acrylic for this because that is the best medium for this kind of project. I have never really used Acrylic in painting and am very new to the process. It is quite a bit different than my usual watercolors and it take some getting use to but with time I worked it out.
After I painted it up and added the spots and highlights, I then coated the whole project with a clear coat of gloss. The picture may not show the true beauty of this piece but in the end I believed that I achieved what I set out to do. I honestly have no idea what I am going to do with it (as with most of my paintings that are in the studio) but it made a nice shelf piece and I think that's where it will end up; right above my tying desk until it finds a new home.
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12 comments:
Looks pretty good, Joel. Acrylics are a fun medium. I think they may be the easiest, most forgiving, and most versatile paint media. I've used a lot of watercolor techniques with acrylics, which works pretty well since they are a water-based medium. It looks like you've taken to it like a fish to water.
Your talent never ceases to amaze me.
Nice idea! You never know when a new idea will come but it helps to have tools (wood and paint) there when it does come:)
Very creative Joel.
Nicely done.
Wow Joel! Great looking piece. Nice work on spotting the wood, it's perfect.
I absolutely love this piece of work. Of course, being the "Rainbow Chaser", I am somewhat biased. I think it deserves a home in Colorado above my tying desk.
That's a pretty cool piece and beautiful as well!
very cool.
Wow- that looks great. I am sure it will be inspiring to have above your fly tying desk.
Awesome job once again joel..
Glad you all like it. Next time I'm out camping or walking the river I'll have to keep an eye out for a good piece of wood I can throw in the pack and bring back to create another trout mantle piece.
Somehow I missed this post. All I can say Joel is OMG. That is beautiful and very cool. I want one.
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