Red Drum (Red Fish) Painting

Red Drum - RedFish

    Continuing with my theme of painting saltwater fish I decided to paint the Red Drum in the same style of the Spanish Mackerel I painted last week. For those that have never had the privileged of fishing reds on a spin rod - or even better yet a Fly Rod - you need to add these to your bucket list!

   A few years ago I fished these powerful fish on the grass flats down off the coast of Tampa Bay with the biggest fly rod I had at the time: A 6 Weight!  Between all the Spotted Sea Trout I eventually hooked into something that took me on a ride for a good five minutes.  I had no idea what it was since I was unable to see it but as it pulled out line and made my line sing I knew it was something special.
After finally tiring it out and bringing it in I held a solid mass of fish that took my breath away.  It was my first redfish and at that moment I finally realized what all the hype was about.  The Red Drum truly is a top sport fish for all coastal anglers.

     Using a four color palette of Venetian Brown, Gamboge, Brilliant Cad Red, and Carbon Black I first laid down a two and a half inch strip of color to add a dynamic backdrop for the redfish.  I then added a mix of splatter effect and drips to liven the painting up.
  After the backdrop is dried I then got to work on the red drum.

  The finished product is a vibrant Red Fish.  For those that would like a print of this fish or the Spanish Mackerel I will be taking orders soon.  I plan on having a few professionally printed Giclee prints made in small poster sizes.  Details will soon be available.

    On a completely different subject, My wife found this giant Orb Spider hanging right off our front steps.  She of course demanded that it be removed immediately in order to prevent a possible frantic morning surprise.  After taking a few shots so the kids and I could hit the web and identify the unusual spider, I gently placed it on a 'extra long' stick and moved him/her to a large tree away from the house.
  About the size of quarter, this 'Spotted Orb Spider' usually lives in heavily wooded areas and weaves a strong web about two foot across.  Due to its size one might think that it would be deadly to about any insect but unfortunately its greatest enemy is the paper wasp.  Although rather creepy looking it is not poisonous to humans so in this case I would take the spider over the wasp.
   And that's your nature lesson for the day.  Enjoy the rest of your week.