"Corona In Her Favorite Spot" Watercolor

 

 

  Here is yet another piece of art from my backyard.  Simply put it is my dog in here favorite spot, soaking up the heat of an early morning sun as it crests the roofline of the house you cannot see.  There is a lot going on in this seemingly simple painting but I will let you interpret it as you will.  I again apologize for the poor quality photo.

"Corona In Her Favorite Spot"

Watercolor On Paper

19x13in

Pop Art -Ace George Guynemer

I messed around with a little pop art the other day and since aviation is technically my day job, I of course have a real affinity for the history of planes and pilots.
It was really just an excuse to do something over my morning coffee.
The original was a b&w photo from WW1 but I thought I'd mess around with the computer and give it a Warhol'esk look.
It isn't a Campbell Soup can but I ain't no Warhol.
French Ace Georges Guynemer was a great subject to colorize.  If you like history his story is a good one to research.

Adding Paintings - Old Blue Shed

Neglected as it is I do occasionally post new content to this blog, though not as often as I do to my Facebook Hexfishing page.  Some content doesn't even make the transfer but since this blog is partly responsible for my elevation as an artist I endeavor to keep it alive.
The other day it was raining hard and since I found myself a bit bummed at having been pushed out of my fishing plans, I looked outside my window and decided to paint my weather beaten shed.

  It fit my mood and was a fitting subject to practice my art on something less aquatic. That day I saw the washed out blue of the shed, deep shadows that hid in a misty fog, and the on setting of winter in the trees behind my worn down fence and I decided that however drab it might have looked, it needed to be set down in paint.
  The bare wood of the door was once a neglected project but it has become a rustic addition to the aging shed.  In this piece it served its purpose of vivid contrast to the fading blue and like a grand hero in some old novel, it still served a purpose despite the visible flaws. 
  There is no need really to try to explain art to the audience since art is truly an experience every individual interprets on their own, but I can tell you what I was thinking as I laid brush and pigment to paper.  You will probably be seeing more artwork like this in the future and although you undoubtedly follow this blog for the fishy subjects, I appreciate your tolerance of my choice of subjects.  I also appreciate your tolerance of the crappy cellphone pictures.
"The Old Blue Shed"
Watercolor On Paper
20x14in

Original Shed photo

Three Trout Icons - New Paintings

Westslope Cutthroat

Rainbow Trout

Brook trout

Its been a while but I am still at it.  For more up to date paintings, check out https://www.facebook.com/hexfishing and my print shop at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/joel-dejong.html

A Few Words On The Stonefly

Never underestimate the power of the stonefly.  For the weight, there is few deep fishable flies that can beat it.  Whether you drift it or drag it, a properly fished Stonefly will yield you some big trout. 
In my last few trips to the trout streams in South Carolina I have proven this concept yet again.  Color and presentation mater but when you find the right combination to the streams entomology then you are in for a day of great fishing.  Even comically large stones on small creeks can yield surprising results.
On my last trip I lost three black stones in a size #10 to deep fishing at the base of a large waterfall.  Two were lost to a submerged log and one to a large trout that took it running.  I tied on a leggy molted brown stone with no results so I tied on the only other black Stonefly I had in the box. It was a stone I bought in Montana, the land of giants, in a size I was sure would scare small children and trout alike. 
The end result was trout after trout coming to the net with a big fatty cigar of a Stonefly hooked into the corner of their small mouths.  I have thus come to the conclusion that as stoneflies are concerned, size matters little.  Get the color right and you are set.
Stonefly
Graphite on paper
September 2015

I recently returned from a backpacking trip in South Carolina with my brother in-law.  It was a great trip and even hooked into some really beautiful trout. Here is a short video of the trip. Enjoy.

www.hexfishing.com

Brick And Mortar Salmon - New Painting

Ever see those big vintage advertising signs painted on the side of old businesses and think, 'that is pretty cool'?  Well so did I and after toying around with the idea in my mind for a while I came up with this new watercolor.

  Based on a vintage Salmon cannery logo, I painted this brick by brick, adding in little details in every single stone.  I took special care to add in the rust of age on various steel and metal parts that had been added to the building through the years.
  I wanted to keep the salmon basic on this piece as it would have been on any hand done sign painted on the side of a building.  The varied colors of brick made for an interesting look and I am eager to get started on the next painting in this style.  

'Brick and Mortar Salmon' 
 18 in. X 12 in.
Watercolor On Paper
For Sale 

Sketching Random Stuff

A few random sketches for you.  For more original art head on over to www.hexfishing.com  

Painting A Reef Fish

   
    Not a normal painting for me but I thoughts I'd branch out and try something a little new.
    Saltwater reef fish are beautiful creatures and are often the subjects of artists as well as interesting species in any home or office aquarium.  I was lucky enough to make it down to Mexico last month and do a little snorkeling along one of the many reef structures and was blown away by their beauty which is probably why I chose to paint one.
   This particular species is one of the many types of angel fish that roam the reef.  For the fresh water anglers out there you might find a striking resemblance to our own bluegills and sunfish.

Dedicated Angler T Shirts

NEW Shirt Designs now available at my shirt shop.  Choose the color and the size and have yours shipped out to you today.  How dedicated are you?

New Dedicated Trout Angler and New Dedicated Salmon Angler shirts available in a variety of colors and sizes.

Also check out my many other designs for the anglers in your life.  All available at
 http://hexfishing.spreadshirt.com/

Happy Birthday America

NC Trout Portrait For A Special Angler

For fathers day I had the special privilege of rendering a record catch for one father from his sons.  Caught in a North Carolina stream, this beautiful rainbow was an exciting experience for this angler and his sons wanted to surprise their dad with a wall hanger to remember it.

It had been a while since I picked up the paints so I was eager to get started on this piece.  Painting fish not only fills me with joy it also serves to scratch my creative itch while keeping my love of fly fishing alive.  I also get great joy out of seeing my work so appreciated by the people that receive it.
I was told by John that his father absolutely loved the surprise and just couldn't stop staring at it after he received it.  His smile was permanently set for a long time after the unveiling and it makes me just as happy to contribute to the joy he felt.
 For this piece we added to the framing of the painting the actual fly he used to hook the trout that day which only adds to the special nature of this memory.

www.hexfishing.com

Adding Art For Sale, Brookies, Tigers, Rainbows, & Browns - Love them Trout

Its time for a little self promotion.  I am told I need to do this a little more to get my art out there but the truth is it just kinda makes me feel like a vacuum sales man.
Anyhow -  www.hexfishing.com - my art website has finally been updated to include some of the newer paintings I have done as well as some not previously up for sale.  Some of these have made it to this blog and some quite simply have slipped through the cracks.  Whether you plan on buying or just like to view paintings of trout, I hope you click on over and see my works Below are just a sampling of some of the paintings now available at unbelievably cheap prices for ORIGINAL artwork.  I have also been asked 'why are they so cheap?' and the answer is simple - I enjoy painting them and frankly I cant have hundreds of my paintings just hanging around on shelves in my studio.  I would much rather put them in the hands of fellow anglers that can appreciate them.
Check it out and share it with your friends.

Old School Art & Being P.C.

I passed through Knoxville a little while ago and came across a few examples of some old school art on southern money.  For all those out there complaining that there has never been a woman on our paper currency, (Sacagawea has her own dollar coin in case you forgot) I say look to the past and look to the south.  The Ocoee Bank Of Tennessee not only placed a southern bell on their $10 note, they also included a Native American and an African American (and two horses).  I'm not a big fan of removing key founding fathers from our national currency in the name of political correctness (anyone who knows me knows P.C. is a not my forte anyhow) but if we ever issue a new denomination, I am fine with a deviation from the norm.  I nominate Sitting Bull for a new $25 note, Betsy Ross for the $75 note and, G.W. Carver for the $150 bill.  Who's with me?  How cool would a $25 bill be?

Keeping Up The Skills

Nothing much to say about this one other than it has already been spoken for before it made it here.  It was a practice piece just to keep me involved with the color flow and to practice my watercolor skills.

This one was just a simple sketch done a few moments before the marbles.  I did this in a rough style and under five minutes just to get my mind going.

Yes, none of this has to do with fish but its what I have been up to so I thought I would share it with you.

Quail Stippling Illustration

    I have been experimenting with dots lately and got inspired to do a little bit of dot sketching outside my usual fish subjects.  A recent client of mine asked if I have done any birds in watercolor and I immediately thought back to the Pheasant and the California Quail I did a few years ago.  Of course I have also done various song birds and even a few mallard ducks (which currently hang in my hallway) but they are still a bit different than my favorite subject - the trout.
    That being said, birds offer another layer to my art that a trout just can't.  They also contribute to the scope of what I consider myself to be - a sporting / outdoor / nature artist.

   The butterfly was done a few months ago and also falls into the category of my love of nature.  For many people, the butterfly is about the only beautiful insect out there but as a fly fisherman, I see striking similarities between the butterfly and the mayfly.  I venture to guess that most people have never looked past the wings of a butterfly to see the insect body holding it all together.
 Both these illustrations are for sale, just shoot me an email.

Tiger Trout Watercolor

I have not added material to this blog in far to long.  I also have not put paint to paper in even longer.  Both are crimes quite unforgivable in the blogger world.  That said, This is a short and sweet post.
With any luck this will be a precursor to my return to posting.  Hopefully I can also get a better photo of the finished piece soon.

'Tiger Trout'
Watercolor On Paper
14x7in
For Sale

Tenkara Jam 2015

I just put the finishing touches on this years poster for the 2015 Tenkara Jam!!! www.appalachiantenkara.com

Are You Missing Strikes In Your Caddis Box?

  How diverse is your Caddis pattern box?  Does it just have a few elk hairs or is it stacked with a wide range of flies of all colors and material?  Well if it doesn't have a wide range of different patterns and sizes of these abundant flies then you could be missing out on even more fish.
   The truth is that Caddis flies populate the earth with more than 12,000 known species providing an abundant food resource for trout and other smaller fish.  The adult form of this varied species resembles more of a moth but has fine hairs that coat their wings instead of the scales.  Like moths, not all caddis flies are made the same.  They range in size, shape, and color and for trout fishing it matters.
  A few years ago I met fished with a buddy that had come down to fish trout in the hidden streams of the southeast.  We stumbled across this beautiful,yet small, bend in the river with rises all through the edge of a deep pool.  We took turns casting into the bend with a dry elkhair caddis, both the same size and shape but mine was just a slightly darker clay color than his.  The difference was almost undetectable but to the fish it made all the difference.  One after another I hooked up while he struggled to get a second look.  Our casts were identical, his presentation flawless, but it was color that made the difference.

  A few years later he got his revenge when he out fished me on his home waters of the Driftless waters in Southern Wisconsin but that event solidified in mind that a varied caddis box was essential if I was to have a successful dry fly outing.
  This winter I spent a good amount of time organizing and restocking a dedicated Caddis box with as many examples of caddis patterns as I could tie.  Deer hair in various colors, caribou hair (a favorite natural looking sedge wing material), and a few colors of elk hair all are important in a diverse caddis box.

  If you are worried that your caddis tying is lacking in quality, I can offer this advice; Don't. Through years of fishing them I have discovered that the rougher they look the better the trout like them.  Color and size seem to be more important to the fish than the exactness of a well stacked elk hair.  I seldom buy my flies anymore but when I do come across a store bough caddis I rub it in the mud and rough it up before I fish it. If you doubt the sense in this than I point you to the fly itself.  There is nothing pretty about a caddis struggling in the water film.  To put it another way, if a mayfly is the Porsche 911 of dry flies then the Caddis is the Ford Escort.  It may not be the best looking thing in your box but it will reliably get you form point A to point B.

And don't forget to tie up a number of good larvae patterns to compliment the dry fly.  Caddis flies also make excellent strike indicators for fish feeding on the larvae of these, and other underwater insects.

Back At The Art Thing With Dots

  The other day my little girls asked if I could sketch a butterfly for her so I got out the pad and started inking out a monarch using nothing but ink dots.  Its a technique called stippling and I had only dabbled in using it in the past.  It had always struck me that, although beautiful in the end, it was tedious and time consuming form of illustration.  For this subject I decided it was more of a challenge so I dove in head first and started to dot up the paper like a manic telegraph operator.
  Not a bad way to ease myself back into an artistic mindset especially after such a long absence.

  Of course I have to ask, Does anyone have proof that Trout eat butterflies?  I am sure it happens but I'd love to see any fly patterns people have used successfully.

If it worked on a butterfly, why not a trout?

Have a good week.

Bassmasters 2015 Swag (this ain't about trout) and I Meet Guy Harvey

  Its not about trout but its fishing and if involves hooking into any type of fish and getting some free swag - count me in.  I of course am talking about the Bassmasters Classic.
  I literally own only two poles for spin fishing. One is a salt water rod that I bought for pier fishing 10 years ago for $20 and the other is a 4.5 foot light weight trout spin rod I got before I started fly fishing and haven't used in over ten years.  This fact however does not prohibit me from attending one of the largest fishing events known to mankind.  Especially when it is only a few miles from my front door.
  So yesterday, with the temperatures below the freezing mark, a buddy of mine (who is strictly a spin fishing guy) and I went to check out the expo.

  After a few minutes of walking around I was stunned to see an icon in the fishing art world.  A personal inspiration to me and my artwork as well as a marketing genius when it comes to selling his artwork, Guy Harvey is known the world over for stunning portraits of fish.
  That there was enough to make the entire day worth it for me.  His art is by far one of the most recognizable of any fish artist, I dare say in history, and graces the backs of many a fisherman searching for ocean going fish.  Originals of his work can run you quite a few thousand dollars and they are worth it.  The quality in his work is fantastic.  The marketing of his work might be a bit overwhelming (you honestly can't walk around a sporting good store or fishing pier without seeing his shirts) but you can't argue with success.

  Another plus of the expo was the amount of toys both big and small.  Toyota had a huge booth I spent a good deal of time at - and had a bit of fun with.  Big trucks, and enough bling on boats that Snoop Dog might look under dressed.  The only thing that was missing was a party barge... wait,, I think I saw one of those as well.

St. Croix was the only manufacture with a fly rod at the booth so it was no wonder that I spent a good deal of time talking fly fishing with one of their marketing guys.  I happen to own a St. Croix 7w strictly for my bass fishing and love it but after looking over a few of their other new bass setups, I might be looking at an upgrade.  Specifically a fly rod called 'The Bank Robber'. this strong backed rod would kill some bass and I even like the name.

  An of course I hit the Simms booth - notice the bass on the logo in place of the standard trout.  I took a turn in the their GORE-TEX rain suit and a wet booth set up to test the use of the gear.  After five minutes of getting drenched, I was still completely dry.  I will on the lookout for these.  As one would expect from Simms - another quality product.

In all I came home with a tone more stuff than I can talk about in a short blog post and a load of free swag - including some Old Milwaukee shirts which are sure to be worn.
With all these sponsors throwing money and gear around like confetti I wonder - could a fly angler break into the Bassmasters Tournament and come out on top???  I might have a new mission. :-)

Its Been A While

I wont go into why its been so long since my last post except to say, occasionally a few things in life are more important than fishing and art.  Of course I haven't been all idle in my absence from the web so here is just a few doodles and pics I have done recently to pass the very few idle moments.

.Sketching goofy fish...

A random streamer illustration

An illustration for a friend that is a big Auburn fan but stuck in the frozen tundra.

yes.. I know this has nothing to do with fishing but I am a big fan of old movies and Grace Kelly inspired me.

Hopefully I can break out of this frozen cycle of winter and get to a trout stream soon.  Here are just a few more pics of my recent activities relating to fishing.

I even found time to sneak in a movie... or two.  Ironically I caught up with the Fly Fishing Film Tour in Billings Montana... Don't ask how or why I was there, unfortunately I was not there for fishing but this find was a much needed break from a rough schedule.

And now you are caught up.  Come spring I hope to get in more fishing and even more art.