Winter Fly Fishing

"They say you forget your troubles on a trout stream, but that's not quite it. What happens is that you begin to see where your troubles fit into the grand scheme of things, and suddenly they're just not such a big deal anymore."
      - John Gierach

For the month of February I am being challenged to paint with acrylics as opposed to watercolor, and to paint bigger than what is usually in my comfort zone.

One thing I like about acrylics is the ability to keep layering the paint to cover up mistakes. I make a LOT of mistakes, so that comes in handy. However, I also make a lot MORE mistakes with acrylics, so I spend a LOT of time covering them up, even having to go back and re-do large sections.

Anyway, the theme this week was winter. So I decided to go with one of my favorite additional themes - fishing. I found a reference photo I liked and got to work.

I simply cannot, after a year of trying, paint fine lines with acrylics. It frustrates me to no end. Painting the fisherman, the fly rod and the fly line was a massive struggle. I've tried lots of medium and different brushes with no success. Maybe someday I will figure out the secret.

Despite the frustrations, I did thoroughly enjoy pushing myself out of my comfort zone, and I look forward to the next 3 weeks of paintings.

This weeks painting is on 11x14 canvas.

Winter Fly Fishing