Artist’s Statement
Like many of us, I guess, one of my earliest memories was reeling in a bluegill on a Zebco 202. I must’ve been three or four. Another of my earliest memories, and one of the first things I ever drew, was that simple line version of a fish we all know.
My mom got me into fishing. She didn’t fish herself, but she liked to read at a nearby lake on the weekends. I would just have at it on my own — although I sometimes asked other anglers for tips and advice. I didn’t realize it then, but the meditative solitude combined with the thrill of anticipation would become a way of life.
I attended college close to many Lake Erie tributary streams. A fly-fishing friend gave me a few flies he tied, and I was amazed at the steelhead I could catch with them using my spinning rod. I eventually bought a fly rod and reel and taught myself how to fly fish in the heart of Amish country, on Neshannock Creek in western Pennsylvania, again sometimes asking other anglers for tips and advice.
In 1999, I was drawn to San Francisco for its creative energy and access to global cultures, but just as important was the fishing access to the dramatic landscapes along the coast and especially in the mountains to the east and north.
My work as a graphic designer in the fly-fishing industry began when I was asked by Pete and Josette Wooley to create a new logo for their San Francisco–based Fly Fishing Outfitters, which was just three blocks from my newly rented apartment. Together with Josh Frazier, their employee at the time and the eventual owner of the business, we developed what would later become the Leland Fly Fishing logo art.
After having the pleasure of creating numerous fly-fishing promotional designs and illustrations over the past decade, I took on the idea of a promotional series for California Trout. I prefer to draw fish in a stylized way in a swimming position, but I also have a great admiration for the precise scientific styles that artists such as Joseph Tomelleri and James Prosek have perfected. I’m attempting to be a little more anatomically correct while pursuing my graphic and vector-based style further. My hope is to capture some of the ruggedness as well as the fragilities of these striking, yet vulnerable creatures. I create the digital art by hand with a pen stylus in Adobe Illustrator and then finish it off in Photoshop. The art is currently available in sticker form and will be printed on shirts and possibly other items in the future.
As I write this, a group of talented friends are exploring deep inside the Sierra Nevada range armed with cameras in search of the “protogolden,” a term that refers to the original strain of the fish.
Keith Brauneis Productions and California Trout are creating a short film about golden trout that will raise awareness of this magnificent fish, its habitat, and its plight. The film is called Liquid Gold, and it will be used in a small way in support of the cause. Keep an eye out for it in upcoming film tours and festivals.
To see more of my work, please go to paulwaters.org.
