Artist’s Statement
I create original, life-sized watercolor paintings of individual trophy trout and salmon. With the growing popularity of catch-and-release angling, an original portrait of a fish that was released is the perfect way to preserve and share the memory.
All paintings are executed with museum-quality materials, using the highest-quality pigments and 100 percent cotton rag watercolor board.
I have been hooked on fishing ever since I caught my first trout as a child at my grandmother’s home in Rock Cave, West Virginia. Since then, I have pursued game fish (mostly trout and salmon) from Florida to Alaska and from Ireland to Hawaii. All of my paintings are done from reference photos, sketches, and notes taken in the field from live fish.
My wife Joyce and I make our home in Los Osos, California, a small coastal town located on Morro Bay, a national sanctuary that teems with migratory waterfowl and marine life. My hobbies include birdwatching, fly fishing, and sleeping late on Sunday mornings. I support these hobbies by playing guitar and mandola with an Irish folk band, Molly’s Revenge, producing websites, creating fine art, and illustration. My website, @Streamside streamside), offers illustrated feature stories about trout and salmon fishing, an extensive gallery of downloadable artwork, excerpts from my personal journal, including field sketches and photos, and a biography.
Stuart Mason Helmintoller
