Sriracha Oil Painting

Sriracha! 

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Pink & Campari

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Angler's Rainbow

A little postcard sized rainbow trout I painted yesterday.  This will be a door prize at the Angle's Club of Philadelphia Diner being held April 14th.  Tight Lines.

Here is the photo of the real fish by Bian Johnson from Flickr. 

Male Dace Streamer

Found this beautifully tied fly on "Streamers 365"  This is the "Male Dace Streamer" tied by Bob Petti, designed by the master Lew Oatman.  Here is the direct link: Streamers 365

Happy Easter!

9" x 12"

Opening Day 2012

Opening day has already come and gone here in South Eastern PA.  It was a bit rainy so instead of actually catching any fish, (trust me I tried) here is a painting of a nice rainbow that I wish I had caught. 

11.5" x 15"

English Springer Spaniel

When I was a kid I had an English Springer Spaniel named Rupert.  Rupert was one of two dogs we had at the time, the other an English Sheep Dog named Shag-Bag...aka, "Shag".  The term "springer", according to Wikipedia comes from their historic hunting role, where the dogs would "spring" or "flush" birds into the air. 

There was no mistaking Rupert's fondness of springing into the air.  He drove Shag crazy.   

Rupert was actually a total spaz.  He didn't last too long in our family, but wreaked havoc while we had him.  He needed to get out to a place where he could run free.  

Recently came across some pictures from a hunter friend of mine on the Hunting Subsite of Reddit  His name is Beau, and is apparently is the spitting image of his father and a natural hunter.  He's no doubt a more relaxed pooch than Rupert.  I haven't really painted too many dogs, but I like how this turned out.  I'll be doing some more in the future...if they can sit still.

Here is a picture of Rudneck's Springer Spaniel:

Taste God's Country - Jackson Hole Part 2

Continuing with the theme of ski town culinary delights, our next stop is Teton Thai.  Located in Teton Village, just a short walk from the base of the Tram, Teton Thai is the perfect post ski spot to dig into some amazing authentic Thai Cuisine.  This place was filled with locals, so you know it's the real deal.   

The Spicy Margarita

The Menu has all of the classic Thai dishes.  We got into the Pad Thai...spicy level 3.  The spicy scale goes from 1-5.  Not really sure how someone could manage level 5.  Level 3 had me at my sweaty limit.  Not to mention I topped that off with a Spicy Margarita.  Wow.  That's a damn good combo that really brings the heat.

The Bar at Teton Thai

Here are some of the other establishments where we dined;

Apres Ski Spots included The Alpenhoff Bar & Bistro.  They deliver a "roaring fire, live entertainment and the friendliest crowd in Teton Village".  This place was a blast and it's clear that everyone was enjoying themselves.  How could you not?  Buzzes were flying high and the band was kickin'!   

Alpenhoff Bar & Bistro

Next on the list of Apre' Ski hot spots is the Mangy Moose.  This is the old faithful of Apres Ski. The Moose provides a huge list of beers, a great crowd and unmatched mountains of Nachos.   They also have a nice sized stage for casual post skiing solo acts, and concert style music events.

The Moose Hangs Above Your Head

Mangy Moose Nachos

The Peak is located slope side in the Four Seasons and is a great spot to catch the last rays of Sunshine after a long cold day.  They serve craft beer, creative cocktails and wines by the glass while you sit in an oversided deck chair watching skiers make it down Apres Vous.

View from Peak at the 4 Seasons

Bloody -The Peak at the 4 Seasons (photo Allie Arthur)

 Corbet's Cabin is located at the top of Rendezvous Mountain, has grab-n-go items, world-famous waffles and unlimited views.  You are at 10,450 feet and feel as though you are on the top of the world.  It's the perfect spot to stop after jumping off the Tram to get one last bit of warmth before you rip down the mountain.

  

Corbet's Cabin 10,450 feet

Another more sophisticated dining experience is Osteria.  Located at the base of Teton Village, Osteria boast delicious Italian Cuisine and a top notch wine bar.  Our choices were the Buffalo Ragu Fucilli Pasta and Veal Shank over Gnoccis and Broccoli Rabe

Buffalo Ragu Fucilli Pasta 

Veal Shank over gnocci and broccoli rabe

What Valentines diner with my wife would be complete without gourging ourselves on Sushi.  We made reservations at Masa Sushi in Teton Village for 7:30.  We showed up at 6:00.  Enough said.  The place is legit and they take care of you like you are family.  Sit at the sushi bar and talk to Mike, the son of the owners.  He's the man.  Enjoy a few saki bombs with him.

Whats left of my sushi plate.

And finally here are a few shots of the 12+ inches of new snow that fell during our visit.  The skiing was superb.  Jackson Hole has no substitute.

View of Teton Valley After 6" Fresh.

Cheyenne Chapel hidden in the pines good place to "pray"

Above Bernie's Bowl  Steep and Deep.

Taste God's Country - Jackson Hole Style

Culinary Adventures in Jackson Hole

I have not really focused on food over the past few years in my blog and thought my recent trip into God's Country, aka... Jackson Hole, Wyoming would make a choice cut for my readers.  After all, I do believe that besides fishing and art, the other most important vices are food, booze and skiing.  Recently, my wife and I were lucky enough to escape for a few days into the West for a little R&R, some world class skiing and  some fine cuisine.  Over the next few days I'll take you on a little journey into our  trip.  

  

Cafe Genevieve 

"Inspired Home Cooking"

Pork Belly Hash w/ Eggs Beni

We began our foray at Cafe Genevieve at 135 East Broadway in the center of Jackson Hole.  Housed in a historic log cabin, the warm atmosphere is the perfect spot to indulge after a long flight in from anywhere else in the "real world".  The Managing Partner, Fred Peightal pictured below, a graduate of the Cornell Hotel Administration School and French Culinary Institute, has pieced together an amazing menu of comforting plates and inviting atmosphere.  His Partner, Joshua Govenale ads a depth of culinary creativity and  kick assery.

I was presented with Pork Belly Hashed Eggs Beni.  To date, the best eggs beni I've had.  No Contest.  My accomplice ordered the Cuban Sandwich with hand cut chips.  When she wasn't looking, I ate half of this as well.  Awesome.

Classic Cuban Sandwich

The highlight, of your visit that you will press into your flavor brain is the Candy....Pig Candy.  Oh My God.  The Pig Candy.  Don't take my word for it...just ask the good folks at the PorkKnifeandSpoon the official blog of the National Pork Board.  If anyone knows of a word to that combines "Pork", "Ridiculous", and "Holy Bacon", please let me know so I can edit this.

Pig Candy and Paco's IPA 

And to wash it all down, the ladies might enjoy a nice mamosa or a bloody mary.  I on the other hand chose a local IPA called Pako's.  Pako's Eye-P-A is a creation of the Snake River Brewing Company with a 6.8% ABV.  This is a damn good beer with a full hoppy flavor.  A perfect apre' ski lube to get your buzz to an acceptable plateau.  Pako, as legend has it, is a one eyed dog...or is he?

Fred joined me at 10,000 feet the next day for a few runs from the top of The Tram where we took advantage of some classic Teton Powder.  We worked up a hefty appetite and followed that up with a few apres' beers.  I'll fill you in later on a few more of our culinary adventures as my Wife and I explored through the Teton Valley for our 10th Valentine's Day!

The Tram

Fred Peightal

Glorious Pow

In A Daydream

There is a song by The Freddy Jones Band called "In a Daydream".  It starts off like this:

Tuesday mornin' never looked so good / I'm already in, In a daydream... 

Well...it was actually this past Tuesday morning when I got a text from my buddy, we'll call him "The Forcer".  The text was no text at all, but rather this picture.  Enough said.  Daydreaming begin.....

The Forcer had just hooked into this beautiful Bone Fish on the fly down in Island of Andros in the Bahamas.  A yearly pilgrimage to Andros with The Forcer and a team of jackals, I have been on the invite list for many years, but have failed to make the trip.  I'm told this trip includes camping on the beach, drinking heavily, and slaying big bones.  Someone remind me again WHY I haven't joined?

The weather report calls for snow in the NorthEast this week and I am sitting at my desk in this "daydream".  As I flip through the text from The Forcer, an email literally floats into my inbox from another good friend, we'll call this one "Dr. J".  This email contains only the picture below:

One might assume, these are two friends of mine who are on a trip together.  One would be wrong.  They have never met, and are on two separate trips.  Dr. J is in Islamorada.  While I sit. At my desk.  In A Daydream. 

Freddy Jones Band, Vail 11/21/09

Tuesday mornin'

never looked so good

I'm already in

In a daydream

The sun is shinin'

It's here to wake me up

No one around

Just me and the sky

I'm already in

In a daydream

The sky is callin'

It's callin' out my name

Telling me just to stay

Stay, don't go away

And a breeze is blowin'

Blowin' across my face

Well I just don't know where

But I wish I could be there

Just for a little while

I'm already in

In a daydream

Fishing Jones - Profiles My Painting for Blog Post

Pete McDonald's blog Fishingjones.com describes being "done in by a professional" drinker.

Open Access in Winter

Hunkered down for the winter, I thought this would be a nice subject.   

I imagined that beyond this old gate lies a nice trout stream waiting to be discovered.  This is the kind of spot that requires some whisky running through your blood to keep warm. 

I found this photo on flickr.com by a photographer and artist Allison Ryder .  The photo was accompanied by this Poem:

"i'm tired" thought the fence ~ winter fence friday {Explore}

In the mountains through and around,
along the road here's what i found.
a fence so old
it could no longer stand.

The snow came down warm and hard
settling itself on wood and barb.
it whispered "my dear tired fence,
let me lay with you, you’re not alone."

Sighing deep the fence let go
Leaning now against the snow.
resigned but happy
a fence no more.~ Allison Ryder

It's a Brown Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

This beautiful Brown Trout was caught by an angler I found on Reddit.com named TroutHockey.  He posted this in the Fly Fishing category and I thought it was a perfect pose.  Caught in the in the Catskills of NY on an elk hair caddis.  I'd take some of this over turkey.  Anyone eating some trout tomorrow??

Trout Hunters Escape the Bear!

I got a call from my father a few weeks ago letting me know that our dear friend Rich Paini had been attacked by what he thought was a Grizzly Bear and the details we had thus far were sketchy.  My heart sank.  Rich and his friend Jon Stiehl had been out for a morning Elk hunt and they were attacked.  I immediately thought of the last time I saw Rich, at his wedding on the banks of the Henry's Fork River in Island Park, Idaho at his Fly Fishing Lodge "Trout Hunter". 

It was a gorgeous day.  When my family and I showed up to attend the wedding there was a sign on the fly shop door that said something to the effect that the wedding ceremony and reception were going to be starting late because Rich was out fishing. 

As Jon explains in this TroutHunt.com update, I'm happy to report that Rich and Jon made it out alive, although Rich had some pretty severe battle wounds to take home with him.  Jon explains:

I heard Rich yell “BEAR!”  By the time I was able to get out my pepper spray, Rich and a very large dark bear with a buff face came flying into view. The bear was 3/4's erect and Rich had managed to stick up his right arm to protect his face. The bear clamped down on it and threw Rich to the ground, completely breaking his right arm below the elbow.  It looked like a hit from an NFL Linebacker. Rich thrust his left arm and recurve bow towards the bear's face in an attempt to free himself.  The bear chomped that hand splintering the arrows in the bow quiver in the process. I ran to the collision just in time to fire off a cloud of pepper spray at the bear's huge ass and watch it tear off into the woods.

A broken arm and missing ring finger later, Rich is home and recovering.  I look forward to visiting the TroutHunter Lodge in the next few years to hear the story in person.  I'll be purchasing some pepper spray before I go.

Click the picture to visit TroutHunt.com and see their Fly Shop, Lodge and Guide Service:




TroutHunt

 

A Cutthroat Battle

"Flies, and Their Lawyers, Keep Rare Trout From Going Home"  By JUSTIN SCHECK of the WSJ.com

Restoring the Fish to California Creek Could Harm a Bug's Life; Cutthroat Battle



California Department of Fish and Game



MARKLEEVILLE, Calif.—North America's rarest trout has human allies who want to give it back its ancestral home.But the fish face an obstacle to their homecoming: bug advocates.

Federal and state game officials want to restore the Paiute cutthroat trout to the range scientists believe it occupied for many millennia—a nine-mile stretch of the Silver King Creek in the Sierra Nevada wilderness.

Yet there are also bugs in those waters—bugs that insect advocates say will be threatened by the fish fans' proposal...More After The Jump

Sapphire

Bombay Sapphire - Recipe of 10 ingredients:  Almond, lemon peel, liquorice, juniper berries, orris root, angelica, coriander, cassia, cubeb, and grains of paradise.

Watercolor on coldpress paper 9x12

The name hints at the origins of the gin's popularity in the India of the days of the British Raj and the sapphire in question is the Star of Bombay on display at the Smithsonian Institution.  Bombay Sapphire is marketed in a flat-sided, sapphire-coloured bottle that bears a likeness of Queen Victoria on the label.

Native Feathers

A deviation of subject for me, "Native Feathers" was an interesting process. I haven't been focused on portraits or the figure in a long time, but will continue to challenge myself as I find subjects that move me.  I'd like to say the feathers in her hair pheasant tail for all of the fly fishing enthusiasts out there, and could probably make good materials for a tying a nymph.  Anyway, I've been inspired by the style of artist Michael Shapcott  His work is amazing and I wanted to be able to capture a similar mood.

Watercolor on cold press - 11" x 15"

As I worked on this painting, I didn't know what to expect.  I continually loosened up my style as I progressed through the different stages.  I think the most important aspect is the mood that the eyes create.  She has a look that I can not explain.  So, here she is.  Hopefully, I'll continue to challenge my style and bring more pieces like this to the stage.

Scott Howell's Squidro Summer Series

Recently, a true veteran of the sport of fly fishing created a new fly called the Squidro.  Scott Howell, a guide in Southern Oregon, has over 20 years and over 300 days a year of river time under his belt.  This fly is something else and was exclusively created for Leland Fly Fishing.  I thought it would be a great subject to paint.

Watercolor on coldpress

 

Watch Scott Howell in this video explain the uses for the Squidro and you will no doubt want to try on of these bad boys.  If you want to pick one up, you can only get them at Leland - click the banner at the bottom of this post.  Also, if you are in Scott's territory and looking for help getting into some (COWS) fish, here is Scott Howell Fishing

                       

The Painting in the studio

Get your Squidro here at Leland :

Friday in the Valley

Brushing off the cobwebs of a long, cold, wet winter my friend and I bailed from work had a "business" meeting in the afternoon. We headed into historic Valley Forge Park to try our luck on a stretch of Valley Creek that I had not fished before.  It was a beautiful day accompanied by a gorgeous stretch of water.  After a little investigating and a few run-ins with hissing Canadian Geese protecting their nests, we started to see what seemed like a sulfur hatch coming off around 4:00.  

We had a few of the feisty native browns hitting our nymphs earlier in the day, then they started hitting a combination of emergers and dry flies.  I used this little olive pattern (see below) with a gray wing and we started to see some action.  These fish were literally jumping out of the water making me tingle every time.  I had this 13 inch brown jump over my fly like a horse at a steeple chase.  Finally we had some luck and brought in a couple of fish.  We were very happy and look forward to our next "business" meeting together.

 The End.

Opening Day Brown

I thought Opening Day of Trout Season in South Eastern PA would be a good subject to introduce a new painting that I recently completed.  This Brown Trout has the gaping "stranded" look after being caught and held by the angler to model for the photo.  I also included the circular water reflections picked up by the camera as I feel it ads a sense of depth.

Watercolor on Cold Press - 12" x 14"

This brown is loosely modeled after a trout I found on Flickr.com from user:

Flikr - mdoughty68 You should also check out his Blog, as he's got some fantastic photos and subjects, not to mention is a Patriot of the US Military: Trout Tripper

Speaking of Opening Day...yesterday the family and I packed up and headed to a good friends house to enjoy and opening day brunch.  Our freid's house is located on tha banks of Darby Creek in Newtown Square PA and provides excellent access to the river.  We were actually a day late on the river (opening day was Saturday) and I think the fish were all gone.  We were fishing downstream from a hoard of spinners who were slapping the water.  I did see a few trout, but they were not interested in the brunch I was serving up.  It was good to break the gear out for the first time this season and I look forward to doing more of the same this spring and summer.  Here's a shot of the back of my rig with all of my gear lined up..perhaps a good panitng subject.  (Send me your gear shots if you have some good ones)

Have a great  season!