fishonart

Hello, and thank you for visiting my shop. This is what happens when an artist is obsessed with fish.

All my life I have had a passion for fish. As a kid I would fish as often as possible. In my twenties and thirties I switched from catching fish to keeping them in aquariums (a lot of them). In my forties I switched back to fishing and have been loving it since.

Each fish is unique in that it is hand carved from wood, hand painted and signed. With special attention to capturing the characteristics of a species. The body of the fish is carved from pine. The dorsal and anal fins are carved from poplar. The back of the fish is flat, with a hanger attached and is signed. The fish also has a glass eye. The majority of the shaping is done with a grinder and carving tool. Shaping the fish may make me feel like a sculptor but the magic really starts after the fish is carved and the painting begins.

Once the fish is carved it is sealed with a sanding sealer. Each fish is painted with water based acrylic. The under coats are applied and then the fish is detailed out with an airbrush. Using an airbrush is the best way to apply the many layers required to give the fish depth and a perception of reality. Some of the fish have as many as fifteen different colors, including reflective colors that can only be seen from certain angles. After the fish is painted it is protected with several layers of water based gloss urethane.

Some day I’ll see the Doc to find out why I’m so addicted to fish but until then, this is my therapy.

Thanks again for your interest.

Del Calhoun