Watercolor Journal - Wild Rainbow Trout

A while back, I bought a spiraled-bound, "watercolor journal" for which to document trips to the river (with some small paintings, a few notes ... that kind of thing). It seemed like a good idea at the time, but as can happen, other priorities distracted me a bit and the journal sat untouched on a shelf in my studio's closet for the better part of two years.

Getting out on the water tends to drive my creative impulses, and the recent trip to the Smokies inspired a lot of painting ideas. One of which was to dust off the journal and actually put some paint to paper.

The first entry is my version of a wild rainbow trout I caught a couple of weeks ago while fishing a tiny stream within the National Park. My painting is just an interpretation of God's little masterpiece here. I could not come close to matching the colors, parr marks and spots that made this trout so beautiful. Special thanks to Charity Roper of R & R Fly Fishing, who guided me to the fish and who snapped the photo I used for reference.

As spring steadily warms into summer, I look forward to upcoming days spent on the water. And, I'm hopeful many of those trips inspire additional paintings within the journal. For now, though, I hope you enjoy my tribute to an absolute jewel of a trout.