New Trout Carvings - January 2021

[MathFish]

Just sharing my newest fish carvings. Last weekend, I started 3 fish and carved them on and off throughout the week. This weekend, I painted all three. It was a nice way to spend some time inside watching the snow happen out my window.

The first trout was a brookie carving I made as a thank you gift for a friend of mine who really helped me out this past fall. I based it off of a trout I caught a few years ago. I'm happy with how it turned out and I almost wanted to keep it for myself.

The brookie that the carving is based on

Here is the painted carving.

Next, I decided to make a California Golden Trout. This carving is based off of photos I found online of them. I made a pinewood derby car of one of these trout, but this is my first attempt at carving the fish without wheels. This fish took my about 4 hours to paint. I told my wife that I plan to one day get out fish for these.

Lastly, I came across a photo of an absolutely beautiful young greenback cutthroat trout that I wanted to try and carve. Here is the link to the site which has the photo. It's the second photo on the page. I didn't want to post that photo in this posting since it is copyrighted and I am not sure how that works... Greenback Cutthroat Trout Link

This is also a trout that I would like to one day make a point to get out and see in person. Here is how the greenback carving turned out.

So I managed to squander a perfectly good weekend making these three little fish. It helps that I can't get out and fish since I'm recovering from an injury that will have me off the water for quite some time. However when I finished these three, my wife asked, "So... what's the plan for all these fish?" I decided not to answer her... I'm up to 13 little fish now in my collection and I have plans for others - but to be completely honest, I don't have a plan. They are beginning to stack up and I should probably have a plan. Oh, well...

Thanks for reading!

 

[BradFromPotter]

These are wonderful!! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Dave_W]

Beautiful.

Handling a wild brook trout is a striking and elevating experience and the artist who links actual fish to the creative impulse to design and present will find continued inspiration.

The stone display bases also complement the carvings very nicely.

 

[Dave_W]

While you didn't solicit constructive criticism, may I humbly make some suggestions as wildlife art is, at least in part, founded on getting physical details right (although details themselves do not make for good art). Anyway:

For future trout and salmonids - take some time to examine size and placement of fins. The pectoral and pelvic fins would look better if made a bit smaller. On trout, the pelvic fin inserts into the body directly below the mid point of the dorsal (your's are too far forward). The ventral fins are good sized but a bit far forward. Generally, ventral fins on trout are situated such that their rear edge is directly below the rear edge of the adipose (this can vary, especially if the pelvic fin is worn down or the fish is a female brown trout).

Just some suggestions for what they're worth.

 

[MathFish]

Dave_W thanks for the criticisms. Sincerely, I do appreciate that. I was studying the lines on the head of the trout when I was painting these three and I realized that I was seeing “lines” on the fish around the gill plate that I had never seen before and I realized that on all of my former carvings that I hadn’t seen those lines before. It was easier to paint these one because I finally had noticed those details.

As for the placement of the pelvic and ventricle fins I looked at some photos and I see exactly what you pointed out. Thanks for that! Li will definitely make adjustments in my next carvings.

As for the size of the fins, it ou are spot on with them being a bit oversized. I realized this year that I am making them be a bit too big, but I must confess that it’s kind of a stupid ego thing with me. When I start carving the fins, I try to make them curved and as thin as possible (within reason) and ultimately when I get them to be thin, I look at what I just carved and sanded and I think to myself, ‘Hot Damn! You got that thin!!!’ And it’s usually after that, when I realize that I made them too big... I have been known to be a fool at times!!! Hah!

But lately I’ve been thinking about area I can improve upon and I really appreciate that you took the time to let me know.

 

[DaveKile]

Mathfish
Wonderful work and thank you for sharing. Hope you don't mind but added your post to the from page blog. I think more would enjoy seeing your work.

Dave

 

[Acristickid]

Nice work!

I’ve had the pleasure to catch all of these fish.

 

[StreamBottom]

Another great line up!
Damn fine!