Katherine Ford displays a great smallmouth bass, the fish that made her fall for fly fishing. Images courtesy Katherine Ford
Wisconsin artist Katherine Ford concerned both painting and fly fishing late in life, however she’s definitely offseted wasted time. Understood for her stunning watercolors of flies, she’s likewise required to painting various fish types, too. The outcomes are vibrant, impressionistic paintings that actually record the interaction of type and function, in addition to the connection to nature. We asked Katherine to address a couple of concerns about her course to ending up being an artist and more.
Watercolor, 5 x 7 x 1.5 inches
2024
Where are you from, and what do you provide for a living?
I have actually called Wisconsin home my entire life, other than for 2 daring years in Alaska. I invested my profession in the food and pharmaceutical markets, operating in quality control– an extremely analytical field. When I retired, I lastly provided my long-suppressed imagination area to grow. Watercolor painting became my outlet, enabling interest and expression to blossom.
Watercolor, 5 x 7 x 1.5 inches
2024
Where and when did you begin fishing?
My papa utilized fishing as an escape, and from the time I was 4, he ‘d bring me along– generally to the gravel pit, where I captured bullheads and took in the delight of being with him. By age 6, I had a hand line and was capturing panfish throughout journeys “Up North.” When I got tired, he handed me snarled line to untangle. I believed I was assisting. He most likely tossed it later on, however I seemed like part of the group.
Watercolor, 5 x 7 x 1.5 inches
2024
When and how did you begin drawing/painting/sculpting? Did you study?
I delighted in art in high school, specifically viewpoint illustration, however life led me in other instructions for several years. Later on, I discovered sketching through botanical illustration. Wishing to include color, I turned to watercolor. I didn’t pursue an official art degree however studied with artists whose designs I appreciated, consisting of Mary Bauschelt, David R. Becker, Peg Ginsberg, and Helen Klebesadel.
Watercolor, 5 x 7 x 1.5 inches
2025
Who are the other artists who influence you most?
I’m drawn to artists who bring psychological fact to normal topics. Andrew Wyeth has actually long been a preferred for his plain intimacy and storytelling. I likewise deeply admire modern watercolorists who record little minutes with genuineness and information– something I pursue in my own work.
Watercolor, 9 x 12 x 1.5 inches
2025
What is your connection in between your love of art and fishing? When did they come together?
While I have actually fished considering that youth, I didn’t fall for fly fishing up until about 8 years back on a directed smallmouth journey with P.J. Smith. After numerous hours on the water, he opened a musky-fly box, and I was stunned by the sculptural charm of those flies. I understood I needed to paint them. That resulted in painting trout flies, bass banners, and ultimately fish themselves. My very first fish painting now awaits the SIM Fly Fishing Museum in Italy.
I enjoy operating in close information, and when you study a fish up close– actually study it– you see complex colors and textures that go undetected in pictures. That interest drove me to fish more, simply to much better comprehend what I wished to paint.
Watercolor, 5 x 7 x 1.5 inches
2024
What’s up next for you?
I’m presently dealing with a series that sets seasonal blossoms with matching flies– a mix of my botanical roots and my fascination with flies as abstract sculpture. I’ll continue fly fishing as part of that procedure, letting the water and its occupants form what follows in the studio.
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art work at MidCurrent Market
