Paintings by Matt with ink on watercolor paper.
My entire life was pointed towards this.
A youth fascination with freshwater pinnacle predators. A river system so big, it might hold anything.
I ‘d been raised on Animal World and guarantees to my grandpa that I would take a boat up the Amazon River. And through some mix of luck, advantage and the beneficence of the gods of streaming water, I was paid for the chance to invest a week chasing peacock bass on the Rio Marie in the furthest northeast corner of Brazil. It was the best fishing experience of my life.
Painting assists me believe. However I have a hard time to blog about the experience.
Even prior to the pandemic, I was currently drawing my circle of attention smaller sized and smaller sized.
The Amazon is too huge and too far to understand.
I do not believe our brains are created to understand this vastness. I failed the sky up until I landed in a location where huge river otters, dolphins and blue macaws ruled the landscape.
I could not get my head around the Amazon in a life time.
However I had actually selected this. The journey expense more than the minivan I drive. I had actually put whatever I had, focused all of my resources and physical capabilities into capturing actually huge peacock bass. I had actually selected to bring this experience into my life, and I didn’t comprehend why.
I discussed a comparable experience a while back, an essay about my daddy searching grizzly bears in Alaska. I keep in mind asking him, over and over once again, why. What was the function of this? He didn’t appear to understand. Years later on, I’m asking myself comparable concerns and my responses do not please me.
Is it the vanity of capturing actually big wheel in an unique area? Yes.
Is it about the size and appeal and hostility of the animals pursued? Most likely.
Was it the chance to fish with friends and family? A lot yes.
However once again, the responses do not appear to amount to a rewarding reaction. Hope you delight in the paintings. Chris composed a fantastic writeup of the journey, so certainly go there for a more efficient description! It took me a years to make significance of my father’s dream to hunt grizzly bears. I anticipate this will take less time, however when I figure it out, I will let you understand.
– Matt Stansberry
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