About The Metal Game Fish Sculpture Artist
I was spawned in 1957 off the North Carolina coast by a wayward mermaid and a love-struck sailfish. Though they called me Fishbone, I was sure I was a bastard child because I didn’t have fins. To compensate for my deficiencies, my mother, wayward but wise, gave me a fishing pole, a snorkel & a pencil. (I still have them.)
In my early years, I dove, fished & drew my way thru the Caribbean, New Zealand and the South Seas, plagued by the philosophical question of “is a fishhead born or is he made?”
You see, I was once a zealous fish-snob , proselytizing the virtues & value of only an esteemed few finned fish that possessed the accepted sport or table fare qualities.
Then suddenly, after an agonizing, apocalyptic period of having my bait stolen, my gear ripped off , my cast nets torn, bad weather & worse tides, a miraculous epiphany occurred: a school of greenbacks formed themselves into a perfect heart. I fell to my knees in ecstatic wonder, humbled by the realization that all fish deserve respect & honor. No longer do I curse the pin fish or scowl with disgust at the slimy saltwater cat. In that transcendental moment, I realized that all fish are sacred & worthy of being immortalized.
That’s when I founded the First Church of Fish Worship. I know a lot of folks call me a ‘finatic’, but I ascribe wholly to the gospel that a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work. For me, ‘shut up & fish’ is simple church etiquette, and “filet & release”? Its the essence of being born again.
So now I work out my land-bound karma by making pilgrimages to any and all fishable waters, where I pay homage to every fish, from the humble little blue gills to the magnificent pelagics.
I still have my pencil, but many years ago, the fish gods gifted me with a special present– a plasma torch! I’ve been drawing with fire ever since.
I make sculptural tributes to fish that have made some men famous & others envious. But you’ll also see icons to the underestimated, undervalued & often disdained small game like ladyfish and jacks. Even bait fish, such as mullet, ballyhoo and flying fish are held up in reverence.
Recently, the Babylonian fish god Dagon came to me in a dream. He told me I was to create a body of comedic fish art for the “serious” fisherman who just needs to lighten up. I woke up, laid a circle hook on my fish altar & went to work. (see the “Off the Hook” series)
Finally, fin brethren, I’d like to share a secret with you. By purchasing a Fishbone sculpture, you are not just buying a beautiful piece of art. You’re actually increasing your fishing mojo & the mojo of those around you!
The work I make is imbued with the essence of fish appreciation. It lets you feel an immediate & lasting sense of joy & connection to the fish world, to the place that brings you back to your beginnings, to the world when it was covered with water; to where it will finally return (see global warming).
Tight lines & fish on!
Thank you so much,
Fishbone