Drawing Fish.

I drew a bunch of Christmas presents instead of buying gifts this year. I did a couple last year, and decided as often as I can I am making gifts from now on. Last year it was Partridge Tree drawings, and I drew them without considering the size. I had to have custom mattes cut which isn't expensive, but isn't cheap. It also meant that the recipients would have to order custom frames if they liked them enough to actually put up their homes – which can be pricey.

This year I got smart and bought standard-sized mattes before I made the drawings, and then worked backward to size. Something I learned: People really like it when they can just go buy a standard frame.

I went with fish this year. Fish are a recurring theme in almost all of my artwork, when I'm not drawing trees. I was doing this long before I got into fishing. I try to do other things, but I really just like the fish a lot, so I go back to that and I'm happy.

I never really thought much about this until Carter brought it up one day. He stood looking at a painting in my living room for a while and then he asked me, Why the fish?


All these bullsh*t thoughts were kind of bouncing around in my head. I always answered that question to myself without really thinking about it – that it had to do with swimming in a lake as a kid or that I liked to fish. That has something to do with it, but it's not really it.

I gave this question more weight coming from Carter because he's an incredible musician and I knew there was more behind his asking than a mild curiosity. I sort of stammered around long enough that he finally said, I get it... It's the shape. I can see why you'd be drawn to that. (Carter is really smart). This is the best explanation I have. He's right. This shape is so simple, yet every time you draw it, it's never the same. I think that's part of it. I also think for whatever reason, I just like the way they look. I like circles a lot too.