The golden trout is the California state fish. They live in the high altitude, cold, well oxygenated waters of the southern Sierra. These trout are endemic to these mountains and have evolved in such isolated streams that there are still pure strains that have not cross bred with other trout, while others have bred with rainbow trout, this has created some variations within the species.
Even though they are small they are so beautiful that they are highly coveted by fishermen. I caught a bunch myself in the wilderness above Bishop with barbless hooks so that I could return them home unharmed. Beautiful they certainly are, so when I decided to start a series of fish inspired prints, the golden trout was a great place to start.
This is an edition of twenty, marked as varied because of the applied texture in the foreground rocks, and there is some distinct variation in the red area on the side of the fish, some are lighter than others. The photo here is one with a deeper red on his side, the lighter ones have a softer effect, so It's a matter of personal preference which one someone may choose. Anyone who is interested in seeing the difference is invited to email me and I can send the images side by side to compare.
Again I have used the reduction technique for this project as I enjoy this process for many reasons, mainly consistancy with the registration, and it makes each project special as it can not be repeated exactly the same. I use Caligo Safewash inks, they are oil based, so they have rich pure saturated colors, but clean up with soap and water. The paper is Mohawk Ultra Fine, I don't have a press, so the surface has vrey smooth texture that picks up the ink without the need for me to tire out my arms with my baren.
The golden trout is the California state fish. They live in the high altitude, cold, well oxygenated waters of the southern Sierra. These trout are endemic to these mountains and have evolved in such isolated streams that there are still pure strains that have not cross bred with other trout, while others have bred with rainbow trout, this has created some variations within the species.
Even though they are small they are so beautiful that they are highly coveted by fishermen. I caught a bunch myself in the wilderness above Bishop with barbless hooks so that I could return them home unharmed. Beautiful they certainly are, so when I decided to start a series of fish inspired prints, the golden trout was a great place to start.
This is an edition of twenty, marked as varied because of the applied texture in the foreground rocks, and there is some distinct variation in the red area on the side of the fish, some are lighter than others. The photo here is one with a deeper red on his side, the lighter ones have a softer effect, so It's a matter of personal preference which one someone may choose. Anyone who is interested in seeing the difference is invited to email me and I can send the images side by side to compare.
Again I have used the reduction technique for this project as I enjoy this process for many reasons, mainly consistancy with the registration, and it makes each project special as it can not be repeated exactly the same. I use Caligo Safewash inks, they are oil based, so they have rich pure saturated colors, but clean up with soap and water. The paper is Mohawk Ultra Fine, I don't have a press, so the surface has vrey smooth texture that picks up the ink without the need for me to tire out my arms with my baren.