Fly fishing for salmon, trout and steelhead brings me to beautiful places, and watercolor painting is a perfect ompanion pursuit. The materials are lightweight and compact enough to fit in a vest pocket. Clear water need not be carried. The time for a simple sketch is about the time you would want to rest a pool after putting a good fish down, and a more involved painting can fill in time when waiting for the evening rise. It can be difficult to choose between painting and fishing when the sun sets and the fish are rising. I have painted watercolors since 1975. My most nspiring influence was Tseng TaYu of the EastWest Art Studio in San Francisco, a renowned Chinese musician, poet, painter and calligrapher who impressed upon me the beauty and truth in oriental techniques and philosophy. My watercolors combine oriental influence with traditional transparent watercolor techniques in the raw natural ndscape of western North America. Contrary to popular beliefs promoted by those who would continue to destroy our natural beauty, this nature still exists. I seek in my work to inspire you to cherish and preserve these places. In 1996 through 1999 I studied etching at Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, CA. I enjoy the process and planning involved in etching as a welcome balance to the spontaneity of watercolor, during the winter when painting outdoors can be problematic.

Website: http://www.vinsel.com/