Ode to Ink Saturated Paper

Now in Production | The Making of Tide Runner Series
In the time of prevalent digital media and easily accessed full color printing, the screen print medium addresses a hand crafted approach to finished graphic work. The average millennial brain in the 20th Century is programmed to a life of instant gratification and quick results. Looking at the end results most people don't realize how much time goes into every detail of a hand crafted piece.

Each sheet of paper is measured, scored, trimmed, printed, sewn and bound by hand. There is something about methodically making each piece the sucks you in to this vacuum where time is lost. You blink your eye and three hours have gone by but at the end of the day you have something tangible that you can hold. Below is a small glimpse into the world behind the scenes of the Tide Runner Series.

I am drawn to the inherent tactile quality of raised ink, the thin layers of translucent colors, and the smell of ink drying. If you are of the same mindset visit Bows & Arrows MRKT and pick up a limited edition item. All Posters, Pocket Notebooks, and Tees were designed, printed and bound by Scott Wyss. There is no we in Bows & Arrows, nothing has left my hands. Photography: Casey Allred, Gary Benzel, and Scott Wyss 
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Bows & Arrows MRKT > > https://www.etsy.com/shop/BowsArrowsMRKT
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Bows & Arrows MRKT : :  https://www.etsy.com/shop/BowsArrowsMRKT
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Weakfish a.k.a TIDE RUNNER

>> Background Information  |  W e a k f i s h  (Cynoscion regalis) 

*IGFA all-tackle world record | 2008 | Dave Alu | 19 pounds, 12 ounces

-Range: On the Atlantic Coast of North America from Nova Scotia to North Carolina

-Target Zone: Sedge Backwaters 

-Season: Spring (May-June)   Best Time: Predawn and dusk hours from around 5:00 a.m. until just after sunrise, and 6:30 p.m. until sunset. Full and New Moons are when largest weakfish move into the backwaters

>> Allure of Weakfish : : Most weakfish caught are in the 1 to 3 pound range but once a weakfish breaks the 10-pound mark the fish then earns TIDE RUNNER status—a class all their own. Weakfish run with the tides, moving in and out and all around the backwaters, hunting underneath sod banks and deep in the channels to chase baitfish and any crustaceans that flow with the tides. 

>> My Personal Account : : I got my first Tide Runner this summer on June 18th at Sunset as the last light drained out of the sky. I was casting to the side of a deep hole and running my custom all Black Daiwa SP Minnow along the edge when my lure got slammed. The first run she ripped line side ways down the beach and then right in the wash took a second short run. The name "Weakfish" is derived from their weak mouth not associated with how they fight. I thought I had a big Striped Bass on so when I finally dragged the fish in I pulled hard and the hook ripped right out. Too much Cow Bell. Now the fish is right at my feet in the wash flopping around. My dad had to run in and grab the fish before it swam back out. She measured in at Twenty Nine & Half inches, and I am guesstimating around 9-10 Pounds.

>> Poster Tribute : : In honor of this beautiful fish and so I would always remember this day I designed and silk screen printed a Poster Series based off a custom typeface I sketched and further developed. This four color serigraph is 22" wide by 10 1/2" high.

{Limited Run of Posters, only 30 signed copies | t-shirts coming soon}
Photo Credits: Weakfish Bob Wyss, On Press Image Arzu Ozkal, Studio Print Image Gary Benzel

Forever West

Dutch John, Utah
May 19 thru May 22

Situated right off the 191 North nestled between the southern most Utah, northern Wyoming border, the Trout Creek Fly shop is the last tackle shop, gas station, cafe, grocery store, and motel before you hike into the Flaming Gorges' Green River.  http://www.troutcreekflies.net/home

I walk in the fly shop and everyone pauses for a brief second, they can immediately tell I am from out of state. Coming straight from a skateboard trip in Northern California I'm easy to spot wearing skinny black jeans, torn up canvas vans and a black wool hat. I walk around for a minute looking at tippet and a huge selection of flies pretending to know what I'm doing but it's obvious when the clerk comes over and says, "it's a little early in the season for the caddis hatch". I try and act surprised, "oh yeah, what flies would you recommend?" The ever patient fly shop clerk, Steven, sets me up with everything. I get my fishing license, State Parking Pass, flies, lunch and cabin for the night all in one transaction. 

Before I leave he shows me two spots on a map of the green river to start fishing at and wishes me good luck. My first day I hobble around the river in the pouring rain on my swollen knee from my previous skating trip. No luck today unless you count snagging pine trees on your back cast a success. 

On day two I take a few casts at the boat ramp and sit down for minute watching all the drift boats get swept out into the fast current. With the drift boats down stream and out of sight I am the only person hiking along the river fishing this gin clear emerald green water. I can see large trout posted up behind boulders in the middle of the river.  I roll cast my fly out and watch it drift by them over and over. It's obvious after awhile that they want nothing to do with me. I hike down river for a few more hours with no success. To say the least this is a very humbling experience. 

My shoulder is burning from what feels like my thousandth cast but I continue the methodical line mending and watch my fly drift down current. Only this time a few yards passed my line a fish jumps out of the water and flops down in the fast moving current. My line goes tight and in my head I am saying "oh shit that's me". It jumps two more times and my heart sinks with each run it takes envisioning how I am going to screw this one chance up. I wait for her to tire out in the strong current and with no net I reach into the 41 degree water. I can feel her cold body from the frigid waters as I remove the fly. I pause to admire the beautiful red lateral lines and then release her back into the wild. I sit down shaking and pause for a moment but before I can fully regroup a huge beaver startles me as it kicks down river past me. There goes my only witness.
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the Bight: Vol. 1 | Issue 1

the Bight : A Journal for the Saltwater Angler
This bi-annual publication has "limited advertising—maximum content". Its well crafted articles and photographs by fishermen for fishermen. A special thanks to Scott Hulet for connecting me with Brandon Hayward and giving me an opportunity to be apart of a great publication. 

I got to illustrate, design and layout an interesting Information Graphic on Swordfishing. I saved all my preliminary iterations and documented the process from hand sketches to final computer layouts. It was a great experience to have creative freedom and be able to work with passionate people on this project. Go out and support this great magazine!

Magazine Cost: $15
http://thebightjournal.com/

Exploration Studies: Pencil Sketches, Xylol xerox transfers, watercolor pencils, computer illustrator graphic translations
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EXPERIMENTS IN THE LAB

Experimenting with some new hybrid lures. These limited edition hand tied lures are half fly and half swimjig. Combining a wide variety of materials from buck tail, krystal flash, pearl chenille, sili legs, saddle hackel, barred zonkers. Still in the field test mode tying a bunch of colors and styles. So far the root beer and chartreuse colorways have been producing good results with local bay and kelp dwelling bass. 

Colorways: Root Beer, Kelp Crab, Red Crab, Chartreuse Flash, Whiteout Squid, Blackout
Weights: 1/4oz, 3/8oz, 1/2oz. 3/4oz, 1oz.

Test Tube Rack: Custom handmade wooden test tube rack

~photos and graphic images copyright Bows & Arrows 2015

 

 

 

 

Underwater Image Making