Kelly's Reel

This piece was painted as a commission to showcase my client’s grandfather’s reel. I wanted the reel to be the heart of the painting, glowing with presence, while the line loops out across the canvas and wraps around a trout twisting in the river. The fly is still in the air, so the fish isn’t caught—it’s that moment of tension and possibility. For me, it’s not just about the sport, but about honoring a family memory and carrying forward the story of a grandfather through something he loved.