“I need to have the experience first, in order to get inspired to paint. It
might be just something as simple as the patterns witnessed on a recent trout
caught and released. Sometimes it might be more complex; a whole general
feeling I have about a certain river or stream that is the result of
cumulative experiences on that water.” Ethan takes a contemplative sip of his
beer and watches another group of Bozeman “bros” wander into the Rocking
R Bar. We’re talking art, and for the Montana-based artist, fishing guide and
former shop rat, this is a day just like any other.
Ethan grew up in rural Connecticut, the eldest of three brothers all very
close in age. The brothers lived close to several small trout streams and
spent their family vacations camping, hiking, and simply being outside. “Video
games were never part of our youth,” Ethan said. “So we learned to entertain
ourselves the old-fashioned way. Part of this included painting and the other
part was exploring outside.”
It wasn’t until the avid fly angler moved to Montana that he considered an
actual career in the fly fishing industry. He worked summer seasons in Alaska
while completing a degree in fish and wildlife management at Bozeman’s
Montana State University and then worked in several of the area’s top fly shops
and outfitting services.
Art has always been a consistent theme. “I first picked up a paintbrush
probably before I can even remember,” Ethan recalled. “I guess I have always
just enjoyed how a painting can turn a memory into a physical thing that can
be shared with others. I paint for a lot of reasons. Sometimes I just want to
make something cool and interesting. Other times it serves as a state of
meditation that allows me to slow things down and re-focus on the rest of my
life. But my best work has stemmed from painting in an attempt to re-create
and preserve a specific experience, memory, or feeling had out on the water.
"Time outside and on the water is the main thing that inspires my
paintings. I need to have the experience
first, in order to get inspired to paint. You never know what small thing
might spark up inspiration for a new painting. Often, the hardest part of
painting is the initial idea. When I start to get stuck, I go to the river.
Things usually fall into place after that, and when I have that internal drive
and vivid image in my head, it is much easier to get the paint to do what I
want it to do.”
As all industry people know, burnout is very real and it’s easy to lose that
creative spark in the daily routine. For Ethan, keeping that internal drive is
all about getting outside and on the water.
“Working in the industry definitely helps with extra exposure to the subject
matter. Guiding especially helps,” he said. “Not only are you seeing trout
being caught, but you also get to see the joy that brings to your guests. You
notice new things when you are out on the water. Maybe it is the way the
ripples on the surface reflect the sky or a certain shade of purple you see
in the rocks in the water, you never know when a new idea for a painting will
come. Time spent guiding definitely gives me more opportunity for inspiration
when witnessing nature and how my clients or whoever else I’m fishing with
might react to it.”
For the moment, Ethan’s work bears his trademark bright colors and high
contrast, focusing on trout and cold rivers. He notes that occasionally he’ll
dabble with saltwater or a commissioned piece outside his ordinary subject
matter, but at the end of the day, he returns to those same trout and rivers.
His outlook on art borders on the philosophical. “One of the things I like
most about creating art is that the painting will outlive you. You build
something that will be appreciated and viewed by people long after you die.
They may not know your name—or anything else about you—but you still have a
chance to make a viewer pause for an instant and feel something about your
painting. For me, that is good enough. It gives you a sense of immortality
that makes me feel at ease with the rest of my life. Days I spend even just a
little bit of time on the easel are days I feel more complete, accomplished,
and calm. Art does that for me.
"Outside of that, on a day-to-day basis I definitely notice the small things
more. You search for colors, patterns, and new inspiration for future
paintings.”
The best advice he’s been given was from a fellow young angler—remember to
keep it fun. “The context was him advising that as my art grows
into more of an actual business, that I keep the drive alive and never forget
why I started painting in the first place. Because it is fun! When things get
a bit stressful with deadlines, commissioned pieces, and trying too hard to
come up with new ideas, I head to the river and just try to keep things fun.
Remembering that usually helps things fall back into place.”
That drive transitions into capturing the same feeling for his art
clients. “For my art, I just want to continue to create things
that people enjoy," he said. "Using paint and canvas to re-create memories and experiences had on the water to share with others. That is what it is all about for me. Knowing that my paintings are starting to spread to places other than my own
house and now all over the world is a pretty cool feeling. Strangers somewhere
else are enjoying something I created in my own home. If I can continue to
make that happen and spread my art all around, that would be alright by me.”
See more of Ethan Markie’s art at
https://www.instagram.com/e_markie_art/