Anchored in Tradition

Anchored in Tradition is an acrylic on gesso board painting that I made in 2013 for the Boca Grande Area Chamber of Commerce Ladies Day Tarpon Tournament in Boca Grande. The tournament began because on Mother's Day weekend, guides would take their mother, wife, daughter, etc out into the Pass for a day of fishing. The ladies couldn't help it. An all-female field of anglers can be very competitive! That tradition continues to this day as an official live bait, catch-and-release tarpon tournament. Even with the drive to win gnawing at us, we also have a lot of memorable shenanigans in the Pass. Ladies, if you haven't fished this tournament, you should! Many of our past winners were first-timers. It's a very special tournament and one that my mom and I fished together for many, many years.

Artist Kelly Reark

www.KellyReark.com

www.KellyReark.FRIOicechests.com

www.TattooedTarpon.com

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2019 World's Richest Tarpon Tournament

Each year that I create the artwork for the World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament , it is a very special honor to me. I love the Boca Grande fishery for so many reasons. The people I’ve fished with and the exhilaration of catching the mighty silver king are priceless. We are blessed to live in such a special place where the tarpon pile up and present us with the spectacle of huge rolling and feeding schools. Watching the crabs run on the tide or a fish evading a large and looming shadow of a bull or hammerhead are sights common here, unlike anywhere else. When I sit back in my chair on a drift off the pass, I often think about my previous tarpon experiences. Every single one was an event shared with friends and loved ones that I truly cherish. Fishing is as much about people and relationships as it is about the fish. This year is a year of setting sons for our fishery. A few of the boats and people that I grew up fishing with or next to will no longer be in the P

VIP EMAIL SIGNUP LINK

There have been multiple asks for a link to my VIP email signup form. Here is the link! Thank you for your interest in my artwork. The VIP Patrons on my list enjoy advance access to new artwork. Art Launches happen as I complete new artwork. I can't pre-schedule my creative process! My art is in demand and many times the originals sell to my VIP Patrons before ever being released to the public market. This is the singular best way to see all of my new art and have a shot at purchasing it. Otherwise you will have to wait for me to do a public art launch. :( Who likes to wait? Especially when it means most likely missing out on buying your choice of artwork. For instance, I launched a turtle painting this month (February 2018) to my VIPs and sold it within minutes . There were a dozen inquiries to that painting. That art is not going to be reproduced as a print, so the patron who acted on the email offering was able to acquire a very special piece of artwor

Bahamas Royalty

© 2017 Kelly Reark, Bahamas Royalty Permit. Acrylic on fiberglass fish mount (34" Permit) The idea for Bahamas Royalty came through looking at photos of my last trip to Marsh Harbour. A queen triggerfish, queen conch, queen angelfish, silver king ... so many royally beautiful fish from our daily dive! Having a marine biology background, I enjoy the research involved in preparing a work. I look at the entire ecology of the main subject: the habitat, lighting, supportive species, food source and biology. Days of sketching later, I settle on my idea and got to work with the paint. My process is to sketch multiple views of each creature or landmark. Then I use transparent paper to make an outline and work out the best placement on the fish mount. Many of my sketches and images are saved for another project because my ideas are usually too many for one fish mount. The next step is to antique the areas that I want to give that "old paper" look and to pai

Artist Kelly Reark

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