Artist Kelly Reark

2019 © Kelly Reark, RICHEST MEMORIES. Acrylic on canvas (36x48). Photo credit: Boca Beacon Thank you so very much for coming out and visiting with me at the Boca Grande Invitational this past weekend. Listening to all of your positive feedback about my new paintings, and they way that the tournament artwork brought about memories for you made me grateful that I could touch so many of you. This fishery really is a family. Yes, many are related by blood and marriage. There's so much more to it than that. I'd venture to say that nowhere in the world has our kind of community friendship and love. Thank you for sharing your stories with me.  Results of the 2019 World’s Richest: First tarpon of the first day: Capt. Sandy Melvin, Boca Blue - $12,500 Last tarpon of first day: Capt. Wayne Joiner, Hey, Moma! - $12,500 First tarpon and last tarpon of second day: Capt. Lamar Joiner Jr., Searene - $25,000 Second place with four total releases in two...

Are those tarpon scales real silver? It sure would seem that way! Congratulations to Alex Shouppe's team on the HEY MOMA! with Captain Wayne Joiner for their $32,400 first place win in the 2017 World's Richest Tarpon Tournament. Captain Wayne also took home the Jay Joiner Memorial Belt Buckle. The first fish caught and second place prizes went to the Wise team aboard Captain Charlie Coleman's CASUARINA. Combined winnings collected by Howard Wise's team amounted to $48,600. Captain Nat Italiano and SPOOK hosted Howard Franklin's team. They caught the last fish of the tournament and won $27,000. Nat joked with me that their fish was probably worth about $1,500 per inch. Maybe an exaggeration, but still proving it doesn't have to be a record-setting fish to win a record-setting prize.  Goodbye, my love. Many of you braved the heat to catch up with me at the Boca Grande Invitational Art Festival, and I am SO thankful for that! Great to ...