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Rod Sutterby

UK painter Rod Sutterby has contributed fish paintings to several books and exhibitions

By Martin Joergensen

  
Night move
 Night move 
Rod Sutterby
 
I first really noticed Rod Sutterby's paintings in the book Atlantic Salmon done in collaboration with Malcom Greenhalgh. where his beautiful illustrations make this book a special experience. In connection with a new series of articles about "Fishy artists" here on GFF, I contacted Rod, and he returned with answers to my questions and some samples of his beautiful art.

This is what Rod tells about himself:

I was trained as a "Fine Artist" and made large abstracts but I had a young family.

In the real world I became a jobbing illustrator for books and magazines and was asked to paint a minnow for an encyclopaedia of fishing.

I later progressed to painting all the fishes for "The Fisherman’s Handbook and Advanced Guide" and whilst initially not owning a fishing rod, I became fascinated by all species of angler’s quarry. My paintings became somewhat like cave art - they were animals from another world which I hoped to catch, perhaps even by magic.




When studying a preserved fish specimen at The Natural History Museum in London I discovered that there was sparse information about trout and salmon, other than decaying Victorian specimens. I now had a couple of rods and reels and set about trying to rectify this lack of fresh information, setting out to precisely record Salmo specimens. However, with only limited fishing skills, this would clearly take time and I quickly sought skilled anglers and authors to find fish for me and in this way learned about the hidden lives of these species.

The conservation of wild salmon and trout and respecting their life strategies has become of enormous importance, especially now, given such great global changes. These motives now lead my artwork but like the cave artist I hope I paint fishes with a hunter’s eye. I have never killed a fish for the purpose of painting but sometimes of course for eating.



I use traditional materials and methods for my works: Water-colour, Oils, Acrylic, Pastel and Pencil.

  
Hill in the spring thaw
 Hill in the spring thaw 
Rod Sutterby
 
Painting is my main source of income. Recently I have painted large landscapes from my local environment together with new specimens when they occur. I work in a converted hay-barn, in the remote hills of Northumberland with the River Tyne and it's tributaries nearby.

There is a permanent exhibition of my salmon paintings at The Fondation Saumon, Chanteuges, Auvergne, France.
I shall be exhibiting a one-man show of paintings at the Customs House Gallery in South Shields, Newcastle upon Tyne, from 20th October until 25th November 2006.

Contact me at my email address for enquiries, a catalogue of paintings for sale, or adding to my mailing list for forthcoming exhibitions. rodsutterby·at·beeb.net



All Fishy Art artists


User comments
From: Fiona Green · fionaskene·at·hotmail.com
Submitted December 7th 2008

I love your paintings, which I've just found here by chance on the Web...

GFF staff comment
From: Martin Joergensen · martin·at·globalflyfisher.com
Submitted January 9th 2007

Angela,

Rod should be available on rodsutterby@beeb.net - that is the address I have used to reach him.

Martin

From: angela maynard · angela·at·swallowfields.eclipse.co.uk
Submitted January 9th 2007

Hi

Trying to send an email to Rod Sutterby can you confirm his email please

From: CARLOS HEINSOHN · crh·at·zetta.com
Submitted September 6th 2006

ASTOUNDING!!

What an artist!

Comment to an article image
From: Joe Wojtan · joewojtan·at·yahoo.com
Submitted May 31st 2007


The most beautiful trout painting that i have ever seen.

Comment to an article image
From: Anonymous
Submitted October 3rd 2009

where is hen and cock

Comment to an article image
From: Anonymous
Submitted March 22nd 2007

But the picture is very nice! :-)

Comment to an article image
From: Anonymous
Submitted March 22nd 2007

I'm sorry,
But where is a hen & cock? Only four fishes.

Comment to an article image
From: Fiona Green · fionaskene·at·hotmail.com
Submitted December 7th 2008

Gorgeous!

Comment to an article image
From: Kelli Sutterby · kiekie_·at·hotmail.com
Submitted February 11th 2007

This caught my eye being so unique and different. I love it!


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