Charles Weiss

Wood carvings

Charles Weiss

Charles contacted me as a result of having seen our long-running series on fishy artists, and after having seen his fish carvings I found him more than worthy as a participant. Charles also paints and draws - cartoons and caricatures in particular.

How did you start working with art and with fishing related art in particular?

I've tried to express the world in some form of art, a drawing, wood carving or painting. Fishing is something I've been involved with for over 40 years. I've always tried to combine the two.

Why fish and/or fishing?

I'm really fascinated by fish and their remarkable world. I try to accurately express fish in my art.

Wood carvings

Charles Weiss

Pike head

Charles Weiss

Muskietoons

Charles Weiss

Painting

Charles Weiss

What is your preferred method of painting/drawing/producing your work - if any?

Along the way to creating a fish painting or wood carving I use photography as reference from my fishing trips.
In 2006 I discovered flyfishing for smallmouth bass. My on the water experience is very valuable for inspiring my artwork.
In recent years photography of colourful detailed action filled fishing scenes have helped me design interesting fishing art.

Yes, I do refer to photographs of fish in the early stages of my fish artwork.
As Canada's great painter Alex Colville comments about photographs as reference for paintings.
It's important to realize that a photograph is taken, where as a painting is made. To take something as in a photograph, is a removing action.

To make a painting is an adding action, It's a form of action. I agree with this artist about the way of making art while using photographic reference. I find painting or creating a wood carving worthwhile and a way of showing reverence to my favourite subject fish.

Yes, I do refer to photographs of fish

Is the art your main source of income - if at all a source of income - and do you do other jobs as a supplement?

My painting and wood carving is only a part of my main source of income. My other ways of making an income include drawing caricature portraits and providing illustrations for magazines and newspapers.

Pencil drawings

Charles Weiss

Can people buy your art and if so, then in which form and where?

Interested in buying a few of my prints, paintings or wood carvings? Make an appointment to visit my home studio. Also, contact me through my web site www.charlesweissart.com

Where do you currently live and work?

My home studio is located in the East side of Toronto, Ontario Canada.

The artist

Charles Weiss

The booklet

Charles Weiss

A booklet

Fishes of Toronto is an amazing compendium of facts and images about--what else--the fishes found in the Toronto area.

Artist Charles Weiss was a member of the expert committee that laboured to develop and publish the book. Charles has contributed over 20 paintings to the book--highly accurate and detailed paintings of the fish species found in the city. The painting featured on the back cover, "Northern Pike Chasing Yellow Perch," is the favourite of the book's graphic designer--Pat Viggiani. Other paintings, both water colour and acrylic, show natural scenes and sideview identifications of Chinook salmon, smallmouth bass, walleye, and more.

Charles has been professionally illustrating fish for outdoor publications since 1990. See his website at www.charlesweissart.com.