The Classic Sporting Art of Bob White

Remote. No Pressure. Fly Fishing Podcast

This week we have acclaimed artist, Bob White on the show to discuss art, fly fishing, and his new book Bob White is an artist and author whose work expresses a misspent youth. Instead of doing his homework, his nose was constantly in the outdoor books and sporting magazines of the day. Consequently, he has wandered between Alaska and Patagonia for over three decades as an itinerant fishing guide, looking for gainful employment. He now paints and writes for a living; which is to say, he’s still searching. Bob’s artwork has been influenced by such masters as Homer, Sargent, and Fournier, and by more recent artists, such as Pleissner, Jacques, and Sloane. He works in watercolors, oils, pencil, and ink, and his ability to capture a fleeting moment through the eyes of a sportsman has earned him international recognition. His work hangs in the private and corporate collections of sportsmen on six continents. Bob has guided in Southwest Alaska as a fishing and wing shooting guide for over three decades. He has also guided sportsmen in Argentina and continues to host fly fishing and wing shooting trips to Patagonia, Alaska, Kamchatka, and other destinations. The photographs that he takes of his guests frequently appear in national publications and are often used as reference material for field and stream portraits. Bob’s recognitions include being inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Artist in 2009. He was Fly Rod & Reel magazine’s Guide of the Year in 1988. As the 1994 Artist of the Year for the Alaska State Parks Foundation, Bob produced and donated the artwork for the first Alaska State Parks Foundation print. His work has been presented twice in Fly Rod & Reel magazine’s Gallery. Bob has been featured as a guide and artist on ESPN’s “Fly Fishing the World” and “Fly Fishing America”, as well as several appearances on Ron Schara’s “Minnesota Bound”. He currently illustrates the closing column for Ducks Unlimited magazine and illustrates a regular collaborative column with John Gierach in TROUT, the magazine of Trout Unlimited. He regularly contributes artwork and the occasional story to a myriad of national and international sporting publications. Bob and his wife, Lisa, live in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota with their daughter Tommy, and their wonderful retrievers, Frisbee and Quill. Picture courtesy of Tosh Brown