Shadow boxes - waiting to happen

 Winter is here; tying and framing season is upon me.  Although those activities had to wait until I turned this: (click on the pics for larger images)

into this (just north of three cords):

Since it's also fundraising season, the first shadow box framing I completed went into the Miramichi Salmon Association (U.S.) Christmas online auction.  Several years ago  I framed a set of low water flies that Stephen Nye gave me, so I had the background already in the computer, and I had built a bunch of the same size frames quite awhile ago to frame individual flies friends and acquaintances gave me.    Happy to report that the little frame sold for two hundred bucks.

I walk the Miramichi at least twice a day when I'm in camp - somewhat for the exercise, somewhat to watch Brodie run and run and run, but mostly just because I like to do it.   I'm always picking up small beaver cuttings that wash ashore, as well as pieces of driftwood, which are almost always pieces of lumber that got washed into the river and tumbled into our neck of the woods that I think will make, eventually, an interesting shadow box.

I like tying Cains River streamers and had a nifty piece of driftwood I picked up right in front of camp, so this is how they are all coming together for a framing for the MSA-US dinner in Portland, ME on Feb. 22, 2025.   The shadow box will have to be three inches deep!

  

Some time ago I went through much of my friend, the late Bob Warren's, fly tying "estate" with his wife, Linda.    Among all the amazing stuff Bob had squirreled away was one of those neat old clear Cortland fly boxes with the green felt in the bottom, which Linda gave to me.  It contained a bunch of flies tagged with the tyers name.  One of the compartments contained two Orioles, that popular fly of days gone by originated by Ira Gruber.  They were tagged as the #6 tied by Wallace Doak, and the #4 tied by Jerry Doak.  I sent Jerry a photo of the flies, and he felt that was correct.   

Well, I like tying Orioles (especially once I got the dye color for the mallard wing figured out), and I had what I think is a pretty OK #8, so I'm adding that to what I'm thinking might be the framing.  Oh, and I just happen to have little #10 or so tied by the flies originator, Ira Gruber.

I like to go to eBay once in awhile to see if there's anything of interest to me.  I like to type in "Miramichi River" in the search box and every so often something fun comes up.  Last week this cool little old postcard (you can see 1919 on the cancellation stamp as well as that it was mailed from Fredericton, NB!  The text at the bottom of the card reads: "Landing the Salmon"  Salmon Fishing Miramichi River, New Brunswick.

The pack of the card is as cool as the front!   One of the fun parts of this is that you couldn't buy a 2 cent stamp in Canada anymore because they also don't have pennies anymore!

So I'm thinking a framing with this postcard and four Orioles for some small spot on our camp wall.

I was quite pleased to be asked to create a couple presentation plaques for MSA.  Can't show the finished product until after the event, but here are the flies in each:

I love Ogden Pleissner's art, espcially has salmon fishing works.   I found a small reproduction of this painting, "The Bank Pool, Kedgwick River, New Brunswick, I guess probably on eBay.   I've got the mats cut, just need to make time to tie a few more strip wing flies to frame up.  It'll be available at some MSA event or another.

Over the years, and because my jobs, I got to know Thomas Aquinas Daly.  I can remember what a gracious host he was when I took my very artistic mom to Tom's studio too many moons ago to count.  I was particularly please that when I was working at fly fishing museum that he accepted my invitation to be a part of our big Spring weekend.  I think it was a successful visit by all accounts.  In 1998, Tom published a lovely book featuring his art - The Painting Season; the Art of Thomas Aquinas Daly.  I bought a pre-publication special edition of the book, and Tom, knowing of my interest in grouse, included this lovely little watercolor:

More recently (like a couple weeks ago), I traded Tom something for his still life paintings for a little watercolor wash that Bridget and I both love:

Nope, they won't be shadow boxes, but I'm looking forward to framing them for our camp walls!

My last shadow box project for the near future, for my friend John is, now that the Canada Post strike is over, waiting for his flies from his home in Canada.   It's a lovely print,  Night on the Restigouche, by Greg Pearson.  Greg gave it to John as a thank you for some time on the river they spent together.  Get me those flies, John!!

So that's what on my plate these days!  Hope everyone has a safe, sane, worthwhile 2025!

Cheers, 

Gary