Mike Stidham

Mike Stidham combines his passions for art and fishing in riveting scenes that invite the viewer to share in the outdoor experience. Stidham’s paintings are instantly recognizable for their quality of light, movement and color beneath the water’s surface. He uses the effusive radiance of oils to reveal the beauty and integrity of the fish themselves.

“The artist is at his best when he focuses on interpreting an animal rather than merely duplicating it.” He points out, “This requires a knowledge of anatomy, because the fish should be rendered both accurately and convincingly. Even more important is that the piece is painted beautifully and that the composition hangs together and has a painterly feeling.”

Mike has been sketching since his youth and often does oil sketches in the outdoors, which provides inspiration for his larger studio works. He paints plein air watercolors to document the anatomy, coloring and special characteristics of fish. He was commissioned to paint a series of unique and different rainbow trout in watercolors from the same Montana creek. As an accomplished etcher, he has produced more than 70 editions of hand-colored etchings of both fish and waterfowl. He has designed stamps for the Gulf Coast Conservation Association, Texas Saltwater Gamefish stamp and Texas Quail stamp.

An expert fly fisherman, Mike has spent several years in the Yellowstone country of Montana fishing and painting. He is a current I.G.F.A. fly rod world record holder. Mike has illustrated several books and magazine articles. His work has raised thousands of dollars for conservation organizations including Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, Gulf Coast Conservation Association and others.

Mike strives to give the sense of “being there” outdoors in a classic angling scene where the fish and waterfowl are alive occupying a vast space and the outcome is undetermined and waiting to happen.