An Ode to a Poudre River Grand Slam

Artist

Jess White

Year

2025

Location

Art in Action Tent, south of Old Town Square on Mountain Avenue

Description

This design is inspired by a coworker’s weekend fishing adventures through the Big Thompson, Poudre, and Wyoming rivers. I learned from them the hype around what’s considered to be a "Grand Slam" in the fly fishing world. This design consists of the Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat, and a Brook Trout (which due to it’s size, is apparently the most difficult of them to catch). Catching (and releasing) all four in one day would be considered a "win." Utilizing square shapes to illustrate rocky river beds, and shorelines, along with curved lines to mimic water flow, I wanted simplicity to tell the story.

The beauty of this, is the life and beauty that can come from diverse individuals open to hearing and caring about each others lives outside of computer screens. The classic, don’t judge a book by the cover.

Jess White is a mixed-media artist and creative living in Fort Collins, Colorado. Over the past decade, she has worked as a full-time graphic artist, which has found its way to influence her work in bold color schemes and compositions. She has always been drawn to high desert landscapes and explores those worlds through her artwork. When Jess is not painting or designing, she is likely to be working on a house project or spending time with her husband and three dogs.

Photos

Jess and her piano before painting.