About the Artist:  Eric L. Knowlton

 

Born in Oregon in 1969, Eric is proud of his mix of Yankee and English heritage as well as his Native American roots from the Oregon Coast.  He is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians and can trace his English roots to Knowlton, Quebec and Knowlton, England.  From the natural draw to coast lines, mountain streams, fishing and boating, to the English roots rich with carpentry and Yankee know how, you might say that fishing and carving are simply in his blood.  Raised in rural Oregon until the age of 13, when the economy dictated that his family move to Alaska, Eric enjoyed hunting on the family's 40 acre farm and fishing in the nearby Willamette & Mackenzie rivers.  Home schooled for a period, his mother greatly encouraged Eric and his twin to pursue their natural abilities in drawing and painting.  His father also encouraged Eric and his brothers to work with wood, and taught them how to create and build from their mind's eye, a lesson that has served them all well.

 

Upon arriving in Alaska as a teenager, Eric and his brothers immediately took to the wide outdoors.  Eric constantly sought out fishing, learning his way from spinning rods to fly rods without any lessons.  As a teen, he was introduced to the sheer eagerness of Alaska's fish while hiking through Johnson Pass and later the Resurrection Trail.  Trout and grayling seemed all too eager to bite any presentation the teen could offer.  Spending his teen years in Anchorage, Eric walked the green belts along the streams of Anchorage, fishing the trout that lay behind the spawning salmon, sometimes finding wild rainbows over 20" right in Anchorage!  The numerous lakes also taught him lessons on how the fish moved and fed, and Anchorage's Ship Creek revealed the sheer power of the mighty chinook salmon.

Although Eric learned how to catch fish, he never forgot the lessons of his father and grandfathers - to always conserve, leaving 'seed' for the future.  Enjoying nature's bounty, and ensuring a future for both man and game.  This deep appreciation and natural artistic ability drew Eric further into exploring the potential for combining the two.  In addition to being a shutter bug, Eric has painted with acrylics, watercolors and airbrush since high school, with much encouragement from his mother and family.  With the increased opportunities a computer and digital cameras offer, the possibilities seem endless.

"It is my desire to share the beauty that we find in this rugged, natural Alaskan landscape.  Just being out near the water relaxes me, and having the opportunity to hold and admire the wild trout and salmon, I very much understand the desire to have that memory planted deep for future years to come.  It was my own desire to have a 3 dimensional fish that led me to carving, as it offered me the opportunity to release my catch, but preserve the precious memory.  Having seen the leathery work of taxidermists on wild trout, and understanding that the trout had to die for the mount, I knew there had to be a better way.  There is, and I have learned the secrets of the craft over the course of time from one of the masters in the trade.  I am now ready and eager to help preserve your memories from the catch of a lifetime.  Thank you for such an opportunity!" - Eric L Knowlton

Contact us if you are interested in a carving: sales@reeltrout.com or call (907) 357-1900 or Toll Free: (877) 211-FISH  9am - 8pm, Alaska Standard Time, or use the form on the 'How to Order' link on the left.