about

PHIL LANE ART

Our story…. 

I have been an artist since my early days in school.  Always excelling in art, winning some High School art competitions and even receiving an Art Scholarship at Furman University where I majored in History and minored in art.  I was always too busy with sports, work and life stuff and just never took art too seriously.  Painting has always been a hobby, a form of stress relief, a peaceful place to visit a rest stop at times.  During the past 30 years I have painted tropical fish, ducks, wine bottles, vineyards, waterfalls, Blue Herons, the homes we lived in and sunflowers….lots of sunflowers.  Always looking for a niche, but just never finding that connection between subject, medium and me.

Later in life, as a parent, my painting hobby was put on hold.  Raising our beautiful adopted son son was our new challenge.  We knew he needed an activity, an identity, something challenging that required work or a hobby that he could enjoy for a lifetime.  We tried soccer, tennis, baseball, football, basketball, and then we went fishing.  This became my son’s passion, wanting to go everyday and every weekend.  It was great watching him enjoy the sport, be quiet and peaceful for hours, appreciate nature and the wildlife.  He would even remark about the tranquility of the water and the beautiful colors of the fish.  We then knew we had found a wonderful activity for him.  Through a leisurely fishing trip we had found an activity that improved self confidence and self worth, in addition to a discipline that required concentration, planning and patience. 

Once we realized the enjoyment and pride he received from fishing, we decided to go fly fishing one day in the North Carolina mountains.  One trip to a mountain stream with a 3 weight fly rod and he was hooked for life.  We then spent hours hiking, reading water, adjusting flies, paying attention to the weather, noticing hatches and displaying unknown patience while undoing line tangles.  He learned to control his anger and disappointment when the big one gets away.  So many life lessons are learned while practicing the art of fly fishing and spending quality time together on the water. 

Who would have thought such a busy, active and high spirited child could find that inner peace in fly fishing.  Mom, Dad and a terrific son had found a place of peace, hope and tranquility.
 
As a Christmas gift in 2009, I painted him a 7-pound Largemouth bass, just like the one we had caught earlier that year.  He loved it and I enjoyed reliving the moment.  I completed two more Largemouth Bass paintings that year and quickly realized that painting was once again calling my name.  So, as a family we promised each other to keep fishing, learning and enjoying the outdoors and I would paint those experiences. 

In 2011 we moved to San Antonio Texas and a year later we added a fourth member to our family, Justin Jesus Orozco.  A smart, bright and cheerful child that had been a big part of our family in the Carolinas.  Justin knew all to well about our passion for fly fishing and he quickly joined right in on the fun.  Summer trips in North Carolina and Yellowstone National Park gave him the opportunity to become bitten by the fly bug, just like the rest of his family.

So our little family of four happily calls fly fishing our passion.  The family trips we have taken to Montana, North Carolina, the Yucatan, Belize, Texas Hill Country and Rockport Texas have given us plenty of subjects, landscapes and experiences to paint. 

No telling what the next Chapter in life will bring our way?