09:24 PM PDT on Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Northwest Backroads

Fly-fishing is considered by many to be hallowed art – a state of being that gives the fisherman a bond with nature no other sport can offer.

Northwest Backroads

But a Steilacoom man is taking this art form to the next level. His respect for nature and his goal of preserving it for generations to come has led to an exciting new way to capture the memories of a lifetime.

For Luke Filmer fishing isn't just a hobby, it’s a way of life.

Just outside of Olympia in the small town of Steilacoom, Wash., re-capturing the memories of a lifetime is the driving force behind this mans creative energy.

"It’s really kinda preserving the memory of your fishing adventure. Every time you walk into that room and look at it, you will be reminded of your trip,” he said.

Luke is not your typical wildlife artist. His medium is without canvas – the culmination of his passion.

“I've chosen to do this because I have always been creative. I love to paint, and I've always loved to fish. So when the opportunity arose for me to combine the two loves, I was all over it and it’s been great ever since," he said.

His enthusiasm for fishing and his love for painting led him to this creative way to recapture the minds image of a perfect day on the water.

"For me to be able to transfer my vision in creativity of artwork to a three-dimensional format like that has just been a really incredible thing and I just really like painting, so this has been a good opportunity for me to do something I like because I like fishing so much,” said Luke. “I have been an artist all my life. It has made a big difference. It made it easier for me. When I first saw an opportunity to do something like this, I was simply amazed too because I didn't know it was available."

It takes Luke days, sometimes weeks, to transform a lifeless fiberglass mold into a lifelike piece of art

"I think I enjoy painting as much as I enjoy fishing, sometimes I enjoy fishing more than painting, they are both true loves of mine," he said.

The intricate work Luke does has become second nature.

"I don't think that it’s so difficult to do what I do. I think the challenge is in creating the art piece itself, finding driftwood and putting it in the right presentation and just arranging the fish so everything looks natural and perfect."

He paints all types of sportfish and his work is known for its realism.

"What it is basically is a three-dimensional artwork in that rather that having a portrait or something like that this is actually the whole scene of the habitat the fish swimming over driftwood, across a stream bed," he explained. “It’s not taxidermy, it is in fact art."

"There's a lot of serenity and peacefulness in what I do,” he continued. "I think it’s a lot like when you've been casting all day on the river for a trout and you finally hook up. It’s the same feeling, when I’m in the paint bay and I've spent 3, 4, 5 hours painting and finally I've connected and I look at it and go ‘Wow! It looks just like that fish! The satisfaction I get knowing I was able to create something like that for somebody else, I just think that is the greatest thing.”