Fish

Wertz says he started making fish many years ago simply because his son is an avid fly fisherman. “I wanted my son to believe that I really was an artist, so I made something I knew he loved — fish.” The fish series proved to be very popular. Like everything, though, the fish designs had to grow and change — from the original, realistic Steelheads of the Pacific Northwest to the present abstractions of colorful and whimsical tropical creatures that suggest far-flung exotic places. Each fish is an original: a one-of-a-kind piece of art. They are hand fabricated from hot rolled carbon steel and then painted and patinaed as only Wertz can do. These fish look as if they have just finished a long hard migration. Let’s just say, getting some personality out of a fish can be a challenge, and from the look of these fish, Wertz has figured it out.