I got the news right after the judging that my piece was chosen to represent the Pacific Salmon Foundation and will be featured on the 2017 BC Saltwater Fishing licenses! It’s hard to comprehend that I won on my first time entering, but I guess I brought a fresh new style to the competition.
A visual tale of the fragile circle of life of Pacific Sockeye Salmon. Their entire lives are destined for this moment in time, to pass on their genes to the next generation. The astonishing journey they take is nothing short of epic. They easily could cop out and spawn closer to the sea, but they seemingly take an impossible route to get back to their spawning grounds. Truly one of nature’s spectacles.
Salmon are one of the most important fish in the west. They feed many different species and bring nutrients to rivers that wouldn’t otherwise be capable of sustaining life. Bears, wolves, and eagles, also carry salmon carcasses away from the rivers which provide nutrients for trees and plant life surrounding the rivers. They truly are incredible animals, and that’s why organization like the Pacific Salmon Foundation are so important to help bring awareness of the status of our salmon species and to take action to help restore their spawning areas.
This 19.5 x 27″ piece took over 100 hours to complete. I chose to use acrylics on native BC douglas fir board to render this idea into a reality.
I got the news right after the judging that my piece was chosen to represent the Pacific Salmon Foundation and will be featured on the 2017 BC Saltwater Fishing licenses! It’s hard to comprehend that I won on my first time entering, but I guess I brought a fresh new style to the competition.

2017-2018 Salmon Conservation Stamps!
Very nice Nick, you’re an amazing artist. One detail I really like on ‘Passing the Torch’ is the dorsal fin which is justs breaking the surface of the water. It reminds you that many spawning grounds are barely deep enough to make a redd.