Jim Roszel is an artist who lives, paints and fishes in Massachusetts. Originally from Michigan, Jim has always loved painting and fishing. With his mastery of oils and time spent fishing, Jim is able to depict with intimate knowledge the bold colors, strong forms, and subtle nuances of character of these noble and exciting game fish.

Jim’s fish “portraits” are much more for the viewer in that he incorporates aspects and elements to tell the whole story of “The Catch.” Specifically, Jim includes the place at which the fish was caught, the angler who landed it and the tackle used in the process – all incorporated into the portrait and in order to fully reveal the story and process behind the catch. We’ve seen fish portraits before, but never with these elements incorporated into each work.

Jim remarks: “ I think why I am so drawn to painting fish is my fascination with the subconscious mind. This is something I felt very early in life and is why fishing is so exciting to me. When I look into the murky depths of a body of water and can lure one of the strange creatures that lurk there onto my line it feels like bringing up some clue or truth to my own mysterious existence. I feel that ultimately this is the function of the artist, to bring back images from those unlit corners of the mind that hopefully speak some universal language that other people can relate to.”

When Jim is not painting, you are likely to find him chasing virtually every species of game fish found in his home state of MA, from Stripers on the Cape to Brook Trout in the mountain streams of the Berkshires, and everything in between.