I’ve always found pickerel to be fascinating fish—streamlined, stealthy, and known for their fight. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with metallic watercolor paints, and fish have become my favorite subject. I started with bold, tropical species, but soon felt drawn back to the freshwater fish I once painted for my grandson’s Lake Winnipesaukee book. Revisiting those familiar shapes—like the pickerel, with its sharp profile and glinting scales—has been both nostalgic and creatively inspiring.