Some of the copper foil fish work done by David Gerton of Camas.Photo Gallery
David Gerton’s grandfather was a minister, but it was something he said between sermons that Gerton has held onto for decades.
“He used to tell me, ‘all the days you spend fishing are not subtracted from your lifespan, so fish as many days as you can,’ ” Gerton said. “He lived until he was 98, so maybe he knew something.”
Gerton, 72, spent many days fishing with his grandfather as a child growing up in Colorado. He said he remembers his grandfather holding two creels: one with fishing equipment and one with a Bible. When people stopped by to talk about fishing, they’d usually end up getting a sermon, Gerton said.
In the decades since learning life math from his grandfather, Gerton has developed a few hobbies outside of fishing, but thinks the advice still works. One of those hobbies started about three years ago, when Gerton began making life-size models of fish using copper foil.
“I feel like it’s the same thing my grandfather used to say: A day spent making art doesn’t count against your lifespan,” said Gerton of Camas.
He started after seeing similar works at a farmers market and wanting to give it a try. He bought some copper foil off eBay and started playing around. The sheets of copper foil are about twice as thick as aluminum foil people keep in the kitchen, Gerton said. He draws an image on one side of the foil, flips the sheet over and embosses the image. He uses tools, chemicals and a small torch to create the lifelike images and color them.
“The goal is to attempt to get lifelike quality to them,” he said. “Usually, I’ll try to put them in a pose that looks lifelike. I’ll take pictures of fish I caught, and try to reproduce those in copper.”
Gerton’s work will be on display through Jan. 30 at the Second Story Gallery, in the Camas Public Library, 625 N.E. Fourth Ave. in Camas. It’s Gerton’s first gallery show. Adding to the excitement for Gerton is tonight’s opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. at the gallery. At the opening, Gerton’s wife, Clarisse Atcherson, a violinist with the Oregon Symphony, will perform. She’s bringing along some of her friends to perform with her.
“She volunteered to perform,” Gerton said. “It’s very exciting. It’s going to be a family thing. My wife is extremely talented. Our home is filled with violin music.”
Gerton’s wife had told him to submit his artwork to the gallery after she saw an advertisement seeking artists. Gerton wasn’t sure if he should send something in. He’s not even sure if he’s an artist, he said.
“I’m not an artist, but people keep telling me I am,” he said. “I don’t know who to believe: them or me.”
Gerton said instead of an artist, he’s an engineer. He founded and runs The Light Edge, an energy-efficient lighting design company he started 15 years ago in his garage.
If You Go
• What: Opening of David Gerton’s “Something Fishy Is Going On” show, featuring his copper foil fish models, with a performance by Gerton’s wife, Clarisse Atcherson, a violinist with the Oregon Symphony.
• When: 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 4.
• Where: Second Story Gallery, Camas Public Library, 625 N.E. Fourth Ave., Camas.
Still, he’s excited for his first gallery show, which will feature 30-plus of his works. All of the pieces are of fish, although some are rather unique species of fish.
“Some of them are fish I made up,” Gerton said. “I was running out of real fish. I really key in on trout and salmon. It’s a Northwest thing. Trout and salmon are what I grew up with in Colorado. Then I moved to the West Coast my senior year of high school. I have an affinity for those types of fish. They’re beautiful and quite tasty.”
Gerton said he tried to keep the made-up fish grounded and sneak them into the show without calling too much attention to them.
“They look real and their story sounds plausible, but they never existed,” Gerton said, adding that one such creation is his double rainbow trout.
The show also ranges from Gerton’s earlier work to his most recent pieces, including a piece of spawning sockeye that’s 7-feet long and 3-feet wide. Gerton worked 200 hours alone on that piece. He’s interested to see if anyone will notice which pieces are older, he said.
“I started in November 2013, and I’m much better now,” he said. “I feel like I keep getting better, and my most recent work is the best stuff I’ve done. We’ll see if anyone notices the progression.”
Bits ‘n’ Pieces appears Fridays and Saturdays. If you have a story you’d like to share, email bits@columbian.com.
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