Russell Publications
Here fishy fishy fishy
Hogging it up at Rend Lake
by Tracy Ahrens
Russell Publications
I knew what I had to do.
Kevin “Wildman” Tucker lowered his head and shoulders slowly under water several feet in front of me.
“She needs to go under,” he just instructed Matt Coe, 25, who was in the water next to me. So I held my breath and submerged myself into the lake of milk-chocolate colored brown.
I was determined to feel this “big one” - a flathead catfish hiding in a 6-foot-long concrete drainage tile between us. To do so, I had to reach my arm deep into the tile.
Matt pushed my back down with his hand so I could stay submerged longer.
Wildman, 47, of Tucker Outfitters in Ewing, was leading me on my first hogging adventure. He didn’t think I’d get out of the fishing boat, let alone, be here now at the opposite end of the drainage tile to land this monster.
Hogging
Hogging, also known in different parts of the South as noodling, catfisting, grabbling, graveling, dogging, tickling and stumping is a Native American hunting practice. Fishermen in the South have been doing it for hundreds of years, searching the shores of creeks, rivers and lakes for huge flatheads.
When you go hogging, you basically, stick your hand into a hole where you believe flatheads may be spawning, and entice one to bite your hand. You then grab the fish by the lip and/or gills and pull it to the surface.
Wildman said his father enjoyed hogging in the 1940s. He taught Wildman about the sport when he was a child. Wildman now takes his teenage daughter, Afton, on hogging trips with him.
I was told by several locals before we started fishing, “I’d never get in that water. I know what’s in it.”
Rend Lake is home to biting creatures such as gar, snapping turtles and water snakes, let alone the monster-sized flatheads.
Biting creatures like these sometimes take over abandoned catfish holes, putting hoggers at risk.
Prepare for landing
Three boats were positioned nearby. One held a film crew for Southern Woods & Waters, Tenn. and a reporter and photographer for The Southern Illinoisan.
At Wildman’s end of the tile was Chad “Big Nasty” Holman helping to hold an iron grate in front of the tile. At our end, Matt lodged his legs, in a partially seated position, into the tile opening. All three men are also guides for Todd Gessner Outdoors at Rend Lake Resort, Whittington.
“I just want to feel it,” I told them when I came back to the surface.
But all I kept grabbing was rough concrete, gravel and sticks deep inside of the hole.
A second, then third time I went under, reaching deeper and deeper. My left arm was gathering cuts from the concrete the farther I reached.
We started this trip around 1 p.m., boating across the lake to a secret spot Wildman created by placing these concrete tiles. The water temperature, in the low 80s, was just right for flatheads to spawn. Flatheads spawn in a short period of time, usually June through the middle of July, and sometimes into the first week of August.
Lily pads, the circumference of car tires, provided a barrier between us and boaters on the lake.
If other hoggers hadn’t found this hole and raided it of fish earlier, Wildman knew he’d land one or two flatheads for this media event.
When he, Matt and Big Nasty secured the tile, he smiled. That smile meant that hogging would commence.
“We have a fish,” he announced. “It’s a big one.”
Then, he said, “There are two of them.”
I hopped out of the boat into waist-deep water and made my way to the scene.
Earlier that morning
I’m glad I didn’t research about this sport beforehand. In fact, I intentionally did not before I sat down with Wildman early that morning in Windows Restaurant at Rend Lake Resort.
He looked at me, smiled coyly at my outfit of shorts, pink water shoes and tank top and said, “You may want to wear jeans.”
“Why?” I asked him.
“They’ll bite your knees.”
I stared at him with a look of concern, and he studied my hands, saying, “You will want to take off your ring, too. I’ve lost several of mine in holes.”
I remembered at this moment, the words of Illinois Outdoors column writer and New Lenox resident, Don Dziedzina, when he set me up on this trip several weeks prior. I asked Don, “Do they bite?”
He responded after a pause, “No.”
Then came the words of Ron Allen, promotions director with Rend Lake Resort, who instructed me prior on where hospitals were located nearby. I laughed it off, asking why I would need such information.
Wildman showed me his scarred hands and forearms at this moment, telling me how he obtained these permanent marks.
And I responded with, “I’m going to kill Don.”
When I asked Wildman if they wear gloves to do this, he quickly said, “No, you can feel them (the fish) better with your bare hands.”
The only thing I researched was catfish feelers. From my youth I had heard that catfish sting with their feelers. The Internet told me, this isn’t true. It’s the fins of younger catfish that can poke you and feel like an insect bite.
Flatheads we were in search of are so big that their fin tips have been worn down.
I always heard, and thought, that catfish are merely bottom-feeders of stinky, dead things, but not the flathead, forager of living things like sunfish, crawfish and shad.
Because they eat live food, Wildman said, they are also tastier to eat.
Flatheads lay in wait for food, with their mouths open until something swims in, or they pounce on it like a cat on a mouse.
By the way, spawning flatheads defend their holes - aggressively.
So here I was with Wildman, innocently wiggling around my little hand and wrist like the tail of a sunfish in a dark hole where two “big ones” were spawning. I did, however, now have on three-quarter-length jeans to protect my knees.
Landing the fish
The first fish we secured was a male - Matt grabbed its bottom lip with his hands and held him securely to the inside top of the tile. Wildman and Big Nasty moved to our end to help pull it out. Matt had to stay seated in the hole to keep the second one from coming out.
Wildman told me these fish are so big and strong, if they swim quickly out of a hole and hit a man in the legs, they will knock him down.
I remember the excitement when I finally felt its slimy head - pronouncing to the men, “I feel him - this is so cool!”
Big Nasty brought over a short, yellow, nylon rope which was slipped through the fish’s mouth and gill. The big one was wrestled out of the hole and I took the ends of the rope to hold it. I tried to raise its tail high out of the water, but he was so heavy, 58 pounds, I found it impossible. He spun with great strength, churning the water with his tail. His body looked prehistoric, scars ran along his olive-green back, showing years of exploring tight places.
Wildman showed me his left hand, the back of it was covered in blood. The fish grabbed him at the other end of the tile.
I examined the teeth of the beast - a 1-inch-wide row of coarse sandpaper-like surface just inside of its lips. Deeper inside, on the roof of its mouth, were round areas - crusher plates that the fish uses to smash food before swallowing it.
Fish number one was placed in a livewell, and all four of us focused on pulling out fish number two.
Again, I was with Matt, feeling around through his legs and into the hole. Matt kept saying, “I can feel it,” but I couldn’t feel a thing.
Wildman kept smiling at me from the other end of the tile, wearing no shirt, a cammoflage-material bandana on his head, and necklace he made of deer antler and turkey spurs. The smile cast a message of, “This is going to be good.”
In a snap, my right hand was taken by the teeth of beast number two, causing me to spout off a curse word that resonated off the shoreline of trees.
I pulled away, which I now know is a no-no in the sport of hogging. Hoggers use their hands as bait and grab the fish’s lip when they latch on. If you pull away, they’ll scrape the skin off your hand and/or forearm.
I now had a 1-inch wide bite mark across the back of my hand, blood streaming down my wrist.
I stepped aside and the men secured the flathead, a female, 35 pounds. Wildman handed her to me and I held her up by the gills.
“I’m proud of you girl!” he said to me, referring to my courage and wound.
Big Nasty added, “I’m impressed.”
Why try hogging?
Why on earth do people fish like this?
“We’re crazy,” Wildman said, laughing. But seriously, he added, you can catch fish with a rod and reel, but, “You won’t catch many fish in your lifetime on a rod and reel that are this big.” Besides, how many people have bragging rights for landing a big fish with their bare hands?
I do now, and a scar on the back of my right hand to prove it.
***
If you’d like to plan a hogging trip with Wildman and his crew, consider a stay at Rend Lake Resort like I did and enjoy a day of fishing. Rend Lake is about a 4 hour drive from our area, straight down I-57. Call these numbers and ask about hogging trips: Tucker Outfitters, 618-927-2062; Rend Lake Resort, 1-800-633-3341; Todd Gessner Outdoors, 618-513-0520.
Learning the ropes
by Tracy Ahrens
Russell Publications
When Mark Larson was 13 he climbed a tree and accidentally fell from about 15 feet up.
“I knocked myself out and put a hole in my chin,” the 49-year-old said with a laugh, strapping on a helmet and harness, preparing to climb a 3-story-tall oak tree.
I, too, was slipping on a harness and helmet, ready to climb with him. Momentarily, the image of him plunging from 15 feet flashed in my mind.
Four years ago, Mark was afraid of heights. Now he instructs people to climb ropes into the arms of an oak on land adjacent to his property in Monee.
The oak, which he named Goliath, cured his fear of heights, he said. He hopes to also curb acrophobia in others who will be refreshed with childhood memories of tree climbing, swinging and resting aloft in tree houses.
To do so, in early June he started a business called Climb Goliath that offers children ages 5 through senior citizens the opportunity to grab ropes and climb for just $20.
According to Atlanta-based Tree Climbers International, the organization Mark was trained through to climb, he is the only person in Illinois they have schooled to put people “on ropes” for adventure.
***
Mark, a self-employed carpenter, built the two-story home he and his wife, Susan, and daughters, Katie, 16 and Danielle, 19 live in.
The home sits back from a main road on a lot surrounded by trees. On one of his first hikes around the property and surrounding land, he noticed the crown of an oak tree reaching high above all others.
Impressed by its height, Mark asked his neighbor, who owns land the tree stands on, if he could clear smaller trees and brush from around it.
He stood in awe at its full crown and trunk size. The tree has since been estimated at 300 years old.
Mark, his daughters and their friends all thought about how challenging it would be to climb Goliath.
It was Katie who encouraged the effort.
“She was reading a Scholastic book and saw an ad for Tree Climbers International,” Mark said. Katie told her father he should learn how to climb so he could teach others, including her.
Afraid of heights, Mark initially thought the idea was crazy.
Then he contacted TCI. Four years ago he went to Atlanta and took a basic tree-climbing course for four days. He learned the sport of “rope and harness” tree climbing.
“When I first went up at school, I was terrified,” Mark said. “I was hanging on to the ropes so tight, hugging them, that I had a rope burn on my arm and didn’t know it until I was done.”
He still has a scar to show for it.
When he came home, Mark privately climbed Goliath with friends and family for practice and experience.
He went back to TCI and completed their facilitator program. Facilitators are trained extensively to run beginner tree climbing events. The program is taught by Peter Jenkins, founder of TCI, a retired rock and mountain climber and ISA-certified arborist.
Peter started TCI in 1983 and offered the first tree climbing school in Atlanta. He wanted to bring people together who love tree climbing, as well as train them techniques to ensure they climb safely and responsibly.
Among Peter’s goals with TCI was to promote respect and responsibility towards trees and the environment, and have fun exploring tree canopies.
“Everyone wants to climb this tree,” Mark said about Goliath. Those who have give an overwhelming response of “Wow.”
“When you are hanging by a rope, free swinging,” Mark said, “you overcome your fear of heights.”
To date, over 30 people have visited Mark’s land to climb Goliath.
Wheelchair users can also climb, Mark said.
And don’t let age be a deterrent. Mark’s mother-in-law, Jean Rauch, 75, of Tinley Park, even went up the ropes.
***
The day Mark and I climbed we were suppressed by a 104-degree heat index. A passing thunderstorm also made us hold off a bit on our adventure.
Mark supplies all equipment for climbs, including gloves with grips on the palms, harnesses and helmets. All you need is a little energy, long pants and light shoes with a closed toe.
Mark instructs you how to wear and use safety gear and climbs on a rope of his own near you.
The higher I climbed, which takes a good deal of upper body strength, I paused to hang and soak in the view. Ropes are equipped to allow you to hang freely, even lean back and hang upside down.
I had to find my “comfort zone,” as Mark said.
Once I understood the feel of the ropes, methodically standing in a loop to rise and pulling myself up with my arms, I wanted to know how to get back down.
Lowering yourself is simple, just pulling down on an upper knot to slide your body to the ground. The trick is, doing this slowly, otherwise it can cause friction damage to the rope.
“It took me a couple years before I was comfortable just scurrying up the ropes,” Mark said. “There are times that I still feel a little hesitant. Some days I feel a little uneasy, so I don’t climb.”
In other words, feeling a bit nervous is not unusual.
I realized that my left wrist was starting to hurt and looked to see a rope burn developing. Mark corrected my climbing style so I stopped hurting myself.
Mark and his friends and fellow climbers - Rob Krenmuller and his son, Kyle, 11, of Monee - played on ropes in the tree around me. Eventually they walked on a limb two stories up.
Below us, horses walked in the woods. Around us, butterflies weaved through tree limbs.
Mark has floated in the tree before and watched deer walk below. A baby squirrel scurried out on a limb several times once to watch him closely. Tree frogs cling camouflaged on the limbs.
In the mornings, Mark said he takes a thermos of coffee up into the tree and sits there to drink it.
Sometimes he rigs a special hammock in the limbs to sleep overnight. Once a screech owl landed near him while he was sleeping.
Starry nights are spectacular from a treetop, he said.
Winter climbs also paint a crystal wonderland.
As business grows for Climb Goliath, Mark plans to offer overnight camping where climbs can take place in the evening. He may even rig ropes in other trees around Goliath for multiple climbs at once.
“Climbing is challenging, relaxing and you feel like a kid again,” Mark said. The effect, he said, “is like Peter Pan floating on air.”
***
Climb Goliath is located at 24724 S. Old Monee Steger Rd., just south of Pine Lake.
Every Sunday from 1-5 p.m., except in December, January and February, Mark offers an open climb. If you see orange road cones at the end of his driveway, you’ll know he is climbing. No reservations are needed unless you are bringing a group of six or more.
Cost is $20 per climber. Call for group rates.
Contact 708-514-8887 or e-mail [email protected]
If you’d like more information on Tree Climbers International, see www.treeclimbing.com.
Russell Publications
When Mark Larson was 13 he climbed a tree and accidentally fell from about 15 feet up.
“I knocked myself out and put a hole in my chin,” the 49-year-old said with a laugh, strapping on a helmet and harness, preparing to climb a 3-story-tall oak tree.
I, too, was slipping on a harness and helmet, ready to climb with him. Momentarily, the image of him plunging from 15 feet flashed in my mind.
Four years ago, Mark was afraid of heights. Now he instructs people to climb ropes into the arms of an oak on land adjacent to his property in Monee.
The oak, which he named Goliath, cured his fear of heights, he said. He hopes to also curb acrophobia in others who will be refreshed with childhood memories of tree climbing, swinging and resting aloft in tree houses.
To do so, in early June he started a business called Climb Goliath that offers children ages 5 through senior citizens the opportunity to grab ropes and climb for just $20.
According to Atlanta-based Tree Climbers International, the organization Mark was trained through to climb, he is the only person in Illinois they have schooled to put people “on ropes” for adventure.
***
Mark, a self-employed carpenter, built the two-story home he and his wife, Susan, and daughters, Katie, 16 and Danielle, 19 live in.
The home sits back from a main road on a lot surrounded by trees. On one of his first hikes around the property and surrounding land, he noticed the crown of an oak tree reaching high above all others.
Impressed by its height, Mark asked his neighbor, who owns land the tree stands on, if he could clear smaller trees and brush from around it.
He stood in awe at its full crown and trunk size. The tree has since been estimated at 300 years old.
Mark, his daughters and their friends all thought about how challenging it would be to climb Goliath.
It was Katie who encouraged the effort.
“She was reading a Scholastic book and saw an ad for Tree Climbers International,” Mark said. Katie told her father he should learn how to climb so he could teach others, including her.
Afraid of heights, Mark initially thought the idea was crazy.
Then he contacted TCI. Four years ago he went to Atlanta and took a basic tree-climbing course for four days. He learned the sport of “rope and harness” tree climbing.
“When I first went up at school, I was terrified,” Mark said. “I was hanging on to the ropes so tight, hugging them, that I had a rope burn on my arm and didn’t know it until I was done.”
He still has a scar to show for it.
When he came home, Mark privately climbed Goliath with friends and family for practice and experience.
He went back to TCI and completed their facilitator program. Facilitators are trained extensively to run beginner tree climbing events. The program is taught by Peter Jenkins, founder of TCI, a retired rock and mountain climber and ISA-certified arborist.
Peter started TCI in 1983 and offered the first tree climbing school in Atlanta. He wanted to bring people together who love tree climbing, as well as train them techniques to ensure they climb safely and responsibly.
Among Peter’s goals with TCI was to promote respect and responsibility towards trees and the environment, and have fun exploring tree canopies.
“Everyone wants to climb this tree,” Mark said about Goliath. Those who have give an overwhelming response of “Wow.”
“When you are hanging by a rope, free swinging,” Mark said, “you overcome your fear of heights.”
To date, over 30 people have visited Mark’s land to climb Goliath.
Wheelchair users can also climb, Mark said.
And don’t let age be a deterrent. Mark’s mother-in-law, Jean Rauch, 75, of Tinley Park, even went up the ropes.
***
The day Mark and I climbed we were suppressed by a 104-degree heat index. A passing thunderstorm also made us hold off a bit on our adventure.
Mark supplies all equipment for climbs, including gloves with grips on the palms, harnesses and helmets. All you need is a little energy, long pants and light shoes with a closed toe.
Mark instructs you how to wear and use safety gear and climbs on a rope of his own near you.
The higher I climbed, which takes a good deal of upper body strength, I paused to hang and soak in the view. Ropes are equipped to allow you to hang freely, even lean back and hang upside down.
I had to find my “comfort zone,” as Mark said.
Once I understood the feel of the ropes, methodically standing in a loop to rise and pulling myself up with my arms, I wanted to know how to get back down.
Lowering yourself is simple, just pulling down on an upper knot to slide your body to the ground. The trick is, doing this slowly, otherwise it can cause friction damage to the rope.
“It took me a couple years before I was comfortable just scurrying up the ropes,” Mark said. “There are times that I still feel a little hesitant. Some days I feel a little uneasy, so I don’t climb.”
In other words, feeling a bit nervous is not unusual.
I realized that my left wrist was starting to hurt and looked to see a rope burn developing. Mark corrected my climbing style so I stopped hurting myself.
Mark and his friends and fellow climbers - Rob Krenmuller and his son, Kyle, 11, of Monee - played on ropes in the tree around me. Eventually they walked on a limb two stories up.
Below us, horses walked in the woods. Around us, butterflies weaved through tree limbs.
Mark has floated in the tree before and watched deer walk below. A baby squirrel scurried out on a limb several times once to watch him closely. Tree frogs cling camouflaged on the limbs.
In the mornings, Mark said he takes a thermos of coffee up into the tree and sits there to drink it.
Sometimes he rigs a special hammock in the limbs to sleep overnight. Once a screech owl landed near him while he was sleeping.
Starry nights are spectacular from a treetop, he said.
Winter climbs also paint a crystal wonderland.
As business grows for Climb Goliath, Mark plans to offer overnight camping where climbs can take place in the evening. He may even rig ropes in other trees around Goliath for multiple climbs at once.
“Climbing is challenging, relaxing and you feel like a kid again,” Mark said. The effect, he said, “is like Peter Pan floating on air.”
***
Climb Goliath is located at 24724 S. Old Monee Steger Rd., just south of Pine Lake.
Every Sunday from 1-5 p.m., except in December, January and February, Mark offers an open climb. If you see orange road cones at the end of his driveway, you’ll know he is climbing. No reservations are needed unless you are bringing a group of six or more.
Cost is $20 per climber. Call for group rates.
Contact 708-514-8887 or e-mail [email protected]
If you’d like more information on Tree Climbers International, see www.treeclimbing.com.
Motivation
Passion for painting propels young artist
by Tracy Ahrens
Russell Publications
Fine artist, John Tylk, remembers 6-year-old James Bertucci lighting up his painting class literally, and figuratively.
James, now 18, came to class wearing tennis shoes with heels that lit up when he walked. “He was the first student who came to class wearing shoes like that,” John said with a laugh.
While his shoes flashed, James’ ability to paint presented fresh light in John’s classes, inspiring other young artists.
“He was just 10 years old, while other students in the class were around 16, and the older students would say to me after seeing James’ work, ‘How old is the kid doing this?’” John said. “Some of the older students were struggling, but James put in more easel time, making a thousand more mistakes and fixing a thousand more mistakes. He was much closer to painting a good piece by himself.”
On Sept. 2, James, a Frankfort native, began his freshman year at Laguna College of Art & Design in Laguna Beach, Calif.
“Traditional art skills is the focus there (at Laguna) and they have great representation for artists nationally,” James said from his studio at home before he left.
All freshmen have to pick a major, so James chose illustration. However, his dreams, he said, include having his own art gallery one day, creating murals and being “nationally known.”
James is well on his way to national recognition.
In the past four years he has won numerous awards at the regional and national levels for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is offered by the national organization called Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. Each year more than 100,000 works of art and writing are submitted by teenagers to regional programs of The Awards.
This year James became one of five artists to win a National Portfolio Gold Award from the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. This award includes a $10,000 college scholarship.
When he was just 6 years old, one of James’ paintings won a district award as the outstanding student in all of Will, Kendall and Grundy counties. When he was 7, a pastel he created of a cardinal was published in the Illinois Reading Council Journal.
In his junior year of high school at Lincoln-Way East he was featured on ABC 7 News’ human-interest segment titled “Someone You Should Know.” This year he was featured again.
Lincoln-Way East High School’s graduation program cover for 2008 was designed by James, showcasing his skills in graphic design.
Two of his paintings are on permanent display in public locations: one at Robert Morris College, Chicago and one at Hope Children’s Hospital, Oak Lawn.
Another work, a sculpture concept in glass and metal, will be installed in another year at Olivieri Business Park in Mokena. The business park offered an art competition, asking students at Lincoln-Way East to submit plans for a public sculpture with the theme, “Protecting the Earth.” Thirty-five students submitted proposals. James’ proposal won.
His proposal is a sculpture of a tree. “It will stand 10 to 15 feet tall, featuring copper as the trunk (base) and different colored pieces of glass for the leaves,” James said. “You will see a recycle symbol in the trunk of the tree and the leaves look like two hands with fingers spread out.”
From an early age, James said, he knew his career path would involve art.
“I’m very critical of myself, of my work,” James said. “I always ask myself if I have the right viewpoint, for example, or if I have my values correct. I try to improve with each new piece.”
***
A picture of James at age 6 holding his kindergarten teacher’s hand, smiling wide, is displayed in a decorative frame in his art studio, formerly the basement family room.
The picture was taken in 1996 and James just earned first place for a drawing he created using markers. The theme was, “The Cow Jumped Over the Moon.”
The smile on his face and grip on his teacher’s hand reflects his love of art and the reaction his work received from people who viewed it.
“That wining piece gave me motivation,” James said.
It was permanently displayed at the Professional Development Alliance in Joliet.
James said his mom, Angel, initially exposed him to drawing around the age of 2. His dad’s name is also James.
“When I was younger she would draw cartoons with me and my brothers and that’s where I picked it up,” James said.
Angel’s great-aunts, James said, painted some works in oils, too His brother, Joe, 17, is gifted in woodworking, while his brother, Peter, 15, draws and paints.
When he was 5, James’ mom brought him to an art class at the Frankfort Park District. James was too young for the class, he said, but his mom “pushed” to get him in. John Tylk was the instructor.
“Mr. Tylk said that I had talent,” James said.
“I usually ask that children start art classes when they are in first grade or kindergarten,” John said. “They need to at least know the alphabet, because if they know letters, they can draw shapes.
“James wanted to be in the class,” John said. “He listened and I would show him how to correct things and he would do it. He didn’t mind making mistakes.
“I usually tell all my students that they are gifted,” John said. “By that, I mean, the biggest gift is that their parents are able to put them in the class. What they do with the gift is up to them.”
From the age of 5 to 7 James attended art classes at the park district. Then he joined John and other students for classes at John’s Frankfort home. Once a week he sat with John and drew or painted for an hour or more. He continued lessons with John through the age of 14.
His first medium was graphite then he moved to oils.
“I can see Jim being an illustrator and a fine artist,” John said. “He does good with portraits and landscapes.”
Seeing James leave for college is “encouraging and sad,” John said. “Jim is a friend and fellow artist. I tell him to remember that what he does is put shapes on canvas. This is a job. That he’s not special.”
With each new piece, James said, “You have to stay modest. If you don’t, you won’t work as hard.
“Mr. Tylk is an inspiration to me,” James added. “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him.”
Other artists who inspire James are his high school art teachers, Dale Sandoval, and Department Chair, Colette Rinn. Famous American portrait artists who inspire James are Richard Schmid and John Howard Sanden.
“That makes me feel very good, very proud,” John said.
***
James Bertucci likes to work on a grand scale, canvases no smaller than 16x20 inches, and logs countless hours at the easel.
“I put on my headphones and I’m ready to go,” he said, noting that instrumental music is his preference while painting, including albums by American instrumental post-rock band, “Explosions in the Sky.”
For several years he used a drafting table in his bedroom at home, but the start of his freshman year of high school, he moved his easel and art supplies to a more spacious basement family room.
He prefers working with oils verses acrylics, he said. “When you work with oil, you have a chance to change the work more,” James said. “The paint stays wet longer.”
Three to seven hours can pass at one time while he works, James said. Some of his large pieces took over 100 hours to complete.
Though he has no favorite brush or pallet he works with, he has purposely incorporated one silver, metal can in several of his self-portraits. “I like the reflection they give,” he said.
The reflections in store windows also challenge James, and he’s created two pieces with people looking into large windows.
While James is the subject in several of his pieces, he also asks friends and family to model, including his Shih Tzu, Augie.
When he’s away from his easel, James is “laid back,” he said, enjoying hanging out with friends, playing sports (such as basketball) and throwing bean bags.
“Painting has always been a way for me to get away from things,” he said.
The rewards of being an artist, he said, are hearing and seeing reactions from the public when his works are displayed.
He recalled comments as people viewed his piece, “An Artist’s Collection,” pastels, 28x36 inches. A lady said, “I could stare at it for hours and continue to see something else.”
“As an artist, you hear comments and it’s great,” James said. “You hope people love your work as much as you put time and passion into creating it.”
His goal as an artist, he said, is to continue getting his name into the public’s eye and to “always reinvent” himself.
“The biggest key to success as an artist is staying motivated and dedicated when other obstacles get in the way,” James said.
“You have to learn how to take criticism and learn from your mistakes, while constantly pushing yourself to become the best artist you can be. As an artist, you should be your toughest critic. If you aren’t, then you are not pushing yourself as hard as you can.”
***
To contact James Bertucci, call 815-469-0565, e-mail [email protected], or see his Web site at www.jamesbertucci.com.
Russell Publications
Fine artist, John Tylk, remembers 6-year-old James Bertucci lighting up his painting class literally, and figuratively.
James, now 18, came to class wearing tennis shoes with heels that lit up when he walked. “He was the first student who came to class wearing shoes like that,” John said with a laugh.
While his shoes flashed, James’ ability to paint presented fresh light in John’s classes, inspiring other young artists.
“He was just 10 years old, while other students in the class were around 16, and the older students would say to me after seeing James’ work, ‘How old is the kid doing this?’” John said. “Some of the older students were struggling, but James put in more easel time, making a thousand more mistakes and fixing a thousand more mistakes. He was much closer to painting a good piece by himself.”
On Sept. 2, James, a Frankfort native, began his freshman year at Laguna College of Art & Design in Laguna Beach, Calif.
“Traditional art skills is the focus there (at Laguna) and they have great representation for artists nationally,” James said from his studio at home before he left.
All freshmen have to pick a major, so James chose illustration. However, his dreams, he said, include having his own art gallery one day, creating murals and being “nationally known.”
James is well on his way to national recognition.
In the past four years he has won numerous awards at the regional and national levels for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is offered by the national organization called Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. Each year more than 100,000 works of art and writing are submitted by teenagers to regional programs of The Awards.
This year James became one of five artists to win a National Portfolio Gold Award from the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. This award includes a $10,000 college scholarship.
When he was just 6 years old, one of James’ paintings won a district award as the outstanding student in all of Will, Kendall and Grundy counties. When he was 7, a pastel he created of a cardinal was published in the Illinois Reading Council Journal.
In his junior year of high school at Lincoln-Way East he was featured on ABC 7 News’ human-interest segment titled “Someone You Should Know.” This year he was featured again.
Lincoln-Way East High School’s graduation program cover for 2008 was designed by James, showcasing his skills in graphic design.
Two of his paintings are on permanent display in public locations: one at Robert Morris College, Chicago and one at Hope Children’s Hospital, Oak Lawn.
Another work, a sculpture concept in glass and metal, will be installed in another year at Olivieri Business Park in Mokena. The business park offered an art competition, asking students at Lincoln-Way East to submit plans for a public sculpture with the theme, “Protecting the Earth.” Thirty-five students submitted proposals. James’ proposal won.
His proposal is a sculpture of a tree. “It will stand 10 to 15 feet tall, featuring copper as the trunk (base) and different colored pieces of glass for the leaves,” James said. “You will see a recycle symbol in the trunk of the tree and the leaves look like two hands with fingers spread out.”
From an early age, James said, he knew his career path would involve art.
“I’m very critical of myself, of my work,” James said. “I always ask myself if I have the right viewpoint, for example, or if I have my values correct. I try to improve with each new piece.”
***
A picture of James at age 6 holding his kindergarten teacher’s hand, smiling wide, is displayed in a decorative frame in his art studio, formerly the basement family room.
The picture was taken in 1996 and James just earned first place for a drawing he created using markers. The theme was, “The Cow Jumped Over the Moon.”
The smile on his face and grip on his teacher’s hand reflects his love of art and the reaction his work received from people who viewed it.
“That wining piece gave me motivation,” James said.
It was permanently displayed at the Professional Development Alliance in Joliet.
James said his mom, Angel, initially exposed him to drawing around the age of 2. His dad’s name is also James.
“When I was younger she would draw cartoons with me and my brothers and that’s where I picked it up,” James said.
Angel’s great-aunts, James said, painted some works in oils, too His brother, Joe, 17, is gifted in woodworking, while his brother, Peter, 15, draws and paints.
When he was 5, James’ mom brought him to an art class at the Frankfort Park District. James was too young for the class, he said, but his mom “pushed” to get him in. John Tylk was the instructor.
“Mr. Tylk said that I had talent,” James said.
“I usually ask that children start art classes when they are in first grade or kindergarten,” John said. “They need to at least know the alphabet, because if they know letters, they can draw shapes.
“James wanted to be in the class,” John said. “He listened and I would show him how to correct things and he would do it. He didn’t mind making mistakes.
“I usually tell all my students that they are gifted,” John said. “By that, I mean, the biggest gift is that their parents are able to put them in the class. What they do with the gift is up to them.”
From the age of 5 to 7 James attended art classes at the park district. Then he joined John and other students for classes at John’s Frankfort home. Once a week he sat with John and drew or painted for an hour or more. He continued lessons with John through the age of 14.
His first medium was graphite then he moved to oils.
“I can see Jim being an illustrator and a fine artist,” John said. “He does good with portraits and landscapes.”
Seeing James leave for college is “encouraging and sad,” John said. “Jim is a friend and fellow artist. I tell him to remember that what he does is put shapes on canvas. This is a job. That he’s not special.”
With each new piece, James said, “You have to stay modest. If you don’t, you won’t work as hard.
“Mr. Tylk is an inspiration to me,” James added. “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him.”
Other artists who inspire James are his high school art teachers, Dale Sandoval, and Department Chair, Colette Rinn. Famous American portrait artists who inspire James are Richard Schmid and John Howard Sanden.
“That makes me feel very good, very proud,” John said.
***
James Bertucci likes to work on a grand scale, canvases no smaller than 16x20 inches, and logs countless hours at the easel.
“I put on my headphones and I’m ready to go,” he said, noting that instrumental music is his preference while painting, including albums by American instrumental post-rock band, “Explosions in the Sky.”
For several years he used a drafting table in his bedroom at home, but the start of his freshman year of high school, he moved his easel and art supplies to a more spacious basement family room.
He prefers working with oils verses acrylics, he said. “When you work with oil, you have a chance to change the work more,” James said. “The paint stays wet longer.”
Three to seven hours can pass at one time while he works, James said. Some of his large pieces took over 100 hours to complete.
Though he has no favorite brush or pallet he works with, he has purposely incorporated one silver, metal can in several of his self-portraits. “I like the reflection they give,” he said.
The reflections in store windows also challenge James, and he’s created two pieces with people looking into large windows.
While James is the subject in several of his pieces, he also asks friends and family to model, including his Shih Tzu, Augie.
When he’s away from his easel, James is “laid back,” he said, enjoying hanging out with friends, playing sports (such as basketball) and throwing bean bags.
“Painting has always been a way for me to get away from things,” he said.
The rewards of being an artist, he said, are hearing and seeing reactions from the public when his works are displayed.
He recalled comments as people viewed his piece, “An Artist’s Collection,” pastels, 28x36 inches. A lady said, “I could stare at it for hours and continue to see something else.”
“As an artist, you hear comments and it’s great,” James said. “You hope people love your work as much as you put time and passion into creating it.”
His goal as an artist, he said, is to continue getting his name into the public’s eye and to “always reinvent” himself.
“The biggest key to success as an artist is staying motivated and dedicated when other obstacles get in the way,” James said.
“You have to learn how to take criticism and learn from your mistakes, while constantly pushing yourself to become the best artist you can be. As an artist, you should be your toughest critic. If you aren’t, then you are not pushing yourself as hard as you can.”
***
To contact James Bertucci, call 815-469-0565, e-mail [email protected], or see his Web site at www.jamesbertucci.com.
Bowfishing lands a bull’s-eye
by Tracy Ahrens
Russell Publications
Years ago I participated in a Becoming An Outdoors Woman (BOW) camp through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
BOW is a program designed to give women introductory experiences and instruction in outdoor activities.
A class in archery hooked me after piercing targets, including a small paper price tag dead center, with a longbow.
Tie this in with my joy of fly fishing and you’ll understand why a recent invitation from Illinois Outdoors writer and cable television show host, Don Dziedzina, to join a bowfishing expert on a fishing trip made me excited.
Our guide would be Ed DeVries of Palos Park, founder and president of the Bowfishing Association of Illinois.
On a recent August afternoon, Ed pulled his 18-foot flats boat up to a dock at Three Rivers Marina in Wilmington with a smile on his face.
In his fish cooler were several freshly caught, nice-size, longnose gars.
He told me we were heading to the spot where he just shot them.
Ed, a commercial/industrial HVAC technician by day, spends much of his free time bowfishing.
As a child, Ed said, he watched his older brother and cousin bowfish, but he was too young to try. By age 21, Ed bought his own bowfishing equipment and mastered the sport on his own.
“I prefer this to (game) hunting,” Ed said. “It’s more challenging.”
Bowfishing is an ancient form of hunting, Ed said. The sport has quickly gained in popularity. While five years ago 10 people joined together for bowfishing events, today you can expect 50.
There are over 3,000 members of Bowfishing Association of Illinois, Ed said. Membership is free.
***
A refresher course in shooting bow was necessary for me, especially a compound bowfishing bow that is much smaller than the longbow I treasured shooting years ago. Ed pulled me aside at the marina to shoot into open water.
Aim for a target, Ed said, and then drop the alignment a bit. Objects in water are lower than they actually appear. Because of this, bowfishermen must aim a few inches lower than the target. Compensating helps place the arrow perfectly through a fish.
Drawing back the bowstring with fingers on my right hand, pulling my arm back to place the base of my thumb to my right cheek, aiming - I let my first shot penetrate water.
The arrow made a sizzling sound as it sliced through, nylon-braided line unfurled from a canister reel behind it.
Fish move fast, so aiming and shooting need to be equally fast.
According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, fish that can be caught by bowfishing include carp, carpsuckers, buffalo, sucker, gar (except alligator gar) and bowfin.
We were seeking carp and gar.
Gars are thin-bodied and require even more precision aim.
They school together in water and hover near the sunny surface on warm days. In warm water, they rise to the surface, gulp air (which is stored in a swim bladder) and quickly roll back into deeper water.
A key tactic in bowfishing is seeing the fish. This is not easy when factors such as sun reflection, ripples and murkiness come into play.
Being alert, quick and having precision aim are important in this sport.
Different boats can assist in bowfishing and Ed’s Beavertail Skiff flats boat is superb. Two platforms on either end of his boat allow you to stand high and see straight down into the water.
Some fishermen modify Jon boats for bowfishing by adding platforms at the front and/or back.
The shallow bottom of Ed’s boat helps him creep into shallow water full of weeds.
There, gar and carp can be found feeding.
Ed first shot several gar in deeper water. I aimed, shot and missed a few. My arrows struck water slightly over or beside the fish. Once, a carp thrashed a bit in the water after I shot; Ed said my arrow hit the fish but didn’t stick.
Ed used an old-fashioned recurve bow with a strong draw weight, a weight I could not budge.
He armed me with a Genesis compound bow with a lighter draw weight, a weight that was actually a bit too light. When Ed increased my bow’s draw weight, my arrows started to fly harder and faster.
Water is dense and slows arrows down. This could explain why one of my arrows didn’t penetrate the fish.
Fiberglass arrows have a line attached to them that leads back to a reel affixed to the bow. When stainless steel arrow points penetrate fish, barbs swing out and hold on to the catch.
Ed’s expertise in spotting fish amazed me. There are signs that carp are present, such as cloudy swirls in clear water and bubbles rising to the surface. Gar, however, move along like thin shadows. Ed can see them a distance away from the boat and he shot several with precision.
Wearing polarized glasses is vital in seeing fish. Having a rimmed cap on your head also helps keep sun out of your eyes.
Keeping movement minimal until you shoot an arrow is also important.
Standing on platforms higher than the boat makes it easier for fish to see you. Quick movements will spook them.
***
We settled in an area of the Des Plaines River where the DuPage River feeds into it.
Using a push pole like a gondola captain, Ed guided the boat through weed beds.
Carp are attracted to weed beds at sun up and sun down, their backs arching up out of weeds as they suck insects and plant debris from the river bottom. Slurping noises surrounded us while we rotated to spot fish after fish.
I kept my eye on a carp about 18 feet off of the bow. Ed told me to wait and he would guide the boat closer.
Standing on a platform, taking aim, using my right index finger as a guide, I shot an arrow.
The carp thrashed and Ed yelled, “You got it!”
I was in disbelief.
When Ed pulled the carp into the boat, we laughed when we saw that my arrow went straight through the side of the fish.
My first bowfishing catch was a bull’s-eye.
Don forewarned me to wear old clothes and shoes because I would get slimy and dirty. He was right. Pulling in line hand-over-hand often results in clumps of weeds and mud with it. Debris gathers on the boat deck making footing a challenge. Because of this, you must wear non-skid shoes.
Aside from weeds and mud, expect blood. This isn’t like fishing with a lure. You pierce fish with an arrow. When you remove fish from arrows there will be a mess.
***
This bowfishing adventure was taped for a cable television show. You can see the show archived at www.illinoisoutdoors.com under “Bowfishing for Carp and Gar.”
If you’d like to try bowfishing or learn more, contact Ed DeVries with the Bowfishing Association of Illinois at [email protected] and see the BAI Web site at www.illinoisbowfishing.net.
Three Rivers Marina is at 25400 Des Plaines River Road in Wilmington. Call 815-476-2324.
by Tracy Ahrens
Russell Publications
Years ago I participated in a Becoming An Outdoors Woman (BOW) camp through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
BOW is a program designed to give women introductory experiences and instruction in outdoor activities.
A class in archery hooked me after piercing targets, including a small paper price tag dead center, with a longbow.
Tie this in with my joy of fly fishing and you’ll understand why a recent invitation from Illinois Outdoors writer and cable television show host, Don Dziedzina, to join a bowfishing expert on a fishing trip made me excited.
Our guide would be Ed DeVries of Palos Park, founder and president of the Bowfishing Association of Illinois.
On a recent August afternoon, Ed pulled his 18-foot flats boat up to a dock at Three Rivers Marina in Wilmington with a smile on his face.
In his fish cooler were several freshly caught, nice-size, longnose gars.
He told me we were heading to the spot where he just shot them.
Ed, a commercial/industrial HVAC technician by day, spends much of his free time bowfishing.
As a child, Ed said, he watched his older brother and cousin bowfish, but he was too young to try. By age 21, Ed bought his own bowfishing equipment and mastered the sport on his own.
“I prefer this to (game) hunting,” Ed said. “It’s more challenging.”
Bowfishing is an ancient form of hunting, Ed said. The sport has quickly gained in popularity. While five years ago 10 people joined together for bowfishing events, today you can expect 50.
There are over 3,000 members of Bowfishing Association of Illinois, Ed said. Membership is free.
***
A refresher course in shooting bow was necessary for me, especially a compound bowfishing bow that is much smaller than the longbow I treasured shooting years ago. Ed pulled me aside at the marina to shoot into open water.
Aim for a target, Ed said, and then drop the alignment a bit. Objects in water are lower than they actually appear. Because of this, bowfishermen must aim a few inches lower than the target. Compensating helps place the arrow perfectly through a fish.
Drawing back the bowstring with fingers on my right hand, pulling my arm back to place the base of my thumb to my right cheek, aiming - I let my first shot penetrate water.
The arrow made a sizzling sound as it sliced through, nylon-braided line unfurled from a canister reel behind it.
Fish move fast, so aiming and shooting need to be equally fast.
According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, fish that can be caught by bowfishing include carp, carpsuckers, buffalo, sucker, gar (except alligator gar) and bowfin.
We were seeking carp and gar.
Gars are thin-bodied and require even more precision aim.
They school together in water and hover near the sunny surface on warm days. In warm water, they rise to the surface, gulp air (which is stored in a swim bladder) and quickly roll back into deeper water.
A key tactic in bowfishing is seeing the fish. This is not easy when factors such as sun reflection, ripples and murkiness come into play.
Being alert, quick and having precision aim are important in this sport.
Different boats can assist in bowfishing and Ed’s Beavertail Skiff flats boat is superb. Two platforms on either end of his boat allow you to stand high and see straight down into the water.
Some fishermen modify Jon boats for bowfishing by adding platforms at the front and/or back.
The shallow bottom of Ed’s boat helps him creep into shallow water full of weeds.
There, gar and carp can be found feeding.
Ed first shot several gar in deeper water. I aimed, shot and missed a few. My arrows struck water slightly over or beside the fish. Once, a carp thrashed a bit in the water after I shot; Ed said my arrow hit the fish but didn’t stick.
Ed used an old-fashioned recurve bow with a strong draw weight, a weight I could not budge.
He armed me with a Genesis compound bow with a lighter draw weight, a weight that was actually a bit too light. When Ed increased my bow’s draw weight, my arrows started to fly harder and faster.
Water is dense and slows arrows down. This could explain why one of my arrows didn’t penetrate the fish.
Fiberglass arrows have a line attached to them that leads back to a reel affixed to the bow. When stainless steel arrow points penetrate fish, barbs swing out and hold on to the catch.
Ed’s expertise in spotting fish amazed me. There are signs that carp are present, such as cloudy swirls in clear water and bubbles rising to the surface. Gar, however, move along like thin shadows. Ed can see them a distance away from the boat and he shot several with precision.
Wearing polarized glasses is vital in seeing fish. Having a rimmed cap on your head also helps keep sun out of your eyes.
Keeping movement minimal until you shoot an arrow is also important.
Standing on platforms higher than the boat makes it easier for fish to see you. Quick movements will spook them.
***
We settled in an area of the Des Plaines River where the DuPage River feeds into it.
Using a push pole like a gondola captain, Ed guided the boat through weed beds.
Carp are attracted to weed beds at sun up and sun down, their backs arching up out of weeds as they suck insects and plant debris from the river bottom. Slurping noises surrounded us while we rotated to spot fish after fish.
I kept my eye on a carp about 18 feet off of the bow. Ed told me to wait and he would guide the boat closer.
Standing on a platform, taking aim, using my right index finger as a guide, I shot an arrow.
The carp thrashed and Ed yelled, “You got it!”
I was in disbelief.
When Ed pulled the carp into the boat, we laughed when we saw that my arrow went straight through the side of the fish.
My first bowfishing catch was a bull’s-eye.
Don forewarned me to wear old clothes and shoes because I would get slimy and dirty. He was right. Pulling in line hand-over-hand often results in clumps of weeds and mud with it. Debris gathers on the boat deck making footing a challenge. Because of this, you must wear non-skid shoes.
Aside from weeds and mud, expect blood. This isn’t like fishing with a lure. You pierce fish with an arrow. When you remove fish from arrows there will be a mess.
***
This bowfishing adventure was taped for a cable television show. You can see the show archived at www.illinoisoutdoors.com under “Bowfishing for Carp and Gar.”
If you’d like to try bowfishing or learn more, contact Ed DeVries with the Bowfishing Association of Illinois at [email protected] and see the BAI Web site at www.illinoisbowfishing.net.
Three Rivers Marina is at 25400 Des Plaines River Road in Wilmington. Call 815-476-2324.