The Guiding (and Art) Life

Guiding from April to October in Alaska and Wisconsin and painting the rest, Tim Pearson’s life is one that many people would envy.

The 32-year-old has been fly-fishing in Alaska since 2001 and has been guiding at the state’s Rainbow River Lodge for the past five years.  Using the guiding season as inspiration, Pearson spends November through March creating art, primarily in watercolor but also in ink, pastels, and other techniques.  Not all fun and games, working in Alaska is tough, says Pearson.  Also, the instability is taxing, so much so that Pearson is wishes for a a more predictable lifestyle.  But in the end, it may be all worth it.  “It’s almost larger than life,” he says. “It’s like nowhere else I’ve been. Everyone who goes up there feels something about it. It gets in your blood.”  Sam Cook profiles Pearson in the Duluth News Tribune.