Artist On The Move - Yusniel Santos

TCFF chats to artist YUSNIEL SANTOS about how his art and fly fishing complement each other.

TCFF: What inspired you to become an artist, and have you been doing it from an early age?

YS: I definitely have to thank my dad’s side of the family, since they were my first inspiration, with many members sharing my same talents, including my father Lazaro. According to my parents, I started devoting significant time to drawing from the age of two.

TCFF: How has your Cuban heritage influenced your art?

YS: Cuba has a very vibrant, rich art culture, which is 100% in my blood. Also, living on an island surrounded by water definitely influenced my passion for marine art.

TCFF: Do you still go back to your home town in Cuba and catch up on some fishing?

YS: Sadly no, for political reasons and the fact that my entire family resides in Florida. I have not visited the island since I left 17 years ago but plan on going back in the near future, because I miss my home town a lot and would love to travel back in time to my childhood.

TCFF: You have world-class fishing on your doorstep. Does regularly experiencing fishing like that ever lose its charm?

YS: Our ecosystem is so versatile that it’s pretty hard for it to lose its charm for me. However, the top eight fish on my bucket list are all outside Florida waters.

TCFF: What inspires you to draw/ paint the images you do?

YS: Inspiration is driven by emotions, so when I experience time on the water – whether it’s fishing or diving – I feel the need to transfer the beauty of what I’ve seen onto canvas. Also, the dreams of fly fishing exotic waters are a regular subject in my portfolio.

TCFF: When you are not busy in your studio, do you get enough time to fish?