Meet Lance Boen | Artist- Leather Fish Sculptor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lance Boen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lance, how do you think about risk?
I knew I wanted to be an artist from the time I was in high school. In my youth I did not think about the risks involved in creating a life around the business of painting, sculpting, showing, marketing, and selling art.

I stayed the course and completed college with a degree in fine arts with a focus on painting. I remained focused on becoming a full-time artist and pursued a Master of Fine Arts with a focus on sculpture. Many of my fellow students, who graduated with me, did not follow this risky path. Rather they incorporated their degrees into their lives as part-time careers and hobbies.

There are many high-risk factors that keep people from becoming working artists. The lack of a regular paycheck, having no retirement plan or benefits along with fluctuating sales is simply too unpredictable for most people. Because sculptures are not a necessity, like food and services, working artists must courageously persevere through low times in the market. Taking these risks on a daily basis has made me resilient and unafraid of taking chances.

Over the past thirty years, as a working artist, I have become ever grateful for my family who always believed in my talent and hard work and who encouraged me to run toward my dreams despite the uncertainties. Yes, being an artist and running my own business contains many risks, but I have been blessed with all of the rewards that came from taking such risks. I have rarely missed special times with my family, my kids’ school programs, or their sports activities. Because of my flexible schedule, I have always been able to catch up in my studio at a later time. When I selected a lifestyle built on taking risks, I had no idea that I would be given the gift of meeting so many incredible people who would invest in me and enrich my life so tremendously.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have been very fortunate creating a life and income from my sculptures. I have merged my love of painting, sculpting, and flyfishing through my chosen medium of leather. Leather is a material that has been used for art, clothing, shelter, and tools throughout history. I enjoy the texture and the way I am able to tool onto the surface. I enjoy taking the two-dimensional leather and forming it into a three-dimensional sculpture. The leather acts as a wonderful canvas for the highly detailed painting involved in my sculptures. When I tell people I create leather fish sculptures they assume I am making key fobs or wallets. I enjoy showing them the whimsical 10-foot saddle-wearing trout with pistols, saddle bags, and textured images of wildlife found along the river. I have always loved fish and fishing and have created various species from around the world. I have made friends with patrons that also enjoy fish, diving, and angling. I feel blessed that I have found a way to turn my passion for fish and art into a livelihood, which allows me to live an extraordinarily creative life.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I do have a friend that is coming to visit from Carmel Valley, California where I previously resided. I now live in Polson, Montana a small town on Flathead Lake, in the northwestern part of the state. When he arrives I plan on spoiling him by introducing him to my favorite flyfishing water. We will catch up on the drive to the river as we skirt the breathtaking Mission Mountains. We will hike through the beautiful wilderness to reach our fishing destination. We will wade in the water looking for signs of fish and other wildlife. Then we will cast our flies to trout and sit on the bank while we have our river view lunch. Most of my friends and I enjoy time outdoors. Any time we are able to hike, fish, and explore we will be in nature.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
A big shoutout goes to my middle school teacher-mentor, Pat Chapman. She and her wonderful family opened their working ranch to our school every Friday. Once a week our class would hop on the bus and drive two miles up a forested road to the Chapman Ranch. At the ranch, we had access to many hands-on activities such as ceramics, woodworking, blacksmithing, weaving, gardening, and cooking. There was a pond on the property where we learned about natural science. Cooking and woodworking were often used to teach math. Because I am dyslexic I struggled with the traditional class setting. At the Ranch, everything was process oriented and I thrived creatively. Pat is an artist and outdoor educator who recognized my artistic talent and academic struggles. She encouraged me and gave me something positive to hold onto as a young man. A lot of students that went to Mt Baldy school and experienced the Ranch graduated to become teachers themselves. Thanks, Pat for your influence, passion, generosity, and love.

Website: lanceboen.com

Instagram: Lancemarshallboen

Image Credits
Victor Henderson