From the time he began tying presentation flies, Shawn Davis has sought to reinvent the art. He begins by handcrafting all his hooks and tinsels from solid gold and platinum wire. He uses both time-tested techniques and those of his own design to shape and polish them into uniquely beautiful forms. His hooks are works of jewelry art in and of themselves, and he has found a surprising demand for them.
But Shawn’s metalwork is just the beginning. Though his initial inspiration came from classic Victorian salmon flies, as his eye for style developed he began to find many of the classic patterns indulgent and overdressed. Thus, he has distilled his own tying to its essence and creates works that define his vision of beauty in simplicity.
Shawn’s flies typically feature a sparse color scheme with sweeping lines to allow his materials to showcase their natural, uncomplicated beauty. His style and presentation are uniquely three-dimensional, standing in stark contrast to the traditional two-dimensional salmon fly. Shawn has designed a unique leader system which suspends his finished flies in mid-air so they can be appreciated by people as they would be by the fish, from every possible angle. His pieces achieve fullness by insinuating more than is there, coaxing the viewer further into and around them to better appreciate their simple elegance and power. Shawn's tying is neither a study in stilted tradition nor a brash reconstruction of the art. Instead, he uses the best of the past to help him realize his own artistic vision in the present.
Shawn’s understated designs and presentation belies the uncompromising technicality of his work. His desire is to tie flies that at first glance appear simple but upon closer inspection leave even the most discerning viewer wondering, “How did he do that?”
Shawn recently released his first wearable fly, the Gray Ghost necklace pendant, in honor of the great Carrie Stevens. Other than the 18K solid gold hook and 100% platinum tinsel, it is finished with period materials and tied precisely as she would have tied it. The piece comes mounted to a bold chain of solid 14K gold.
In addition to his finished pieces, Shawn makes available professional prints of his flies in both matted and framed options, mounted on museum rag and behind conservation glass. Some of his pieces are for sale here at MyFlies however; all of his finished flies, hooks, and photographs are available for purchase at his website, . Shawn's flies were photographed by his very talented wife, Brenda Davis, a freelance photograper.
View Shawn's Flies
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