For the new year, we are featuring illustrations by local artist Michael Zontos. Free posters of the piece titled Life Cycles will be available starting January 5th. 

about the artist

Michael grew up in Santa Cruz, California and spent the majority of his free time fishing with his family and friends. Michael was always very passionate about the fish they would catch and the experiences they were able to share. Drawing was something he also loved to do growing up. He had taken several art classes over the years, but never had plans to take it any further. In 2010 he moved to northern California to study Fisheries Biology at Humboldt State University. After receiving his Bachelor's Degree in 2013, he began working full time as a Fisheries Technician along the north coast of Mendocino and Humboldt counties.

He currently lives in Eureka, California and his job is to monitor populations of salmon, steelhead and trout on local timberlands. Through the years of going to school and working, his art side remained dormant but the urge to create was still there.

Michael Zontos:

It wasn't until a few years ago that I picked up the pencils and started drawing again. Between work, fishing, and diving, I have an abundance of fish pictures available. I use those photographs as a reference to draw each specimen and attempt to capture their natural essence. I was never formally trained in scientific illustration, but it is something I strive for with my work. I only use colored and graphite pencils. Using pencils as my primary medium is very time consuming, but it enables me to achieve the level of detail that I'm after. All of my drawings are based on a fish that was caught or observed, which means that each has its own story and the memory of that experience can live on forever. 

See more of his work on instagram.