George Richards, known on the water as ‘Snookemon’ is an avid saltwater angler/artist who practices the ancient Japanese art form of ‘Gyotaku’ or ‘fish rubbing’. In traditional Gyotaku printing, the fish becomes the artists’ canvas, and then rice paper is overlaid to make an impression. The resulting print remains untouched after they are pulled from the fish.

George is passionate about his ‘subject acquisition’ whether his subjects come from his rod and reel at the waters’ surface, or from his underwater scuba experiences. He believes every species of fish have their own inherent beauty, whether it be the fin structure, eye and lip features, skin texture or their size and shape. George has printed fish ranging from six foot tarpon to forty pound amberjack down to the smallest baitfish, however the ‘common snook’ is his favorite species.

George’s love of the water coupled with his concern for resource preservation is fueled by his educational background. He received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design from the University of Oklahoma prior to his post graduate studies in design and graphics at the Art Center in Pasadena California and the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Santa Monica. George has fished locally and worked as a registered Architect for the last 22 years, however, his passion can be summed up best in his own words, “Work is just something to do between tides.”