Impenetrable.
“Bradbury Dam was built in an area of The Santa Ynez River that cut off two thirds of the Southern Steelhead’s suitable spawning ground.”— Russell Marlow, California Trout.
Bygone #1 96" x 60" Acrylic on Wood Panel. Available
Bygone #2, Sold. Prints Available.
According to data from California Trout, the leading fish conservation group in California, “Southern Steelhead populations are in danger of extinction within the next 25-50 years.”
Lake Cachuma and Bradbury Dam. Photo: Eric Foote
The Bygone series is both a representation of the abundance steelhead once enjoyed in eras past and a call to action to save this iconic indicator species before it disappears forever. Each piece is large-scale and created using an abstract squeegee method. This begins with paint pulled across a wooden panel, with only a rough idea of the final outcome. We guide the motion, but the combining colors across the surface is unpredictable, mirroring the way humans attempt to shape ecosystems, while nature ultimately has the final say.
Once the paint interacts on the panel, they form a confluence of color that creates the environment for the fish to emerge. When the paint initially dry’s, we hang it and step back a few paces, searching for our subject. My father and I study the abstract together, exchanging impressions of where the steelhead resides within the composition. From this point, we begin to imagine what shape and size it might be, what movement it suggests, and what the fish is telling us.
Each painting in the Bygone series asks the viewer to search and ultimately learn more about why it is important to protect this species. Our hope is that the work we create serve both as a meditation on loss and a powerful conversation starter, drawing attention to the fragility of the species, its undeniable resilience in the face of anthropogenic stressors, and the urgent need to ensure it does not disappear on our watch.
Michael Irwin, "Bygone 1", 2020 47” x 78” | Acrylic on wood panel $7,500
Michael and Nathan Irwin, "Axiom" , 2023 47” x 60” | Acrylic on wood panel $6,500 Sold
Michael and Nathan Irwin, "Indicator", 2023 47” x 78” | Acrylic on wood panel $7,500
Michael and Nathan Irwin "Habitat", 2023 47” x 78” | Acrylic on wood panel $7,500
Michael Irwin "Vernal Pool", 2023 47” x 78” | Acrylic on wood panel $7,500
Michael and Nathan Irwin "Fleeting", 2023 48” x 72” | Acrylic on stretched canvas $6,500
Nathan Irwin "Steel" 24" x 24" | Acrylic on burnished aluminum Sold
Bearing a striking resemblance to their freshwater cousins, the Rainbow Trout, with hues of green, silver, and pink, a steelhead is a remarkable fish. Steelhead are anadromous, meaning they are born in freshwater, spend part of their adult lives in the ocean, and return to the rivers and streams where they were born to lay their eggs. Because of this interconnection between fresh and saltwater habitats, these fish are also an indicator of the overall health of a watershed.
The Santa Ynez River was historically the most productive steelhead river south of San Francisco. Tens of thousands of Southern California Steelhead would make the 65 mile trip up the Santa Ynez River from Surf Beach, to their spawning grounds above Red Rock. As Santa Barbara County grew larger and needed a reliable water source, Gibraltar (1920), Juncal (1930), and Bradbury Dam (1953) were built. The construction of Bradbury Dam blocked 2/3 of Southern Steelhead’s spawning habitat on The Santa Ynez River and has decimated their population.
There are now fewer than 500 Southern California Steelhead left in all of the watersheds of Southern California.
Bygone # 2. 96” x 60” Acrylic on Wood Panel. SoldBygone #3. 40” x 60” Acrylic on Wood Panel. SoldYou can help Save the Southern California Steelhead by:
Signing the petition requesting migratory access for steelhead over Bradbury Dam and sufficient flow in the Santa Ynez River.
Donating to California Trout, The Environmental Defense Center, and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper
We donate a portion of the proceeds from each piece of art that we sell to the organizations that are fighting to save the Southern California Steelhead
These paintings have raised $16,000 dollars to support California Trout and the work they are doing to restore watersheds across the state.
The Santa Ynez River, historically a stronghold for Southern California Steelhead. Click here to learn more about the Santa Ynez River and the steelhead that call it home. Photo: Eric FooteBradbury Dam and Lake Cachuma at sunrise. Video: Eric Foote