Val Kropiwnicki

Val's Streamers

#243 Rogan Inspired - Val Kropiwnicki

Val's Biography

b. 1964 - I have been making art, mostly functional steel, for over 25 years now but it has been in the last 3 years that I finally figured out how to combined my 2 passions - fly fishing and metal sculpture. With my artistic tying I try to create forms that hark to the history of the craft yet strive toward it's future. Like all my art, the flies I tie are snapshots of what is going on in my life. I look to the world around me both above and below the water for inspiration often finding "reasons" for a fly in a piece of music, an event or people I meet. It is important for me to strive to be different with my artwork and once a fly has left my vice I won't tie it again. Titling my artwork is important too. The first part of the fly title is the name, the next number to the right is the month and then year it was made, next comes the metal used (S=Silver, SS=Stainless Steel, B=Brass, N=Nickel, GF=Gold Filled) and the last letter is (P) for Prototype, (A) for as drawn in my sketchbook or (R) for revised. Sometimes I use a metal for its color alone and sometimes due to the way I can work it to achieve what I want it to do in the fly. As far as fishing goes I chase trout and Striped bass whenever I can and hope to instill a love for nature and all thing aquatic into my 2 young sons as life allows.
VK Steelworks