The T. B. Scott Free Library Beyond Books: Community ArtShare Program will feature an exhibit titled “Fish Out of Water,” displaying carvings by Arnie Plamann, during the months of March and April 2023.
Arnie Plamann was born and raised in the Merrill area and then moved to Rhinelander, where he did a lot of fishing. He moved out of state for a time, but recently Arnie and his wife returned to live on the land where he was raised.
Arnie is a self-taught artist who first started carving little fish and toys for the neighborhood children. Painting his creations came later, he said, and he admits that the painting is the more challenging part to him, as it is difficult to get results that satisfy him.
On average, it takes Arnie one month to finish a piece. Basswood and oil paints are his preferred materials. Arnie uses multiple resources, including pictures of fish he has caught and reference books, in the creation of his art. He can only work for about two hours at a time before his body says it’s time to get up and walk, he said.
Arnie’s body of work has included a recreation of a fish from a picture, done by special request as a gift from a father to his son.
When asked how he became so good at his craft, Arnie responded: “The more you carve, the better you get.”
