Carmel Valley Country

October 2004

 

It is easy to imagine why artists are drawn to Carmel Valley. Every vista is a brilliant still life, each season paints a new landscape, and hues change hourly as the day strolls through the oaken woodland. 

Lance Marshall Boen came to the Valley not only because it touched his artistic soul, but also beyond the beauty of Carmel Valley., it was the presence of Carmel River that truly won his heart. 

Boen grew up in the San Gabriel Mountains east of Los Angeles with a spring fed pond as his first canvas. As a boy he spent his happiest days along the creek fishing for trout to bring back to his pond. He studied them closely, and was amazed by their beauty and behavior. All these encounters would later be drawn upon as inspiration for this paintings and sculptures. 

Lance excelled in art in school. During his graduate work at Claremont he focused on sculpture and began building a reputation for larger abstractions. He gained the attention of art collectors and prominent studios throughout Southern California. His sculptures and paintings were keeping him very busy.  

Lance explored a wide variety of mediums including leather. One day he fashioned a three dimensional trout entirely from leather as a gift for a friend. The spark was struck, and from then on he concentrated his effort on creating unique sculptures that evolved from his original ideas. His work was appreciated and commissions were flourishing. Still, he yearned for a simpler life along a flowing creek. 

Many of his patrons were from Central and Northern California, so he and his wife, Jennifer, moved to Carmel Valley Village. Here, they found the perfect house in which to start their family and to build a studio.  

Today, the Boen family includes a son, Marshall Psalms, who is two and a half, and a brand new baby girl, Nekoda River. His studio is complete and filled with fish of all sizes and species. 

Now, Lance can spend as much time as possible exploring and fly fishing the local rivers. He volunteers with the Steelhead Society’s rescue effort, which relocates fish that are stranded during dry summer months. The steelhead are captured and released in deeper waters upstream.  

His self-designed studio build with vaulted ceiling and massive wood beams beautifully showcases Lance’s sculptures and invites his patrons to experience some of Carmel Valley’s finest artwork. Lance’s work has most recently been featured in “The Art of Angling” (Vol. II, Issue 3, 2003), “Fish and Fly” (Winter 2003), and “Wild on the Fly” (Spring 2003). Collectors and anglers alike appreciate his work. 

Lance Marshall Boen has found a place among the art and artists of Carmel Valley. He brings a deep love and understanding of the natural world to his incredible leather sculpture. If you are planning a visit to Carmel Valley Village, Lance welcomes patrons to call for an appointment and studio tour at 831-659-5600, or visit his website: www.streamlineoriginals.com. 

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