Reel Inner Beauty

Reel Inner Beauty — watercolor on paper, 5 × 7 inches. Reference photograph courtesy of Minamoto Reels.

Most people admire the precision and beauty of a finished reel. When I saw a photograph of the drag mechanism inside a Minamoto reel, I was drawn instead to the part normally hidden from view.

Every component receives the same careful attention as the visible exterior. Even the sound of the reel is tuned as part of the experience. That unseen craftsmanship—the inner beauty—is what I wanted to paint.

Thank you to Minamoto Reels for allowing me to use their photograph as a reference.