'Fishing up success'

Most people are familiar with the old saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” But only a few people take it as much to heart as Phil Brannan. When he found himself out of work, he discovered a new passion, a gift for fish carving. Originally starting as a hobby, Brannan began woodcarving in his mid-30s, teaching himself. He has been an avid fisherman all his life, and it wouldn’t take long until he combined his love for fishing with woodcarving and start creating realistic sculptures.

“It just came out of the sky, and I was so taken back by it,” he said. “Sometimes a talent will lay dormant inside you. And you never know it’s there until something in life sparks it. And when it sparks, there is nothing you can do to kill that fire. You’re going to do it. That was 28 years ago, and I haven’t had burnout.”

The Art Museum of Southeast Texas is hosting “Phil Brannan: Artistry in Wood” through March 17. His fish carving skills were given by the good Lord, Brannan said, he didn’t want to disappoint him. Brannan said it is therapeutic and is something he looks forward to doing every single day.

“There’s always a different pose,” he said. “There’s always something really new and exciting to keep it fresh for me. And I look for those things. And when I’m not carving, I’m thinking about carving. And when I’m not doing that I’m fishing.”

The Lumberton artist is competitive and set about being the best. Brannan began to compete regionally, winning multiple contests, before eventually competing at the world carving championships.

“I competed in the regionals, Houston, New Orleans,” he said. “And I won Best-in-Show in all of them, and so I had to go somewhere where I can get beat, because that was the only place I could get better — if people beat me.”

If Brannan was beaten, he took his aggravation and used it productively instead of destructively, he said. He would tell himself, ‘They can’t beat me,”and kept driving for success. Now Brannan has multiple world championship ribbons, including Winner of Best in World, Decorative Miniature Division at the Breakthrough World Fish Carving Championship.

The Art Museum of Southeast Texas is located at 500 Main St. in downtown Beaumont. For more, visit amset.org.