Randy "FishBoy" Clark and Tom Wood, both longtime Bellingham artists, have been collaborating for about a year on an art show that opens with a public reception at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, at Lucia Douglas Gallery, 1415 13th St.

The two artists have produced more than 36 pieces for the exhibit, which runs through March 23. For details, see fishboygallery.com.

Here's FishBoy's take on his art and the exhibit.

Question: What's the story of your artistic journey?

Answer: I grew up in Boise, Idaho, and I always wanted to be an artist. My first art was comic book collaboration in fifth grade.

At 19, I took design, drawing and painting classes at Boise State University, then moved to Seattle the next year and attended The Factory of Visual Arts that was in the University District.

I discovered Bellingham in 1975 after living in Friday Harbor for awhile and worked for Cellophane Square and did all of the store's in-store graphics, signage and posters, which lead to opening my company, Constant Motion, with David Nelson and Brad Wren. We were located on the second floor of what is now the Pickford Dreamspace.

We had the privilege of creating posters for WWU-sponsored concerts that included Kenny Loggins, Captain Beefheart and Robert Cray. Also for local bands Eddy and the Atlantics, X15, Miles Boisen and Loose Gravel.

We also did illustration and ad layouts for new-at-the-time Kulshan Cycles, Community Food Co-Op, and the old Casa Rosa Coffee house.

Q: Who has encouraged you along the way?

A: My good friends here in town, Dale Gottlieb and Thomas Wood and Rebecca Meloy; and Linda Gardner of the Lucia Douglas Gallery, have all encouraged and supported my art.

Q: Why FishBoy?

A: FishBoy comes from fishing around alleys, basements, the ReStore for raw product, fishing around for ideas and inspiration and well, I'm a boy at heart.

Q: Where can people see your art around town?

A: Currently I have art at the Winter Exhibition at the Jansen Art Center in Lynden. I have some work hanging at Ken Cox Autobahn and with the support of my friend Basi at Casa Ventura Imports, soon you will be able to find my art in the wine section of your local grocer.

Q: What's the exhibit at Lucia Douglas Gallery about?

A: It's pretty rare for two developed artists with strong personalities and dissimilar styles to collaborate successfully; only true friendship could withstand the effort of two artists working on one painting at the same time.

We have strong differences of opinion, but never about the music in the background. (Our music playlist will be available opening night of the WoodFish exhibit)

The collaboration with Tom started around 2008 with a piece called "18 Heads" that was included in a benefit show for Whatcom Museum. We did a couple of paintings together after that. Last winter Tom very generously opened his printmaking studio to me and gently prodded me to learn the printmaking process. I'm deeply in Tom's debt for his willingness to share his mastery with me.

In mid-2012 we started to get serious about our collaboration when we were both offered space in the new St. Joseph Cancer Center. It ended up that we did our own separate projects but we had so much fun working together, it laid the groundwork for the WoodFish Collaboration that will show Saturday, Feb. 16, through March 23, with a live paint day on March 2 at the Lucia Douglas Gallery in Fairhaven.

Reach Margaret Bikman at 360-715-2273 or margaret.bikman@bellinghamherald.com. Follow Bellingham Entertainment on Facebook or @bhamentertainme on Twitter.