Fly Fishing Angler, leather artist, painter, muralist, Marine Veteran, interior designer, and so much more. Annie has had a life rich in the fly fishing community and the creative arts. Her work is stunningly beautiful and her story is full of adventure. Thanks Annie, we loved talking with you. Guest: Annie Margarita Email: [email protected] Phone: 541-215-2022 Websites: AnnieMargarita.com FlyGirlLeather.com Social Media: Facebook YouTube Bio: Annie has been a professional artist since 1993 when she got out of the Marine Corps and went to Florida to work in the theme parks as a scenic artist. Working all over the U.S., Portugal and Holland building aquarium, museum and zoo exhibits, she got injured in Holland, so she went back to Tucson, her hometown, to recover from her injuries. While she was recuperating she started her own mural company which later lead to a degree in Interior Design and a contracting company for paint, custom plaster and murals. She expanded her company in Colorado, but went back to Tucson in 2008, when she joined up with local fly shop Drycreek Outfitters and the gentlemen there got her into Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing. She learned to cast better, tie flies, and build a fly rod, which then lead her to want to build a fly rod case out of leather. Annie found that leather was her favorite medium and started creating cases, handbags and other accessories. She started selling her products online which allowed her the freedom to pack up everything, buy an RV and took off out of Tucson to find all the rivers that she dreamed about. After about a year and a half, she went to Pendleton, Oregon for it’s annual leather convention. She dug in and opened a gallery leather store on Main Street, then the Veteran’s Administration granted her another shot at earning a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. Bert de Klerk at McKenzie River Inn, on the mighty McKenzie River in Nimrod, Oregon, home of the Drift Boat, offered her an Artist in Residence position while she attended school. She has a double major in Cinema Studies and Art & Technology Animation and graduated in December 2019. Annie also teaches leather working, fine art painting and online mural classes with ThePaintHive.com, operating her studio at the former inn.       This is Fly Girl Fish episode 053, first aired on 09/10/2020.