Ambush (1 of 50 Limited Edition)

The Story

This is Shubert at his most cinematic. This painting depicts a striped bass coming from its ambush position in an oyster-bed to take a small baitfish, in this case a fisherman’s fly. The fins are detailed to capture the strength of the fish’s acceleration with the sand bottom showing disturbance from its large caudal fin. The mouth is just starting to open toward the full-open position to inhale the bait.

The Location

The striped bass is the premier gamefish of the Chesapeake Bay — the fish that defines the Bay’s identity as a recreational and commercial fishing resource. The underwater environment Shubert depicts is the grass beds and rocky shallows of the mid-Bay and its tidal tributaries, where rockfish hunt baitfish throughout the season. The Chesapeake is the largest striped bass nursery on the Atlantic coast; nearly every striper caught from Maine to the Carolinas was born here.

Artist’s Perspective

“I wanted to make a painting that firstly could be the centerpiece of a fisherman’s study. I did the original as a donation for fundraising with one of my favorite organizations the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) of Maryland. In that vein I focused on the chief sportfish of the Chesapeake, the fly as lure, representing the catch and release approach that we endorse, and the oyster bed, that the CCA is encouraging through conservation efforts.” — Marty Shubert

Curator’s Recommendation

The most narrative of Shubert’s fish paintings, and the one that creates the strongest emotional response in viewers who have spent time on the water. A statement piece for sport fishing lodges, waterfront homes, and collectors who want something with genuine drama. The horizontal 3:4 format and teal-dominant palette pair well with coastal and nautical interior schemes. When properly framed and lighted, this painting pops, and draws one into examining the detail.

Print Quality

Archival-Quality Canvas. Made in the USA with globally sourced materials.

Every Chesapeake Focus print is produced on archival-grade poly-cotton canvas using UL GREENGUARD GOLD certified inks — water resistant, fade resistant, and anti-yellowing. Each canvas is hand-stretched over kiln-dried stretcher bars that are knot-free and warp-free, then finished with your choice of hardwood floater frame in matte black, white, brown, or natural. Ready to hang right out of the box.

Stretcher bars sourced from FSC-certified, sustainably managed forests — a quiet nod to the landscapes our work celebrates.