Saddleback / South Beach : LAGUNA BEACH : Artist Makes Mark With Flaming Fish

As a student at Mission Viejo High School, Todd Guevara drew flames on his notebook. He envisioned fire dancing on motorcycle gas tanks, cars, airplanes and more.

Today the 29-year-old Guevara applies his passion for flames to Fiberglas fish, which look like the oceanic version of hot-rod cars. His colorful designs grace everything from marlins to big-mouth bass.

Guevara, a former art dealer in Los Angeles and Orange counties, is expanding his line to include manta rays. He has already honed his craft on lifelike shapes of barracudas, sharks, marlins and sailfish.

“The flames burn as if the fish was flying through the air,” Guevara said. “People say, ‘You should do an octopus,’ but I just don’t see the dynamic.”

Guevara said he was attracted to fish because of their aerodynamics. He said he studied the shapes of fish when skin diving in Mexico and Hawaii. He also made a few visits to Sea World.

His first project--a sailfish--he did for himself. After friends saw it, they wanted something similar, Guevara said.

“I jumped into this and did a few,” he said of his early work. “They got better as time went on.”

And more popular.

Prices for Guevara’s art range from $500 to $4,800.

Much of the work is done in a shop where the foam is first shaped, then coated with Fiberglas before being sanded to a slick finish.

Unlike the real thing, Guevara’s completed projects bear no gaff marks or other imperfections. Surfaces are as glassy as a 1957 Chevy in showroom condition.

Guevara said some people have misinterpreted his interest in flames. He paints water drops on Fiberglas dolphins.

“I’m not into real fire,” Guevara said. “I’m just into the art of fire.”--JEFF BEAN