STUART — Scuba diver and marine life artist Kim Rody is as handy with her paintbrush as with her pole spear.

Her catch of fresh seafood, she muses, has a reservation on her canvas and then on her supper table.

"First I paint 'em, and then I eat 'em," Rody says with a hearty laugh.

In actuality, this 46-year-old former divemaster and avid fisherwoman shoots her tropical fish, sea turtles and lobster with a digital camera while snorkeling and diving off the coasts of Florida, the Bahamas and Mexico.

Their images, from black marlin and Jewfish to barracuda, are immortalized in vibrant acrylic paints for sale in shops, restaurants and galleries in Martin and Palm Beach counties, as well as the Florida Keys and the Bahamas.

The Web site of this self-described "fishartista" is a cyber fishbowl of greeting and note cards, limited-edition autographed prints and giant canvases with larger-than-life sea creatures.

"I like to supersize them," she says. "I don't know why. I guess it's to accentuate their personalities, colors, textures and details."

Her largest canvas, at 97-by-47 inches, is home to a colossal sailfish. Blue stripe grunts, which are mere inches in the real world, look like a school of steroid junkies. Trumpet fish are the size of trumpets. Even sea turtles are super-duper 7-footers.

Rody's fish art illustrates her own giant leap as an award-winning artist on the Treasure Coast since her move to Stuart in 2002.

This year, she won first place at the Historical Society of Martin County's first juried art show at the Elliott Museum. Her work was chosen for The Arts Council's 14th annual Court House Cultural Center Juried Exhibition. She's a featured artist in Tri-County TEC's 2005 Art for Living Calendar.

In 2004, Rody was the envy of the art community. Her sailfish was the winning entry for ArtFest's official logo and was splashed on the popular Stuart festival's posters, hats, cups and T-shirts.

"I am just so tickled that I can make a living like this," she says. "I get to create and color all day. This makes me feel like a million bucks."

Her profession as an artist is a mere 8 years old. Born in Hialeah and raised in Miami Shores, she considered an art major in college but chose business instead and dabbled with her palette.

In 1983, she graduated from Texas A&M University with a masters in business administration. For 15 years, she owned a State Farm Insurance agency in Dallas, where she hawked policies in high heels and fancy suits at a frenetic and lucrative pace.

Though her earnings were soaring, Rody's personal fulfillment was falling flat.

"I always thought that, when I was 80, I would be living in a bungalow on the beach, gardening, painting and swimming in the ocean," she says. "And then I wondered, why not do that now?"

In her late 30s, Rody took the plunge to pursue her passion to paint. For three years, she honed her talent in art classes. Landscapes and still life always had been a struggle. When she painted her first fish, a fire goby, with ease, she was hooked.

"In 1997, I sold my first painting for $300," Rody says. "It was an oscar fish. I couldn't believe it."

With her knowledge in marketing strategies and business experience, Rody promoted herself at cafes, coffeehouses and shops in Dallas. She sold art on their walls and hosted art exhibitions.

Her big break came from the Abaco Art Festival and Treasure Cay Art Show in the Bahamas, where exposure landed a strong market with natives, tourists and wealthy private collectors.

Supplying demand in Marsh Harbor, the Abacos and Hope Town also has tested her creativity at logistics.

"I would drive my Explorer from Dallas to Fort Lauderdale filled with paintings and fly to the Bahamas," she says. "Once there, I would rent a boat or take the ferry to islands to make a delivery."

During one of her cross-country commutes, Rody decided to leave landlocked Texas and return to her native Florida. Three years ago, she looked around Stuart and dropped anchor.

Soon her commutes to the Caribbean will be even easier. This week, Rody is learning to pilot a boat at the Chapman School of Seamanship in Stuart. She plans to buy a 40-foot twin-engine trawler to double as a floating art studio in the Bahamas and for making island-hopping deliveries.

Locally, Rody's artwork can be seen at Zafka Gallery in Jensen Beach and in Stuart's Earth Tones in Harmony With Nature and Alizarin Crimson Studio and Wet Paint Gallery. Twice a year, she has art shows at her home.

The New England Fish Market and Restaurant in Jensen Beach commissioned Rody to paint a Happy Birthday card with a festive lobster in a pot to reel customers in for celebrations.

Through her artwork, she also contributes to charities such as the Treasure Coast Wildlife Center and Helping People Succeed, formerly known as Tri-County TEC, which serves families, children and the disabled.

For a year, she volunteered as diver for the Florida Oceanographic Society for fish counts and coral reef cleanups.

From her home studio, Rody mentors high school and college students in an internship program that she initiated and funds. Students gain hands-on experience and exposure to a working artist.

Meanwhile, this summer is reserved for fish art to prepare for another season of shows and customers. Rody prefers to paint in the dark in bold and brilliant colors. When a tropical fish or Bahamian landscape is finished, there's no celebration or a toast of champagne.

"As soon as I'm done, I get it out to the store and let it swim on its own."

For information, visit Rody's Web site: www.fishartista.com.