We caught up with the brilliant and insightful John Fitzsimmons a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
John, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
a very long story.
I started drawing, inventing and building when I was a kid. My maternal grandfather was a machinist/engineer and would always ask me, “what are you building?”. My paternal grandfather was a power plant operator on the river and was in the Navy during WWII as an engine room CPO on a fleet tanker and had been torpedoed 3 times, 2 duds and one that flew over the tanker’s midship! My Father was a Merchant Marine officer, officer and businessman. After art school my day jobs were always in manufacturing, including inventing. I have about 28 patents. So I was always a “maker” and never wanted to make or do anything the “usual way”. [it took me 50 years to unplug things before I took them apart].
So I always had a creative career but really only wanted to be a painter. When I turned 50 I realized that it was now or never and started giving it some priority.
John, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am a painter and printmaker. I use the figure as raw material and paint “figuratively” but do not consider myself a “realist or realist”, which probably would surprise most people. As in some abstract work, I am seeking the “non-verbal narrative”.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
personal exploration and community with other creatives
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
not seeing or living through others, especially via popular media which panders to dumbness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.johnfitzsimmonsart.com
- Instagram: johnfitzsimmons99
- Facebook: John Fitzsimmons
- Twitter: johnfit38233327
- Youtube: John Fitzsimmons
Image Credits
My head shot is by Mark Safran