We caught up with the brilliant and insightful James Fiorentino a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

James, appreciate you joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I have been very fortunate and blessed to have made a living doing what I love. From a young age, I have had a passion for both sports and art. For as long as I can remember, I loved to draw and would draw everyday. I began to make money on my artwork at the age of 15, with the help of my mom, mostly with my sports paintings. When I first started painting for national projects of athletes it was with a sports marketing company that I would later leave. I created my own company around the age of 17 called Visionary Art Inc. That was a very important step in becoming a successful artist. I think all of it was a learning experience and was done at the right time in my life.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was always into both sports and art ever since I can remember and started taking private art lessons at the age of 8 with many older kids and adults. I use watercolor paint in a way that creates my signature photo realistic images similar to oil paints. The first athlete I had autograph an original watercolor painting of mine was the legendary Joe DiMaggio. Then at age 15 I would have a painting of Reggie Jackson displayed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame becoming the youngest artist to have works displayed there in 1993. The summer of my junior year in high school I painted for Ted Williams and his Museum and created the Twenty Greatest Hitters that Ted chose. Followed up by painting one of the biggest moments in baseball history and becoming Cal Ripken Jr.’s official artist when he broke Lou Gehrigs streak of 2131 consecutive games. All of these projects and more all before I would play baseball in college led me to having my work in many national magazines and papers to television shows.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

One of the most proud achievements for me being a professional artists is being able to inspire other artists either in the field of watercolor or the art of sports. Having clients feel excited about collecting the works is also very rewarding. I have been able to mentor and help many artists along the way and also raise money through my art for many foundations.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to always be the best artist I can be every day and keep getting better at it. I think challenging myself is very important and never being satisfied with the results.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jamesfiorentino.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiorentinojames/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesFiorentinoArt/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-fiorentino-7a932935/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvEFgCfPVVZMftjzuWR7Dog

Image Credits
Original watercolors James Fiorentino