sign in sign up
<<
Home , Ted Williams, Yogi Berra

the all-state standout. But as with all pro- Berra Museum and Learning Center (New by Nick D’Arienzo spective major leaguers, nothing is ever Jersey), just to name a few. His artwork guaranteed. has been featured in numerous national When you get your first good look at the publications and published as cover art sports paintings of James Fiorentino in Fiorentino’s professional art career start- for official commemorative programs for person, you’re pretty likely to gasp at ed innocently enough. Quite simply, he the 1995 Hall of Fame Induction their artistry - the attention to detail on would paint portraits in the hopes of Ceremonies, Day in 1997 his brush the athletes’ faces, the gentle creases of getting some of his favorite athletes to at , 1996 Red Cross Cal- fabric in their jerseys, the inherent sense sign them. “My passion was sports, my endar, and the 1995 and 2001-2003 of motion within. passion was art - and I was able to com- covers of the Museum and bine that,” he told metroBASEBALL. “Just Hitters Hall of Fame Induction program. A recent exhibition at the terrific Bergino being a collector, I would think, it’d be Fiorentino was also the official artist for Baseball Clubhouse - a perfect fit, to say great to get so and so’s signature - but Cal Ripken Jr’s 2131 Consecutive Game with celebrity the least - afforded metroBASEBALL just not on a ball, not on a photo, I’ll do a Streak and 2632 Ending of the Streak for such an opportunity, with a refreshing- painting! And DiMaggio - I shot high for which he created limited edition litho- ly humble Fiorentino on hand to show- my first one - DiMaggio was the first guy graphs. case the very best of the golden era of I made a painting for. He wanted to give baseball, those unforgettable me money for it, and I remember think- collectors will no doubt the art of james fiorentino days of Koufax, Mantle, Ruth, Mays, and ing, ‘Wow, I could really make money do- recall the series of ten baseball cards more. ing this.’” Fiorentino created for Gallery Heritage in 1999. Two years later, Upper Like many artists, Fiorentino enjoyed Although Fiorentino’s dreams of base- Deck followed suit with “The Fiorentino painting at an early age. But his talents ball stardom never materialized, his Collection,” over 70 paintings, of base- displayed a unique maturity for someone artistic career would soon take off like ball, basketball, hockey, and football so young. While others his age were col- gangbusters. legends for the 2001 sports season. And oring rough images, his mother Jackie two years later, Upper Deck commis- noticed that he could draw fully devel- At the age of fifteen, he was the young- sioned Fiorentino once again to create oped anatomy at the age of three. A child est artist to be featured in the National more cards for their 2003 Upper Deck prodigy, to say the least. Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for Playball Series. Modeled after the 1941 his likeness of Reggie Jack- Playball series, Fiorentino created over son, which hung beside forty paintings depicting current stars, the paintings of Norman legends of that 1941 year, and a special Rockwell and Andy War- tribute to Ted Williams. hol. In 1994, he became the youngest artist to win A short list of painters that Fiorentino Beckett Magazine’s annu- himself admires is as varied as the work al sports art competition the ambitious and prolific artist is capable for the likeness of Hall Of of producing. For example, there’s the Fame . late Andrew Jurinko, himself a renowned When Beckett opened up painter of all things baseball, and Ameri- the competition worldwide can masters like Norman Rockwell and the following year, Fioren- Andrew Wyeth. tino triumphed again with a stunning collage of Mu- Fiorentino’s medium of choice tends to hammad Ali. When Ali saw be water-colors, with everything first Fiorentino’s portrait of him, sketched on pencil, using photographs The Greatest said, “James, for reference. “I started taking lessons you are the greatest.” when I was about eight years old - ex- perimenting with pastels, oils, acrylics These days Fiorentino’s - but ultimately I settled on water color. lithographs are part of the The way I paint tends to be very photo-re- permanent collection in the alistic, and I just think there’s something It should be pointed out that as he grew, Sports Academy Museum about water colors that really makes the and as his artistry developed, Fiorentino (Daphne, Alabama). James also has his paints come alive. Just something special also harbored an equally lofty dream, that work displayed at the National Basket- about water colors, I feel.” of becoming a major league ballplayer ball Hall of Fame, The National Museum one day. Four years at Drew University, of Art & Sport (NAMOS) (Indiana), Cycling Although he’s still only 34 now, Fioren- and a star-turn as the school’s , Hall of Fame (New Jersey), Roberto Clem- tino has turned his childhood hobby into certainly seemed promising enough for ente Museum (Puerto Rico), and The Yogi a thriving business. Prestigious compa-

14 metroBASEBALL - Winter 2011 nies, galleries, museums, politicians, athletes, and entertainment personali- ties have commissioned him. He’s had the opportunity to work with , Cal Ripken Jr., , Ted Wil- liams, and a great many contemporary athletes.

Fiorentino’s success as a businessman probably has a lot to do with his own ap- metro preciation for the market. “I think myself being a person who collects, who under- stands the game and a little about the history of the game, I can usually figure out what’s going to look kind of cool.” season 2 MAGAZINE issue 3 His experiences as a ballplayer have a great deal to do with that, as well. Fioren- tino’s own diamond experience is clearly what informs the insider’s point-of-view Baseball that is the hallmark of his work, the in- timacy and that feels-like-we’re-right-on- the-field quality that makes each paint- ing so special. HOMETOWN HERO And that’s really been the best part of the journey for Fiorentino - the opportu- nity to stay connected in a major way to the game he loves so much. “Definitely MIKE BAXTER being on the field with the players, in the dugout, those kinds of experiences have been the best part of it.”

Not to mention, of course, the opportu- nity to meet and get to know some of the all-time legends of the game. Some of Fiorentino’s favorites? “I’ll always go back to doing the work with Ted Wil- liams, meeting Mantle. You’re 17 years old, you’re meeting all these guys, the greatest hitters! I was only 17 years old, and I’m meeting all these guys: DiMag- gio, , .”

It goes without saying that for James Fiorentino, the passions and dreams of plus an aspiring ballplayer have already taken him to a place far greater than he ever ; MANHATTAN could have imagined. “I wanted to be a player. Couldn’t make it, so I made it though my artwork COLLEGE’s Jim Duffy; CHSAA; - I made it to the Hall of Fame with my paintings!” BAYSIDE LITTLE LEAGUE; GNYSAA To learn more about the sports art of and James Fiorentino, as well as photo gal- leries representative of his extensive portfolio, please visit www.James- Our 9/11 Baseball Heroes Fiorentino.com.

metroBASEBALL - Winter 2011 15