May 8, 2026

Artist James Fiorentino "The Sport of Painting" E387

Artist James Fiorentino "The Sport of Painting" E387
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Acclaimed Artist James Fiorentino is our guest this week.


Talking points on this episode potentially include:


*What came first painting or collecting cards.


*When did you know you were a good artist?


*Working with Card companies.

*Does being a good athlete helped you paint them?


*Working with athletes and celebrities.

*Art history and the hobby.

*Why watercolors and favorite athletes to paint.


*Seeing your work in the Hall of Fame.

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WEBVTT

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Sports Guardinations hobby is the people Wheely News and Interviews.

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It's your number one soul. Sports Guardations hobby is the people.

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Sports Guardation. What is up? Everybody? Welcome the episode three

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eighty seven of Sportscardination Podcast. Want to thank our great sponsors,

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Iron Sports Cards, Sports Collectors, Digest, Hobby, Hotline, Upper Deck

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and a new sponsor coming soon. I can't reveal just yet,

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but happy to have them aboard. And we'll be breaking

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that news shortly. But let's talk about today's guest. He

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claimed artists. He can do really anything, wildlife, nature, cacter people,

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but he's famous for due mean athletes and sports are

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and his work has been used by Tops and Upper Deck.

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And we've had artists on before. Uh and I've always said, right,

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the cards are all works of art in their own right,

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and uh, this gentleman epitomize it. And I'm talking to

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none other than acclaimed artist James Fiorentino. And first time

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he's been on the show, and glad to have him.

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And uh, you know, we we learned some stuff, or

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I learned some stuff. And you know, he is active

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and he's a former great athlete in his own right.

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And we'll learn more about that as well. So with

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that being said, let's get the show started. Happy to

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have my next guest on the Sports Cardination guest line.

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He is an acclaimed amazing artist. He can pretty much

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paint anything, wildlife, you name it, but more known for

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his work in the sports art field, and happy to

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have him on. I've seen his work for for many moons,

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but finally happy to have him here on the podcast today.

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James Fiorantino, Welcome.

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Thanks for having me on. And I have to first

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say that maybe the coolest intro I've ever seen.

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And then it's out downhill after that game. I appreciate

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you that and like I said, uh, your acclaimed artist.

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Your work is speaks for itself. It's amazing. You know.

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It's funny I've said this when I've had other artist

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on the podcast. My dad is a great artist. He

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does a lot of Disney stuff. My son is incredible freehand.

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Like you can draw and paint the Beatles. It skipped me.

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I could barely draw a stick figure to save my life,

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even struggling like when we played Hangman as a kid.

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But I always have an affection for people who are talented,

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especially in the art field, knowing how bad I'm at

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it and how difficult it is to do. I know,

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you collect cards and stuff. You know, you grew up

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in New Jersey. I have to I'll start off with

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this question. You know what came first for you, cards

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or painting as a young kid growing up in Jersey.

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Yeah, definitely painting. I mean that was something you know,

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I was doing at a really young age. I mean

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like three, four or five years old, So I was

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just drawing and coloring anything I could see and get

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my hands on. I think my first experience probably with

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cards was you know, so probably in that eight year

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old range. I think by the time eight nine years old,

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I was starting to get excited by it. I remember,

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which is kind of ironic, where my father had a

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set for me they had bought years, you know, some

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years before I was born. It was the eighty two

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top set, and that had been sitting in the house,

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you know, prior to me collecting, which ironically had you know,

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Ripkins Rookie in it, who I would eventually paint his

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twenty one thirty one game and all that stuff. So

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always kind of funny how it ties into things like that.

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But I think by the time eighty five eighty forty

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five started to roll around, I was starting to get

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into cards and the Yankees, and maddingly, my mother's cousin

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owned a baseball card shop in New Jersey, so there

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were some you know, family roots there with with I mean,

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that's like early card stuff really, But yeah, I've been

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I've been collecting and of love cards since I was

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a young kid.

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I always ask artistists right when we're kids, myself included,

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like I said, I can't I can't draw myself, you know,

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to save my life, save my life. But when you're young, right,

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you're in kindergarten, and you know you're drawing a picture,

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probably with crayons, and to you right, it's a masterpiece, right,

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even though to probably an older person just looks like

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a bunch of different crayon colors on a page. When

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did you know, like, even as a young kid, like hey,

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like this is good, Like I got something here, I've

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got a scuse.

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Yeah, well, I think you know, I knew I was

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better than you know, most kids around, even at a young age.

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When I you know, I tell people kindergarten teachers, first grade,

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second grade teachers were keeping my artwork from class, so

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I was they were obviously noticing, oh, you know, this

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kid's doing something I really haven't seen much before. And so,

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you know, was a god given talent that I just

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loved to do and enjoyed and and you know, was

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wanting to do it every day and learn as much

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as I could and still do today. So I think,

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you know, you you start to see like, wow, holy cow,

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this is like better than some adult straw, you know,

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when you're in third, fourth grade, fifth grade. You know,

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then obviously eventually I was you know, working on things

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that again I loved, which could have been comics, cartoons,

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you know, toys back then. Obviously, then it got into

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sports in baseball. So at that young age, I was

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starting to you know, do a lot of you know,

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as detailed as I could. I think the big turn

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for me, which I've talked about a lot, is you know,

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I was lucky enough to have my mom take me

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to art lessons when I was eight, and you know,

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I started learning with adults and learning how to paint,

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and you know that really helped, and you know, go

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into art shows when I was younger, and even baseball

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card shows. I mean I used to go to a

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lot of baseball card shows when I was younger, when

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shows were first really starting to take off. And even

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then there weren't a lot of artists there. And I'm

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talking when I was young, so I could have been

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like fourteen thirteen, fourteen, fifteen years old. So yeah, it

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was definitely an early thing that was recognized at a

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young age by a lot of people.

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Did you know that even though obviously you knew you

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had the talent, Like you said, you were sort of

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years ahead of your time and you could tell like, hey,

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I have something here. Did you know then, like hey

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I want this is what I wanted to do as

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a career or was it? Was it too young to

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really think that far ahead?

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Definitely not as a career. I still can't believe it

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today that I paint for a living. I think it's

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a very difficult thing. It's you know, being a professional

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artist is the same as being a professional musician or

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actor or anything. You know. I just did things and

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painted sports too, because I loved it. I certainly didn't

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do it thinking I was going to make money in it.

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And of course, like for me, it's it's like you

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mentioned earlier, I paint you know, you know, family portraits

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to landscapes to wildlife for major organizations and galleries and

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obviously the sports. But no, I wasn't really thinking that.

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I you know, started to realize though, by the time

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I was fourteen fifteen, that I can make money with it,

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which was pretty crazy. You know, when I met Damaggia

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at fourteen and had him sign a painting at a

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card show, and you know, being involved with the National

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Baseball Hall of Fame at fifteen years old, and you know,

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being in the New Jersey area where a lot of

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people collected and enjoyed sports and sort of got it.

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You know, it was it was even at those ages,

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I was like, wow, okay, like this is actually really great.

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Still not even thinking i'd you know, make a living

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at it. Late in high school, was starting to do

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very well, was able to pay my way through college

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because of it. So there was a sense of, oh,

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this is possible. But you know, again, I just did

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it for the love of it.

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Yeah, and again I've seen a lot of what you've done.

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Just I can't say it enough. Just kudos to you

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on accredible work. And you know, typically like how long,

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you know, I always asked this of an artist, like

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every piece is different, so maybe are more intricate than others.

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I mean, they're all intricate in the in their own right,

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but maybe one might be a little more detailed. And

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I know it's probably a hard question to answer, like

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how how many when we see the finished product right

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and it's beautiful, and then I think, sometimes you know,

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we love it, but we don't realize how much. I'll say,

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like the blood, sweat and tears and time goes into

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a piece on the average, you know, what does how

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much time does it take to finish an incredible piece?

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Yeah, I mean it's complicating the sense of like it's first,

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it's watercolor, which is my medium, which is a very

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fast medium but also probably the most challenging medium to

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anyone who doesn't know. You know, you really can't make

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many mistakes. You can't go over it like a crilic

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or oils a medium I fell in love with. I

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painted almost like a critic or oils very photo photorealistic.

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It depends, like there are paintings that could take me

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three four days. There are paintings that could take me

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two weeks. It depends on how large they are, If

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it's a twenty two by a thirty or thirty by

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forty versus a small painting versus painting on it like

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a card size versus you know, several paint people in

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the painting, so it varies. I mean, I try to

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make it like a nine to five job, you know,

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with the mix of talking to people as well to

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day and then painting almost every day of the week,

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so it's you know, it takes time. There are paintings.

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You can finish one a week, you can finish two

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in a month, you can finish six in a month,

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again depending on the size. But it probably is a

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lot more than I think sometimes. And you know, I'm

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lucky to have kind of mastered it in the sense

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of I've been painting water color for over thirty years now.

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So you mentioned water color, and it's sort of the

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higher degree of difficulty, right, Like, you don't you don't

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get any Mulligan's or due over, So you've got to

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be precise, you got to have a steady hand. What

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was it about water colors that drew you to that

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rather than another meeting?

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Yeah, I mean there's something I loved about it when

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I was young. I joke around saying maybe it wasn't

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messy or smell bad like oils when you're when you're

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mixing paints and stuff. And I had painted in every

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medium growing up and even in college. Just the way

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it flows, the way I controlled it. I think for

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what I love the paint, which is a lot of detail.

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It allowed a lot of you know, detail and grit,

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and it just had a different feel to it. I

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think that's why I always, you know, I keep painting

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it because I feel like, you know, it separates me

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from a lot of artists, you know, in how I

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paint it, so just something there, and it also lends

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itself really beautifully. I think to sports, you know, especially baseball,

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especially actually painting vintage cards and things like that, because

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it's just that watercolor has that old school feel to it.

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So it's worked out really well that way.

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Now I have a feeling I sort of know the answer,

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but it may not be a simp. I think use

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a technique called a dry brush technique. Is it as

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simple as it sounds, where you're just not using where

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you you know, when you're painting, you know, the average

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person they're dipping their their paint rush into a cup

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of water and then into the paint where it's it's

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not as wet. Is it as simple as that? Or

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am I simplifying it too much?

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I think it's I think it's like anything else, the

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more you experience something, the more you do it, you

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you figure it out. However, there's always everybody has a

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different way of doing things. And it's funny because I'd say,

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maybe a month ago, I did a watercolor demo for

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a local water color society, and I don't do them often,

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just based on time and and everything. But I was like, yeah,

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I'll be happy to do it. And you know, even

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the people in the room were laughing because I do

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stuck very differently, and they were it was unique and

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they can't figure out how I'm doing it. And sometimes

229
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I say, I don't even know how I'm doing it.

230
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It just kind of comes out and you figure it

231
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out along the way, and that's the beauty of anybody

232
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creating any kind of art. So I do think there

233
00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:05.480
are techniques that I do that a lot of people

234
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wouldn't be able to do, or they quit while doing

235
00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:09.679
it they think they're making a mistake. You know, to

236
00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:12.240
get very technical with it, it's you know, I use

237
00:13:12.279 --> 00:13:15.320
a very heavy paper, you're scraping away paper, you're doing

238
00:13:15.320 --> 00:13:17.240
this and that, and again that's trial and eron figuring

239
00:13:17.240 --> 00:13:19.960
it out over many, many years. What brushes, what pain

240
00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:25.720
what paper and so anyway, Yeah, I think that if

241
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a teacher is teaching you, certainly you can kind of

242
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figure that stuff on your own. But it takes a

243
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lot of time and effort, you know, to be able

244
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to learn it.

245
00:13:33.559 --> 00:13:35.879
Yeah, no doubt. Like I said, you're talking to someone

246
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who could barely figure.

247
00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:41.279
It's time for a quick break, but will be right back.

248
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For nearly fifty years, Sports Collectors Digest has been the

249
00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:51.879
voice of the hobby, bringing you comprehensive coverage of the

250
00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:56.960
sports collectible industry from industry news, aucy results, market analysis,

251
00:13:57.000 --> 00:14:00.759
and in depth stories about collectors and their collection. Sports

252
00:14:00.799 --> 00:14:04.720
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253
00:14:05.159 --> 00:14:08.799
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254
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255
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256
00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:19.960
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257
00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:25.000
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258
00:14:25.080 --> 00:14:34.000
nine fifty five sixty one.

259
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Sports combination has reasons.

260
00:14:38.919 --> 00:14:42.879
You're an accomplished athlete as well. You've played baseball, including

261
00:14:42.919 --> 00:14:47.120
it in college. Do you think being a baseball player

262
00:14:47.159 --> 00:14:50.879
and athlete does that help you as an artist when

263
00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:55.279
painting athletes or is they really? Are they mutually exclusive?

264
00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:58.159
It's a good question. I do think it helps. I

265
00:14:58.279 --> 00:15:01.080
think that in anything, there's a t rudeness and honesty

266
00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:03.320
to the way you paint what you love and a passion.

267
00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:07.039
I think maybe certainly I know what may look right

268
00:15:07.240 --> 00:15:11.960
or really cool to someone size wise, cropping wise, certain

269
00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:16.240
ways people throw something swing. So I do think because

270
00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:19.039
I have a passion and I really appreciated, you know,

271
00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:21.279
I appreciate how these what these guys are doing today

272
00:15:22.440 --> 00:15:24.240
and and have a love for it, and you know,

273
00:15:24.279 --> 00:15:26.799
playing it on a very low level in college. But still,

274
00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:28.879
you know, I do think that that adds to it.

275
00:15:28.919 --> 00:15:31.840
I think that, you know, if I went painted something

276
00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:34.120
I don't know much about, could I do a good job, Sure,

277
00:15:34.200 --> 00:15:36.320
but it may not be the passion that maybe somebody

278
00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:40.759
specializes in that would have. I certainly feel like you

279
00:15:40.840 --> 00:15:42.960
see that same thing in my work and my landscapes

280
00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:45.399
or portraits of people in wildlife, which I love. So

281
00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:49.919
I think it's you know, it certainly helps, especially for

282
00:15:50.360 --> 00:15:52.759
you know, growing up playing basketball, baseball and football and

283
00:15:52.759 --> 00:15:57.519
being fan of it, and especially in baseball. I'm still

284
00:15:57.519 --> 00:16:00.559
as excited today to paint those things and learning even

285
00:16:00.600 --> 00:16:03.320
more now about about sports and different things for my kids.

286
00:16:04.840 --> 00:16:06.759
It's still exciting and helps. I think I.

287
00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:11.039
Would think you're uber talented. I'm sure you know nothing

288
00:16:11.080 --> 00:16:14.240
gives you too much grief. But is there a sport

289
00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:17.840
or a niche of painting that maybe gets you a

290
00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:21.360
little more white knuckle over another word like football to

291
00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:25.639
to baseball or wildlife to sports or is it not?

292
00:16:25.639 --> 00:16:28.360
Not really it's all Is it all the same, It's

293
00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:30.720
just the subject is different.

294
00:16:31.039 --> 00:16:34.440
Uh Yeah, not really. I think I always say, like, obviously,

295
00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:36.960
when you're doing a painting of a player, someone famous

296
00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:39.159
that you're presenting to, even if they're not famous, even

297
00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:43.279
if it's just you know, regular people, anytime you're painting them,

298
00:16:43.399 --> 00:16:47.279
you know, it's it's the hardest because again I say,

299
00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:49.399
no one knows what the tree looks like or an

300
00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:53.080
animal's face looks like. Trying to paint realistic or paint

301
00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:57.360
someone accurately is always the hardest. So that's still a

302
00:16:57.440 --> 00:16:59.799
challenge I think for me today at times. But I

303
00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:02.879
you know, I enjoy again painting everything. If I had

304
00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:05.640
my choice, I probably do a lot more landscapes, which

305
00:17:05.640 --> 00:17:08.680
are a lot of fun for me, but not really

306
00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:11.759
I think maybe from a sports standpoint. I've painted a

307
00:17:11.799 --> 00:17:14.599
lot of vintage cards, which I love doing, which is

308
00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:17.000
part of there's only one collection. So like when I'm

309
00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:21.799
painting old Ruths and Joe Jackson's and Wagoners, and you know,

310
00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:23.880
painting some of those cards, cards that are like a

311
00:17:23.960 --> 00:17:26.559
larger size like the roof behind me, you know, they're

312
00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:30.119
very challenging, I think, very different way of kind of

313
00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:32.720
attacking the artwork and painting it like the card looks like.

314
00:17:32.759 --> 00:17:34.599
So that's a little bit different fun for me. So

315
00:17:35.160 --> 00:17:38.440
you're always learning something new and trying to do something different.

316
00:17:38.519 --> 00:17:41.440
Are you, Like, is there a little extra pressure when

317
00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:45.440
maybe you're commissioned by an athlete to do a piece

318
00:17:45.480 --> 00:17:48.920
for them, because obviously you take pride in what you do,

319
00:17:49.039 --> 00:17:52.440
whether it's something you're doing on your own or your commission.

320
00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:55.440
I'm sure that would out even hearing you answer to that,

321
00:17:55.519 --> 00:17:57.839
But is there a little is they had to get

322
00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:01.200
up a little bit when you know, like for sure

323
00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:05.599
that this athlete is actually or a family is going

324
00:18:05.640 --> 00:18:08.400
to see the piece, and you want it to be

325
00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:10.960
you know in your mind like perfect.

326
00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:14.119
Yeah, definitely, I mean, you know, especially if it's a

327
00:18:14.119 --> 00:18:17.160
bigger project. I mean, for example, I just finished painting

328
00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:19.839
the National Baseball Hall of Fame's year book cover. Again.

329
00:18:20.279 --> 00:18:22.519
I was honored to be able to do it last year,

330
00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:25.119
which was amazing. And you know, not only you're painting

331
00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:28.440
the cover that thousands of people get and see, but

332
00:18:28.519 --> 00:18:30.799
the players and the players family and then the original

333
00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:32.680
was hanging in the Hall of Fame, so you got

334
00:18:32.680 --> 00:18:34.119
a lot of people coming in to see it. So

335
00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:37.400
I think the painting, for example, I just did we

336
00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:40.480
maybe a few weeks ago, you almost lock in a

337
00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:43.079
little more. I think it's like anything else, you're concentrating

338
00:18:43.079 --> 00:18:45.720
a little more, you're working it on, you know, working

339
00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:48.680
on it a little more, and because you're trying to

340
00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:50.559
obviously put out the best work you can. So and

341
00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:53.960
that's still exciting for me. So again, thirty years later,

342
00:18:54.519 --> 00:18:58.480
you know, even still working in this subject matter is exciting.

343
00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:00.079
When I get to do something, I feel like I'm

344
00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:01.319
that level for a lot of people to.

345
00:19:01.279 --> 00:19:05.119
Say, Yeah, definitely, I get that. Do you ever get

346
00:19:05.240 --> 00:19:07.640
you know, like again, I'm not trying to compare my

347
00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:10.480
dad to to what you do. But even as a kid,

348
00:19:10.519 --> 00:19:13.599
see my dad at his easy little painting, Like I said,

349
00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:15.960
you know, I talked to you before we start, does

350
00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:18.839
a lot of Disney work. He's still he's eighty eight,

351
00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:22.960
still still painting. But I remember even as a kid,

352
00:19:23.279 --> 00:19:25.359
he'd walk away like he'd walk away. I could tell

353
00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:29.279
he was like a little flustered, frustrated, like I gotta

354
00:19:29.319 --> 00:19:33.440
take a break. Obviously, again I'm not comparing skill levels

355
00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:36.519
to you to him, And you ever get moments like that,

356
00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:39.920
like hey, I've painted enough today. I gotta, I gotta,

357
00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:43.279
you know, get up and take a break. You hit

358
00:19:43.319 --> 00:19:44.400
that sort of wall.

359
00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:48.880
Yeah, definitely. I mean, especially when you're painting detail. I paint,

360
00:19:49.240 --> 00:19:50.960
you know, on a desk that's got a little angle

361
00:19:51.039 --> 00:19:52.799
to it, and you're kind of hunched over, so you

362
00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:55.200
gotta walk around, stretch, come back to it. The more

363
00:19:55.240 --> 00:19:57.680
you come back to look at things is really good. Sometimes,

364
00:19:57.880 --> 00:19:59.640
you know, sharing it with my family to take a

365
00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:02.680
look at it is, But yeah, it's it's it's again

366
00:20:02.759 --> 00:20:05.519
an artist, it's a It's a real blessing and a

367
00:20:05.519 --> 00:20:07.119
beautiful thing to be able to do for a living

368
00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:09.119
and do it every day. But just like anything else

369
00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:11.039
or any kind of work, you gotta step away, come back,

370
00:20:11.079 --> 00:20:14.839
step away. Sometimes you make mistakes, you fix them, and

371
00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:17.160
you try to pick things that are challenging but also

372
00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:18.599
that you know you could do a good job on.

373
00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:19.920
But yeah, definitely.

374
00:20:20.359 --> 00:20:23.920
Yeah, you've already mentioned most no that know your work,

375
00:20:24.039 --> 00:20:28.279
like your stuff is in in Cooperstown. I mean that

376
00:20:28.279 --> 00:20:31.480
that in itself is just incredible. You know, you can tell, Hey,

377
00:20:31.480 --> 00:20:33.960
I'm in the Hall of Fame too. Maybe I didn't

378
00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:37.319
hit eight, you know, seven hundred something home runs, but

379
00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:41.759
I'm there in the artists terms. You're you're you're worthy.

380
00:20:42.200 --> 00:20:45.359
Do you remember like the first time that happened in

381
00:20:45.440 --> 00:20:48.359
that feeling? Can you go like just kind of recn't

382
00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:52.000
can't the first time?

383
00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:52.720
You know?

384
00:20:52.839 --> 00:20:56.759
And is it comparable to almost being inducted? Like hey my,

385
00:20:57.240 --> 00:20:58.720
you know, people are going to go through the hall

386
00:20:58.799 --> 00:21:01.680
and it's like you said the other meg, like lots

387
00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:05.240
of people are going to you know, thousands of hundreds

388
00:21:05.240 --> 00:21:07.720
of thousands are going to see my work on a

389
00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:11.680
daily basis, like just that feeling the first time. It's

390
00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:16.200
probably old hat now, but you know when it first happened.

391
00:21:15.880 --> 00:21:19.799
Well, it's almost like a way that they're inducting you.

392
00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:21.839
You know, as an artist. There's writers that go in,

393
00:21:22.119 --> 00:21:27.519
you know, sports commentators and journalists, so you know, we

394
00:21:27.640 --> 00:21:29.799
you know, as an artist, there's a lot of tremendous

395
00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:32.279
baseball artists out there who are doing such great things

396
00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:34.680
for the game and in the past. So it's another

397
00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:36.920
way of promoting it and the passion for people and

398
00:21:36.960 --> 00:21:40.799
collectors and the love of the game. I remember, you know,

399
00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:44.759
getting a phone call. I think I was about fourteen

400
00:21:44.839 --> 00:21:46.519
fifteen because it was in when I was fifteen, but

401
00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:49.200
you know, to have my Reggie Jackson painting hang, it

402
00:21:49.279 --> 00:21:51.920
was surreal. It was surreal to be there because it

403
00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:55.839
was in the induction case and you know, just hundreds

404
00:21:55.880 --> 00:21:57.319
of people coming in front of me in the time

405
00:21:57.359 --> 00:21:59.279
I was there taking pictures of it. And so that

406
00:21:59.359 --> 00:22:01.160
was the first time I couldn't believe that that many

407
00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:04.000
people would, you know, have my painting in their house

408
00:22:04.119 --> 00:22:08.359
like in their photos. And you know, in all honesty,

409
00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:10.720
even last year doing the yearbook cover for the first time,

410
00:22:10.759 --> 00:22:13.200
I had done like an induction program once, but doing

411
00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:17.160
the yearbook cover was such an extreme honor and I

412
00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:19.680
think the biggest thing for me now it was a

413
00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:21.680
couple of things. I think a lot of people. There's

414
00:22:21.720 --> 00:22:23.240
a lot of people that known my work for the

415
00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:25.680
last thirty years and have known the trading cards I've

416
00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:27.319
done and all things I've done, and there's people meeting

417
00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:29.559
me for the first time seeing it. I think the

418
00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:33.119
coolest thing last year, and what happened this year is that,

419
00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:38.079
you know, my son who's sixteen, came with me, you know,

420
00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:40.640
for the induction and the night before and we got

421
00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:42.599
time to spend. We had some time to spend in

422
00:22:42.599 --> 00:22:44.160
the Hall of Fame at night on Saturday night with

423
00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:48.559
the players and to have that with my son, and

424
00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:51.079
to see the original hanging in the induction room last

425
00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:53.799
year and players are in there. That is the most

426
00:22:53.880 --> 00:22:56.720
amazing thing. It doesn't get any better than that. And

427
00:22:56.759 --> 00:22:59.960
this year, which I'm very excited about, is my twelve

428
00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:04.160
year old will play baseball there in Cooperstown for the

429
00:23:04.200 --> 00:23:07.240
week for with his team. And so for him to

430
00:23:07.240 --> 00:23:10.200
be there with his team, to have his dad's painting

431
00:23:10.279 --> 00:23:15.279
being there, and you know, that's the big thrill for

432
00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:18.359
me now in all honesty and uh, like I said,

433
00:23:18.359 --> 00:23:20.799
that's a different feeling, but just as amazing as it

434
00:23:20.920 --> 00:23:21.960
was when I was a kid at.

435
00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:25.279
Fifty Yeah, to share that with your your kids and

436
00:23:25.279 --> 00:23:28.720
and here you are at fifteen, your work is there.

437
00:23:28.799 --> 00:23:32.359
I mean, just that's got to be incredible to think

438
00:23:32.440 --> 00:23:34.759
and here we and it's you know what I mean,

439
00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:37.400
that's that can't it can't change that, Like it's like

440
00:23:37.480 --> 00:23:40.440
being inducted. They can't take they can't really take you out.

441
00:23:40.599 --> 00:23:44.839
And you know you mentioned your kids did for me.

442
00:23:45.319 --> 00:23:48.960
I didn't get my dad's art issue did How about

443
00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:50.480
your kids from you?

444
00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:54.519
They didn't. I mean they're pretty good artists and that

445
00:23:54.759 --> 00:23:57.400
I always say that they're I think they're better than average,

446
00:23:57.400 --> 00:23:59.039
and actually, if they wanted to do more of it,

447
00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:01.920
they'd be pretty good. But they don't have the passion

448
00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:05.119
like I do and did when I was young. But

449
00:24:05.559 --> 00:24:07.680
I think they have it in other aspects of their life,

450
00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:09.559
which is pretty cool. So I think my twelve year old,

451
00:24:09.640 --> 00:24:12.640
who's very good at music and loves to play the guitar,

452
00:24:13.480 --> 00:24:15.599
I think it's I think it's in that way for him,

453
00:24:16.039 --> 00:24:18.240
And I think my older son it's in writing and

454
00:24:18.279 --> 00:24:23.400
his ability to write and write with empathy and detail

455
00:24:23.559 --> 00:24:26.920
and just like you know, his thought process. So I

456
00:24:26.920 --> 00:24:29.519
think they certainly have that side of their brain going

457
00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:34.079
just not you know, drawing wise, and that's fun to see.

458
00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:37.559
So I'm a vantage guy. I collect modern cards too.

459
00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:40.160
I don't want to make but I'm heavy vantage guy.

460
00:24:40.279 --> 00:24:43.400
I've always said on the show when other artists have

461
00:24:43.480 --> 00:24:47.880
been on the show. Art is such a fabric and

462
00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:52.279
an integral part of training cards from from the early

463
00:24:52.440 --> 00:24:57.279
days and even even today it's still uh, it's always

464
00:24:57.359 --> 00:25:03.599
been intrinsic and the and sometimes I sometimes I get mad,

465
00:25:03.720 --> 00:25:06.960
James when I feel like people don't give art an

466
00:25:07.079 --> 00:25:11.039
artists enough credit for some of the things we're seeing today.

467
00:25:11.079 --> 00:25:14.039
They just think, you know, I think sometimes with AI,

468
00:25:14.160 --> 00:25:16.039
which I which I know is a great tool, but

469
00:25:16.119 --> 00:25:19.920
it makes things sometimes easier, it makes makes us lazier,

470
00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:23.920
myself included. I don't think artists and art gets enough

471
00:25:24.079 --> 00:25:28.599
credit for trading cards of the past and even the

472
00:25:28.640 --> 00:25:32.599
products that we have today. As an artist yourself, I mean,

473
00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:37.240
do you agree what your what's your take when you hear.

474
00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:40.759
That, Yeah, I agree totally obviously, And to me that's

475
00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:44.000
what you know. I've had a passion for vintage cards

476
00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:47.000
and and old time players since I was a kid.

477
00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:49.079
I was really interested in that and and and you know,

478
00:25:49.119 --> 00:25:52.039
I collect I mean, like those old painted cards from

479
00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:54.640
the fifties, even going back later. But I love the

480
00:25:54.640 --> 00:25:56.680
fifty three set. I talk about the fifty three set

481
00:25:56.720 --> 00:25:59.559
all the time. My cousin had it, you know, Jerry Devorak,

482
00:25:59.559 --> 00:26:01.519
when the Ridge artists for that set, was a mentor

483
00:26:01.559 --> 00:26:05.079
to me growing up. I just can't get enough of

484
00:26:05.079 --> 00:26:07.920
those cards. I'm so happy that, you know, a lot

485
00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:10.119
of the modern cards, a lot of these companies have

486
00:26:10.160 --> 00:26:12.880
been using artists now over the years. I would argue

487
00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:14.839
that there's nothing better than pulling on one of one

488
00:26:15.039 --> 00:26:17.759
art card by someone who's very talented and well known

489
00:26:17.799 --> 00:26:20.200
artists than an autograph card. And you're talking about one

490
00:26:20.200 --> 00:26:22.000
of one original painting. And I do see some of

491
00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:24.640
them getting their due on the secondary market from a

492
00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:27.079
lot of these guys. I know some of these talented

493
00:26:27.160 --> 00:26:30.920
artists or friends of mine, and so I love the

494
00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:34.160
fact that that's happening. I think arts on the rise.

495
00:26:34.359 --> 00:26:36.559
I think it's being collected more. I think people are

496
00:26:36.599 --> 00:26:39.319
understanding it more. Certainly in the sports in the world

497
00:26:39.359 --> 00:26:41.839
as well. It's been that way for me now for

498
00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:44.000
the last four or five years, where things have been huge.

499
00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:47.720
I've been blessed lucky enough to paint for card companies

500
00:26:47.839 --> 00:26:50.839
for many years, you know, not as many recently. Hopefully

501
00:26:50.920 --> 00:26:53.359
I'll be doing some more, maybe for next year. But

502
00:26:53.559 --> 00:26:56.000
going back to my cards in ninety nine with tops

503
00:26:56.079 --> 00:27:00.440
and the upper Deck cards, and even like this year

504
00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:02.720
I was posting the twenty fifth anniversary and my cards

505
00:27:02.720 --> 00:27:05.519
for reper Deck in two thousand and one, people still

506
00:27:05.599 --> 00:27:08.599
contact me over those cards and how excited they are

507
00:27:08.640 --> 00:27:10.880
by them and just finding them for the first time.

508
00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:15.640
And so there's just something so unique and special about

509
00:27:15.960 --> 00:27:18.519
art and art being in the packs and knowing the

510
00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:21.319
artists and their life and what they've done and accomplished.

511
00:27:21.720 --> 00:27:24.079
It goes back to me to you know, when I

512
00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:26.599
was a kid though, from Dick Perez and Vernon Wells

513
00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:28.720
and guys like that. Of course, I was the most

514
00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:30.680
excited about those cards I would get in the packs,

515
00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:33.240
and then obviously, like you mentioned, going back to vintage

516
00:27:34.440 --> 00:27:38.079
times of I just it's amazing to think about those guys,

517
00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:40.599
you know, painting back then for those cards in the

518
00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:44.880
fifties and so yes, I do agree with you. I

519
00:27:44.920 --> 00:27:46.720
think it's amazing. I love to see more of it.

520
00:27:47.079 --> 00:27:49.359
I think Topps has done a great job with bringing

521
00:27:49.400 --> 00:27:51.920
a lot of artwork back into everything over the last

522
00:27:52.039 --> 00:27:55.839
you know, five six years or more. So I'm excited

523
00:27:55.839 --> 00:27:59.039
that I got on it pretty early, you know, back

524
00:27:59.079 --> 00:28:03.440
in so yeah, I'm hoping to do a lot more,

525
00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:05.000
which would be a lot of fun. There's nothing cooler

526
00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:09.920
too than having packs of your your cards in packs

527
00:28:09.920 --> 00:28:12.480
that your kids can open. So hopefully, you know, I'd

528
00:28:12.559 --> 00:28:15.680
love to do like my own set, you know, something

529
00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:17.039
really special and unique like that.

530
00:28:17.200 --> 00:28:20.720
So always appreciate having some of these sports and sports

531
00:28:20.759 --> 00:28:26.240
card artists on. We've had double digits of them, and

532
00:28:27.359 --> 00:28:29.319
I'm not gonna lie, I'm probably a little jealous of

533
00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:33.119
their talent, the way they can paint and draw and

534
00:28:33.240 --> 00:28:37.799
put that together and and look so awesome, and you know,

535
00:28:37.880 --> 00:28:40.599
it's really cool. I wish I wish I had that skill.

536
00:28:41.480 --> 00:28:45.240
And James Biorantino is at the top of that list.

537
00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:48.079
So it was a real, uh, you know, joy talking

538
00:28:48.119 --> 00:28:51.359
to them on this episode. And the good news is

539
00:28:51.480 --> 00:28:54.440
this was part one, as we do these two part

540
00:28:54.599 --> 00:28:59.880
interview series so Part two will continue uh next week

541
00:29:00.359 --> 00:29:06.599
as well, So more with James Fiorantino next Friday or

542
00:29:06.720 --> 00:29:10.759
next episode if you will, so thanks to him, and

543
00:29:10.839 --> 00:29:15.200
we'll be talking more with him on the next episode.

544
00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:18.720
So with that being said, we're gonna hear from our hobbies,

545
00:29:18.759 --> 00:29:22.440
the People Announcer of the Week and some closing thoughts

546
00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:24.759
and wrap up this week's episode.

547
00:29:25.640 --> 00:29:29.519
Time for our hobby is the People Announcer of the Week.

548
00:29:32.480 --> 00:29:37.759
Hello Rookie card collectors, Victor the Rookie Card Specialist on YouTube,

549
00:29:38.079 --> 00:29:41.279
reminding you that the hobby is the People.

550
00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:44.279
If you'd like to be the hobby is the People

551
00:29:44.319 --> 00:29:47.839
Announcer of the Week to one four MP three file

552
00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:53.960
and send it to Sportscott Nation DC at gmail dot com.

553
00:29:54.039 --> 00:29:55.240
SA. Good night, Kane,