No Paine, No gain.
No Paine, No gain.
Please excuse the spelling error. What I’m really trying to say is that if you can’t appreciate the Sports art of Paine Proffit, then you are missing out on something very special. We were lucky enough to discover Paine and his talents after he won one of our Throwback Thursday contests back in February. We’ve been corresponding on and off ever since and today I’m honored to share the latest installment of the Asgard Press interview featuring the man himself. Read on and enjoy.
Andy A/P: Your artwork is AMAZING, AWE INSPIRING, and we LOVE IT!! And while your “few random things about me” page on your website is pretty informative (and awesome in its own right), it does not mention anything about where this unique talent of yours comes from. So, where did it come from? Is your family artistically inclined? God given talent? Art school? All of the above? Tell us!
Paine: Thank you very much for the kind words about the artwork … I really appreciate it! As for the artwork, I’ve always loved drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. I think the need to do artwork or be creative is something you’re born with … it might take a while to come out or a long time before the quality of the work is where you want it to be but I think the initial interest and desire to be creative is in you naturally. The rest comes with practice, experimenting and trying to find your artistic voice. My parents come from a journalist and writing background but never did visual artwork themselves … saying that, they’ve always liked and respected the arts and gave me a lot of support in following what I wanted to do. I attended art school which gives you a little time to practice, experiment, develop and figure out what you’re doing … but it’s a lifelong process and you never stop changing, learning and growing.
Andy A/P: Clearly, I think you’ve found your voice! Not many folks get to live the dream of loving their job. Did you know at an early age that you would turn your love of sport into a profession?
Paine: No, not at all. In fact I still consider myself pretty new to sports art and have only been doing it for about 8 years or so. I don’t know why but it never occurred to me to paint what I love until relatively recently. It may have been my time working as an illustrator and being told what to paint that blocked my way, but eventually I had had enough of that and decided to do the work that I wanted to do. There’s a long and beautiful history of sport art and design so you’d think that I would’ve seen the light and pulled my head out of my a** a lot sooner. But sometimes it takes time and you need to get to these places naturally.
Andy A/P: Ha, we’re very glad you pulled your head out, sir. Unless I’m missing something, I don’t see any football (the American Kind) art in your portfolio. What’s the story there?
Paine: I’ve found that some sports work better visually than others. Sports like baseball, football (soccer), hockey, golf, rugby, boxing work beautifully … but for some reason I haven’t done any American football yet. Saying that, I think old-fashioned art and design images of football work wonderfully … the vintage uniforms, leather helmets with no facemask, colors, identities and history, etc … they work very well, as you know from the gorgeous vintage programs, posters and imagery that Asgard Press use. I don’t know if modern football would work with my style, but I’d love to have a try at some vintage College and University football pieces one day.
Andy A/P: We certainly appreciate your kind words and look forward to what you come up with – pretty confident it will be stellar. Do you have a sport or topic that inspires you more than another when it comes to choosing your next project (I’d imagine a commission might help in some cases?)?
Paine: I’ve really enjoyed working with baseball, ice hockey and European football (soccer) the most. That’s where my interests are so I’m naturally drawn to those specific sports. I’ve been working on soccer pieces for several years now and trying to get my work up to a certain standard … it’s only been the last year or two that I’ve felt comfortable enough to work on baseball and ice hockey. I also worked a little too intensely on the soccer work and have burnt out a little, so I’m mostly concentrating on the baseball and hockey stuff now, which I’m loving. They’re both sports that are close to my heart and a lot of fun to work with, plus they have a rich history and offer a lot of possibilities that helps to keep things interesting. Commissions are a tricky beast sometimes and I don’t always feel comfortable with them. I much prefer to paint what interests me and what I’m feeling at that time.
Andy A/P: Whatever works for you works for us. Thanks so much for sharing your time with us Paine. Now get back to work! 🙂
We encourage you all to follow Paine on twitter @Paine_Proffitt and facebook at Paine Proffitt Art and please visit his website here – http://www.paineproffitt.com/ You won’t be disappointed!
