Rick Fitzsimons

Realistic, classical, romantic, impressionistic... while people don't always agree on how to describe the art of Rick Fitzsimons, there is no mistaking it.  Rick's paintings embrace a range of subjects, most prominently that which inspires him a the moment.

Rick Fitzsimons began his artistic training as a young boy, where he sat with his father and learned how to draw and importantly, use his imagination.  Placing a few lines or curves on a piece of paper,  Rick's father would hand him a pencil and ask him to create a picture from almost nothing.  From that point forward, much of his time was spent with pen and pencil.  Rick became fascinated with the magazine illustrations of Norman Rockwell, the landscapes of Albert Bierstadt and the portrait and figurative works of John Singer Sargent.  It was soon thereafter, with an artist's eye, that he discovered the wonders of light and contrast.  Nonetheless like so many great artists, Rick spent much of his life at a 'real job'.

His background in Business led him on an unusual path, circling back to the world of art.  Rick and his dad opened an Awards and Sign Shop in their hometown.  Not long after, customers would request new Logo designs for their businesses, which led to applying the images to large signs and vehicles.  This service soon began to include painting various landscape pictorials on the signs.  As a result, his love for creating and painting was rekindled.

For the pure joy of making art, Rick soon began canvas after canvas of landscape and figurative works, which he displayed at his establishment.  Almost immediately, but much to his surprise, customers enquired about purchasing his art.  At that time he asked himself, "Is it possible that one can actually earn a living by doing that which was never considered to be work?"  The answer apparently was yes. Rick soon began publishing a few of his originals as limited edition prints.  Today, Rick and his wife Bonnie enjoy traveling to near and distant locations searching for subjects to capture on canvas.  He is at his best with subjects from everyday life, genre subjects, sacred-idyllic landscapes or figures in quiet repose, reflection or thoughtful isolation.