Jim Fitzpatrick
South San Francisco, CA - United States
Jim Fitzpatrick - Fine Artist
Member Since: 05/24/2012
Jim Fitzpatrick, United States
I loved drawing as a kid but stopped for years. I'm self taught... I mainly do portraits. A few years back I started drawing again. Over the years I've held a wide variety of jobs and experiences. Shortly after high school, while attending SF State, I became the photographer for the professional wrestling promotion which regularly went into the Cow Palace. Shortly after that I started training to skate professional Roller Derby which was my true passion. I was first hired by them to work on the track crew which set up the large, portable banked track they skated on. Later I became a professional skater for the World Champion San Francisco Bay Bombers and skated in some amazing places like the Cow Palace in SF and as far away as Buenos Aires, Argentina and Tokyo Japan. After shoulder injuries ended my skating career I became a police clerk and then a police service technician. Later I became a fire inspector and then a fire fighter when the inspector job was eliminated due to budget cuts. For a while I was the Acting Deputy Fire Marshal. For a short while I was also a reserve cop. A few years before, during my skating days I worked part time at a health club as a fitness instructor and even helped a house painter paint. I've performed magic and entered several stage competitions along with doing a number of pay jobs as a clown magician, serious magician, stroling magician and a magical Santa Claus. After getting hurt at work during a fire I went through years of physical therapy and treatments to become more mobile. Not just one thing helped me by itself but rather a combination of working out, watching my posture and diet, Myofascial Release treatments, Prolotherapy Injections and staying active have given me a life again! I've been interviewed about it on TV and in newspaper articles. I hope I can inspire others who live with chronic pain to not give up!
In recent years I helped bring old school, pro Roller Derby and my old team, the SF Bay Bombers back. Currently I'm the team's GM, one of our league's trainers, the Northern California Rep and also one of the executive producers for TV specials we put on. I guess that's one reason why I like to draw when I get a chance. It's my way of relaxing, unless the drawing I'm working on is going bad. lol
I've also published 3 photo books. My first, 'Roller Derby Classics...and more!' deals with the history of the sport and also my involvement in it. My second book was a children's book, 'I Have a Chin! A Japanese Chin' about our family's pet dog. My third book was 'When I Shot Good and Bad Guys (who wrestled at the Cow Palace'. It contains some photos I took during that brief period of time I worked for the wrestling promotion.
In 2011 I met NFL Hall Of Fame legend Dick Butkus and gotten on board with his Butkus Foundation's 'I Play Clean' campaign to end steroid abuse among young athletes. For more info and to take the 'I Play Clean' pledge visit www.iplayclean.org
I've held two art exhibitions so far. One was held in 2011 at the LC Gallery located in the Westfield Mall in downtown San Francisco. One of my works on display that day was of Senator Leland Yee. Senator Yee made an appearance during my exhibiton. In March of 2012 I held my second at ManCave Memorabilia in San Mateo, CA. For that exhibition I displayed some of my works of famed boxer Mike Tyson. The timing couldn't have been any better since he was on hand making a special appearance. My family and I were granted a private meeting with him at which time I presented him with a pastel drawing I had done of him and his family.
In March of 2013 I was one of several artists featured in the ebook 'Best of Activism in Art - I' by Sarah S. Vati.
I'm married and have two children. Joey is 20 and Vanessa is 15. We also have two Japanese Chin dogs, Meme and Liebchen!
Please note- all these images belong to me and all copyright laws apply.
Below are links to my other sites....
www.facebook.com/JimFitzpatrickArtworkAndPhotography
www.flickr.com/photos/drawingsbyjim/sets/72157629165943485/
jimfitz1.multiply.com/photos/album/7/My_art_work
