Frank LaRosa
Not Dated

Ace.  A hole-in-one. In a singular moment in time, disparate details come together to generate a life-long thrill for the golfer. When the artist captures a comparable set of contrasting elements, the resulting synergy, which lasts many lifetimes, is applauded as art.

Palmer. Nicklaus. Crenshaw. Player. Norman. Like deft brush strokes on a colorful canvas, the legendary names are respectful accents in the engaging stories the painter tells. Together, the tales paint a picture of the artist and his art.

Sacramento golf artist Jim Fitzpatrick is a man of world renown. He has worked with, shared conversation and broken bread with many of golf’s celebrated heroes. Although he’s on a first name basis with Arnold, with Jack, with Gary and others, he’s quick to point out that he’s just a golfer at heart. Fitzpatrick is not a painter who plays golf, but rather a golfer who paints.

“From the time I was in the fifth grade, I was quite serious about making a living playing golf,” Fitzpatrick revealed. “As a kid, I was out until dark chipping and putting. I became a very good player, but I recognized that the guys on tour were just a little bit better.” Realizing he wanted to stay close to the world of golf, he took a job early in his career doing drawings for a golf course architectural firm. “I’ve always admired the work of the really good architects,” he said. “They defined the spirit of the game by identifying the elements that make a great golf hole. To me, the essence of the game is in the risk, and the good architect will challenge you to take the risk. The reward is the thrill of a low score on the hole while the penalty is trouble and a higher score.”

Not content to continue doing architectural drawings, Fitzpatrick was craving to get closer to the grit of the game – to the tour, to the players and the great golf courses. “I did a bit of research and found that no one was doing golf art of any significance,” he said. “So, in 1983, I did a couple of small paintings which sold rather quickly. In fact, one painting – a close up of a lady bug on a golf ball in the grass – was used for years on “The Tonight Show” after Johnny Carson did his golf swing.”

A chance invitation from CBS announcer Ken Venturi gave Fitzpatrick an opportunity to display his work at a golf tournament reception for players and VIPs. Encouraged by the enthusiastic response, the enterprising artist was soon making arrangements with host professionals to sell his art on the tour stops. “I couldn’t believe that I was talking with all the greats of golf,” he said. “At one early tournament, I remember walking down to the driving range and the only person there was Arnold Palmer. I spent over an hour showing my work to Arnold and talking about golf!” 

Today, with more than 140 golf paintings bearing his name, Fitzpatrick’s originals and prints adorn walls around the world. At an average of 300 to 400 hours per painting, he has spent a great deal of time perfecting his art. He describes his art as “fairly realistic but not photo realistic. I like the texture of the canvas.” If commissioned to paint a certain golf hole, Fitzpatrick will spend hours photographing the hole at various times of the day. “In the morning, the light and shadows and shape of the bunkers may be ideal, but the leaves in the trees might look their best in the afternoon,” he said. “By giving each area of the painting its best look and best shape, the finished piece is closer to the picture the mind remembers.”

A number of washes and many layers of color bring a simple leaf to light or release a spray of ocean foam. Every area of a Fitzpatrick painting is painted ten to twenty times to build color or liberate color through another. He is lauded for his ability to capture the personality of a famous golfer in the scene, even though the player might appear quite small. His originals are digitally copied and produced as Giclee prints, with the scanned image printed at a very high resolution.           

Each piece has a cherished memory but painting number 100 of the famed 16^th hole at Cypress Point is Fitzpatrick’s favorite. Another favored piece is one he did for Arnold Palmer’s last PGA Championship. “Watching Arnold play the very hole I had painted him on brought tears to my eyes knowing that I was intimately involved with a huge part of golf history.”

History is important to Fitzpatrick. He is a self-described traditionalist with a deep respect for the game’s rich heritage. Augusta National. The Colonial. Pebble Beach. Hogan. Snead. Jones. In his art, the ground on which the game was born is treated with thoughtful reverence and the figures of the game command a larger than life presence, while maintaining very human qualities.

The affable Fitzpatrick and his energetic wife Kerry own JB Publishers, the company that produces and distributes his work. They recently moved into an impressive new gallery and retail store at 4208 Douglas Boulevard, Suite 200, in Granite Bay, California. It’s a comfortable spot to see or purchase his art, inquire about custom framing and maybe spend a few moments with the artist. 

The painter, who “manages to maintain a six handicap,” doesn’t get to play as much golf as the golfer would prefer but deep inside, the fire to compete still burns. In spite of all his successes, his experiences, the people he’s met and the places he’s been; given the opportunity to start again, the artist would give it up in a heartbeat. “I would give it up for lessons from a top ranked instructor for another chance to play the game at its highest level,” he revealed. “I appreciate how much work goes into being the best and I’ll always remember Ben Hogan’s quote. When asked how he perfected his game, Hogan answered simply, ‘I dug it out of the dirt!’” Fitzpatrick may well have traded a putter for a paintbrush, but like his idol, Hogan, he too refined his art – he dug it out from the heart!