Dennis Friel is a proud born-and-raised south Floridian, as evidenced by his spirited work of sailfish, sea turtles, snook, and peacock bass. The intense colours in his work and digital renditions of fish and marine species beckon the eye of any wandering eye within the space. Their realism displays the truth that Friel has spent his life observing, appreciating, and connecting with the inhabitants of not solely Florida’s waters, however the marine species of the Atlantic Coast and past, by means of artwork.
When he was younger, Friel—the youngest little one of six—and his household made journeys to Pompano Seaside, the place he spent most of his time fishing, diving, and browsing. By way of outside recreation and, finally, portray and illustrating, Friel rapidly grew to become a steward of the ocean. Like many anglers and artists, he has at all times been fascinated by fish and their totally different profiles, colours, and patterns. Though he didn’t recognize his inventive talents as a baby, Friel admits he at all times thought of himself inventive. Fortunately, his mother and father have been absolutely supportive and inspired his capabilities. Actually, when birthdays or holidays rolled round, a younger Friel hoped to unwrap a fishing rod, some new deal with, or perhaps a remote-controlled automobile; nevertheless, he was at all times gifted artwork supplies, which was his mother and father’ means of claiming, “You’ve got a novel expertise, now run with it.”
In 1991, whereas a senior in highschool, he started promoting his fish- and marine-themed art work in a gallery known as The Wildfish Assortment. (Satirically, the gallery sat solely about 100 toes away from his present personal gallery in Pompano Seaside.) That very same yr, Friel’s work have been acknowledged by the Worldwide Recreation Fish Affiliation (IFGA) and the Billfish Basis, each of which he began working for whereas concurrently holding down a job at a neighborhood surf store. Finally, he realized he needed to resolve about his future and enrolled in courses on the Ringling Artwork Faculty in Sarasota, Florida. Throughout his faculty years, Friel spent his time exploring totally different canvases by portray wall murals, growing T-shirt designs and, in fact, fishing or browsing at any time when he had the possibility. When he graduated, he was approached by Alliance Leisure, a large media firm, the place he collaborated with shoppers like Sony, Warner Bros. and Common Studios for the subsequent 17 years.
The job with Alliance taught Friel loads about professionalism; he grew to know the enterprise world, realized learn how to run a inventive division, and learn how to community himself. It additionally allowed him to pursue some noteworthy initiatives within the music trade. Friel designed each album cowl for blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa between 2004 and 2014. He even designed the quilt artwork for the album Looking for Jerry Garcia by Proof, a member of the rap group D12 that includes Eminem. However, by means of all his work within the music leisure trade, Friel was nonetheless portray fish and freelancing on the aspect.
Round 2011, Friel was requested to develop artwork for the Jimmy Johnson Quest for the Ring Championship Fishing Match in Florida, which he has been doing for 13 years since. Extra lately although, his art work has been featured within the Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey, Quest for the Ring match, which is presently in its 4th yr. For Friel, better part is the possibility to color fish on electrical guitars, successfully merging his backgrounds in fishing and the music trade. The thought took place solely 6 years in the past, when Onerous Rock got here in as a sponsor, rising the purse for match winners and bringing extra money into the occasion. Friel, being the inventive individual that he’s, had the brilliant concept of portray a sailfish on a guitar and auctioning it off throughout the awards ceremony, with all proceeds going towards charities related to the occasion. He purchased a guitar, painted a sailfish on it, and it offered at public sale for $14,000. The subsequent yr, it offered for $19,000, then $25,000, and now, his fish-themed guitars routinely promote at public sale for $30,000 or extra.
Friel started working with the Quest for the Ring Match towards the tip of his time at Alliance; by 2013, he was able to make the leap into a wholly new enterprise so started Dennis Friel Artwork Studios which, finally reworked into his present podcast and model, Related By Water.
Friel, who’s now 50, routinely asks himself, “How can I depart an affect on my group and convey higher objective to my fishing art work?” He does so through the use of his podcast to focus on the significance of pure useful resource preservation by means of selling community-service efforts that educate folks about their native fisheries. The Related By Water podcast, sponsored by conservation-minded corporations like Papas Pilar Rum and Starbright Options (an organization that produces environmentally pleasant boat-cleaning merchandise), options friends like Florida TV and radio present hosts, together with native celebrities and anglers. Fishermen and hunters, Friel says, are the entrance line of conservationists, and it’s essential to him and the podcast listeners to maintain clear water and marine environmental conservation on the forefront of most discussions.
These days, together with podcasting, Friel works in a wide range of mediums together with digital artwork, watercolor and oil portray, acrylic portray, and extra. He has maintained long-lasting relationships with organizations just like the IGFA, who featured his art work on the quilt of this yr’s world-record e book. The one issues, Friel mentioned, that he hasn’t dabbled in (but), are sculpting and freshwater-focused artwork. Nonetheless, his present house is just a mile from the Everglades, the place there’s world-class largemouth bass fishing, Friel’s old flame within the sport. He hopes to department out into extra bass-fishing-themed work, and even expressed an curiosity in doing extra fly-fishing-focused artwork, additionally a ardour of his.
Past Florida, Friel says, we’re all related by water, and he believes that connection is what is going to unite coastal communities to struggle for the assets that make them fascinating locations to reside or go to. Friel plans to proceed utilizing his artwork and podcast as methods to create a legacy that may positively affect the way forward for our fisheries.
connectedbywater.com
@dennisfrielart / @connectedbywater
