Cover Story

The Artist: From Sports Fan To Artist

Adam Pinsley paints pop art for charity.

By: Ann Marie Quill

Thanks to Adam Pinsley, the worlds of sports, celebrity gossip and art have collided in a good way and for a good cause.

Elton John, Gloria Estefan, Shakira and Richard Tyler are just a few of the celebrities Adam Pinsley has captured on canvas.

"There was always a room in the house filled with easels and paintings everywhere," he says. His mother would take him to art galleries in the city.

"She said I was a quiet, observant baby. I would never misbehave. I would just soak everything in. As I became more aware of it, I started drawing a lot."

He said in his teen years he lost a little of his interest in art, "but I still had that influence and art was always a big part of my life."

In 1994, a year after college, Pinsley decided to move to Atlanta, which was more affordable than New York and where he had friends.

His first job here was at an athletic club, and, being an avid sports fan, he began painting portraits of athletes. The club had a gallery feel with big white walls with a lot of light flowing in, so he asked the owner if he could display some of his pieces there. The owner loved Pinsley's work and told him to go for it. That same year the Atlanta Thunder had just signed a deal to play at that club, so the Thunder's owner asked Pinsley to paint a picture of Thunder member Bjorn Borg and his opponent Jimmy Connors, with the work to be signed by the players and auctioned off for charity. The auction was successful, and Pinsley became the official artist for the Thunder.

He started getting commissions for his work, which the subjects would routinely sign to benefit various charities. Pinsley also admits to loving celebrity gossip, so many of his subjects come from the world of tabloid news. They include a signed painting of Britney Spears that was auctioned for her foundation and even a Paris Hilton "That's Hot" painted plate. Pinsley often paints two copies of one work - one for the celebrity to sign for charity, and the other, also signed, to keep for himself. His personal collection is on display at his cousin's law firm in Florida.

Pinsley met Katie, his wife of 10 years and an artist herself, in Atlanta, and they have a 2-year-old son, Addison.

He began working for Delta Air Lines in 1999, where he is creative services manager.

Delta is a fan of his work and has commissioned pieces to benefit charity. He says he feels fortunate that the company he works for is supportive of his painting.

"I get to do what I love and combine it with work," he says.