Meet Mike Sullivan | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mike Sullivan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mike, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born in Buffalo and raised just outside of Detroit — I had a love of creating art (drawing and painting) from a very young age and my father, who was in the auto industry in marketing and worked very closely with professional sports teams in promotions, brought me to many pro and college games. I loved sports and the competition of sports and played football and basketball in high school. After high school I had an opportunity to play football at Eastern Michigan or accept a scholarship at the art college in downtown Detroit (I attended The Center for Creative Studies art college). Growing up I combined my two favorite hobbies – art and sports – and turned it into a career.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I was in Art college you learned and developed by copying the works or the great masters – similar to how a garage bands starts out playing the songs of the popular and successful bands to learn the fundamentals — art is the same way — I knew early on I had to develop a unique art style that people could recognize as my work. I developed a style that I call “Chiseled” — where lines define the structure and I work from dark to light — instead of light to dark as artists are taught. The public is bombarded with video and photographic images everyday — and when they see a unique piece of art it jumps out. I’m very proud of the biggest project I’ve ever worked on and just completed – QB50 the painting — which is the one I’ll probably be best known for — but I’m also very proud of the murals I’ve created such as Jackie Robinson (at UCLA), Pat Tillman (PT Middle School) and my mural series at The BNP Open in Indian Wells, CA.

My career moved quickly when I moved to southern California and met several sports agents (Leigh Steinberg, etc.) and they brought me to the Super Bowl to display my art at private Super Bowl parties — and had me at celebrity and foundation golf tournaments — and also met John Salley who was a host on the TV show The Best Damn Sports Show Period on FOX where I became the official artist of the show and all the paintings on the set were my art. I also began to create murals at famous college stadiums around the country including USC, UCLA, Notre Dame and others.

Like any career there was adversity and struggles — but when those situations came up I just leaned on the lessons I learned in sports. coming back from bad plays or games — fighting through tough moments. The failures teach you more than the successes. The lessons continue to this day — always strive to do your best work, pay attention to the business side of your career, be organized, try to give back when you can and it’s your job everyday to get the word out about your art.

I would want people to know I’m from Detroit, my art is always positive and I’ll be taking my style of art it in new directions in the future.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There is so much to see and do in the city —

Sunday
LA Live area by convention center — Show – Restaurants – Downtown area

Monday
Beaches — everyone is at work and less crowded — santa monica (4th st prom) Hermosa others

Tuesday
Museums — Wilshire Blvd.

Wednesday
Movie Studio Tours

Thursday
USC and UCLA campus tours and area

Friday
Beverly Hills day

Saturday
Sunset blvd. — comedy club — restaurant — hotel roof bar

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Three people at the beginning — My mother, who was 100% Italian from New Jersey and had many relatives in creative fields in NYC, was always encouraging of my drawings and efforts. My father, who the last thing he wanted to do was get up early on a Saturday morning and drive me to art workshops and special art classes — but he did — and all the supplies and drawing desk to create my art. And third my high school art teacher, Ms. Petrov, who taught me so much in her class, introduced me to new materials and techniques — and who submitted my portfolio without telling me to art college where I won a scholarship to attend.

During my career there are too many coaches, players, agents, tv executives, marketing, colleges, alumni and others to list that have had a great impact on my career.

Website: qb50thepainting.com mikesullivanart.com

Instagram: qb50_thepainting

Image Credits
Artwork (c) 2024 Mike Sullivan