“If you have a talent, follow it;

find it early and dedicate yourself to it.

It is a blessing, a divine gift.”  Joe Amore

    Joseph "Joe" Amore was born in 1914 in Frasso, Italy.  Seeking new opportunities, Joe's father brought his family to America in 1919. Joe discovered that he had a passion for drawing and sketching at a very young age and dedicated himself to this passion throughout his lifetime. Joe received a scholarship to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, now known as The University of the Arts in Philadelphia where he graduated in 1939. He saw that his hard work and applied passion began to open doors for new opportunities. 

    Shortly after graduating from The University of the Arts, World War II broke out.  Joe took a job as a flight inspector for B-26 bombers and also sketched parts for manuals.

  Eager to move on after the war, Joe decided that he wanted

to be a western illustrator, so he set out for America's West.  He spent time in

Colorado, New Mexico, California, Arizona, and Nevada where he devoted

his time to studying, photographing and painting western scenery and imagery.

He also lived on an Indian reservation where he had the opportunity to draw,

sketch, and immerse himself in the American Indian culture that he so admired.

Joe also spent time painting at the prestigious Broadmoor Art Academy, now

known as the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center.

    After Joe's experiences out West, he married his teenage sweetheart, Christine.  They both shared a love for art, antiquities and adventure.  Joe traveled, studying art and painting restoration at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in New York, Rijn Museum in Amsterdam, El Prado in Madrid and Accademia in Venice.  Joe and Christine settled in Palm Beach, Florida in the 1950's where Joe spent countless hours painting in his studio, exploring a variety of mediums, techniques and subjects.  In addition to his art work, his studio walls are lined with hundreds of textbooks where he delved further into understanding art and history.  When not at the easel, Joe worked as an art appraiser. 

    Joe drew, sketched and painted a variety of subjects including portraits, landscapes and western imagery.  One of his favorite subjects was horses.  His horse paintings are often in motion, as he explains, "If you can capture motion, the picture is more interesting; the secret is not in the dust clouds, but in the tendons." Joe spent years studying and understanding anatomy; memorizing the placement of each muscle, bone, and tendon.  His enthusiasm for horse and dog racing was evident as he was frequently seen with his camera and sketch book at the Palm Beach Kennel Club, Hialeah Park Race Track and Caulder Race Track.

    Joe recognized success as a result of strong commitment, strict discipline, hard work and passion.  He dedicated his life to his passion for the Arts and painted well into his late 80's.  Joe never pursued commercial avenues for his art, possibly feeling that it would distract him from his creative endeavors. He took pride in sharing his art world with close relatives and friends and he always took pleasure in lively conversation about art, history and life. He was a respected mentor and an inspiration to all who knew him. Joe passed away in 2007 at the age of 93.  His body of work lies with his family and in the hands of private collectors. The family is proud to preserve and promote the legacy of this talented  American artist.

       

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