About Me

The Journey of an Artist

Hello! I’m James E. Fiore

the owner of Fiore’s Printmaking

the owner of Fiore’s Printmaking, based in Biloxi, Mississippi. Like many, I’ve found that our vocations are not always what we dreamed of. I’m a retired nurse with a BSN, but my dream and journey into art started when I was a young boy.

My formal entry into the art world was limited to a year of formal training and a few private classes over the years, yet my passion for art never wavered. My world of art continues to have endless possibilities, expanding my knowledge through various techniques and mediums. While being self-taught, the process was slow, but the continual practice of trial and error brought me to my current medium of linocut printmaking.

That one formal year of art education left an impression on me that shaped the artist I am today. Over the years, I have painted, sculpted in wood, clay, and metal, worked with warm glass, foil, and lead, and painted glass. The one thing I always recall is that printmaking class in the past. Over the last four years, I have poured all my effort into the art of linocuts and woodcuts.

I have always had an interest in Japanese printmaking, but after moving to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I studied Walter Anderson and John Scott their work and lives, seeking to understand their approach to printmaking. For me, printmaking is much more than placing paint on a canvas; it’s the process. The tactile experience of linoleum, ink, and paper is essential. The use of line in all its variety allows me to define and give shape to my work. I am excited by the types and fibers used in printing paper—some of the paper manufacturing techniques have not changed for hundreds of years, and handling these papers is a very tactile experience.

I use simple techniques: the ink is applied with a roller, the paper is placed on the block, and I hand rub with a baren. No matter how many prints I pull, the wonderment continues to excite me. Through my art, I seek to challenge perceptions and inspire reflection. I have a preference of Japanese paper that is more absorbant than western.