Armando Delgado
"The Painter of Legends"
As one of Americas foremost sports artists, Armando Delgado is best known for his action-filled, yet sensitive portraits of feats of heroism and dedication found on the playing field. While he is a versatile artist with the ability to work in various mediums including sculpture, murals, set design and computer art imaging, he is best known for painting such sports legends as Michael Jordan, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Montana, George Foreman and many other prominent athletes.
The Robb Report (Sept. 1992) singled out Armando and his work in an article on the best investments in sport art. His work can be found in many prominent sports collections such as those owned by NFL coach and television analyst John Madden, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, President Ronald Reagan and actor Gene Hackman, just to name a few.
More recently, the U.S. Post Office commissioned Armando to paint a commemorative envelope celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and another envelope as a tribute to golfing legend Jack Nicklaus. Both where publicly unveiled at the tournament at Pebble Beach. He also created an original portrayal of the U.S. Open winner, Tiger Woods. While on location, Armando was featured on the national NBC telecast.
Recently he worked with San Jose Mercury News sports journalist Mark Purdy to capture the 10 greatest moments in the San Francisco Giants history. "The Moments that Stick", series commemorated the last season the Giants played at 3-Com Park, affectionately known as Candlestick by local fans. Since then collectors have sought after these limited edition pieces to add to their collection.
In 1997, the Fox Television Network invited Armando to join NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott and Pro Bowl veteran Bill Mass for their weekly "Hardcore Football" show. For two seasons he was the official artist for the "NFL Player of the Week", which required him to paint a portrait on the air and unveil it at the end of each show. Similarly, Magic Johnson commissioned Armando to paint the "Superstar of the Year" for his annual Sports Star Award and auction.
In 1996, alum Notre Dame football players commissioned Armando to paint coaching legend Ara Parseghian. The portrait, which captured the intense spirit of the fighting Irish, was then donated to the Notre Dame Golf Classic. National sales of the lithographs were donated to the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation.
In the late 1980s, Harveys Race and Sports Book in Lake Tahoe commissioned Armando to create original works of art, including the mural gracing the entrance.
This San Jose California native has been expressing himself artistically since the age of 6. Influenced by Mexican and Western art, he started painting horses, which eventually lead to his paintings of horse racing. As a 16-year-old he completed his first of many commissioned murals. While he cherishes that first mural for the Santa Clara Humane Society, he has since produced life-size works of art for businesses, restaurants and municipalities.
Armandos talent was recognized early on. As a high school student he was awarded an art scholarship to study in Rome, Paris, Madrid and London, where he studied the classic painting, bonze and fresco techniques. He continued his art studies in Mexico studying the works of the country's great muralists and then returned to the United States where he earned a degree in Graphic Arts and Fine Arts from San Jose State University. Soon after, he was selected to be among the 40 top artists representing California in a national touring program that opened in the nations capitol at the White House and then proceeded on an extensive tour throughout the United States.
His work has been featured in books such as, "The Basics of Buying Art", and a cover story of "WEST Magazine".
His vibrant paintings and other works of art often extend beyond the sports arena. Armando has used his talent to benefit numerous charities such as CityTeam Ministries, National Hispanic Baseball Hall of Fame, Special Olympics, American Cancer Association, and The National Latino Scholarship Program to name just a few. He has also worked with charities supported by the NFL, MLB, MBA, PGA, the Olympics and World Cup Associations, and the National Japanese Sumo Federation and has raised money for countless public and private schools throughout the country and the world.
Armando Delgado accepts a limited number of private commissions each year. For details, please contact him directly by email.