Angling Artist: Dennis Friel
BY MATT HAEFFNER
Dennis Friel is a proud born-and-raised south Floridian, as evidenced by his spirited paintings of sailfish, sea turtles, snook, and peacock bass. The bright colors in his paintings and digital renditions of fish and marine species beckon the attention of any wandering eye in the area. Their realism reflects the fact that Friel has spent his life observing, appreciating, and connecting with the inhabitants of not only Florida’s waters, but the marine species of the Atlantic Coast and beyond, through art.
When he was young, Friel—the youngest child of six—and his family made trips to Pompano Beach, where he spent most of his time fishing, diving, and surfing. Through outdoor recreation and, eventually, painting and illustrating, Friel quickly became a steward of the sea. Like many anglers and artists, he has always been fascinated by fish and their different profiles, colors, and patterns. Although he didn’t appreciate his artistic abilities as a child, Friel admits he always considered himself creative. Luckily, his parents were fully supportive and encouraged his capabilities. In fact, when birthdays or holidays rolled around, a young Friel hoped to unwrap a fishing rod, some new tackle, or even a remote-controlled car; however, he was always gifted art materials, which was his parents’ way of saying, “You have a unique talent, now run with it.”
PAYING HIS DUES
The job with Alliance taught Friel a lot about professionalism; he grew to understand the business world, learned how to run a creative department, and how to network himself. It also allowed him to pursue some noteworthy projects in the music industry. Friel designed every album cover for blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa between 2004 and 2014. He even designed the cover art for the album Searching for Jerry Garcia by Proof, a member of the rap group D12 featuring Eminem. But, through all his work in the music entertainment industry, Friel was still painting fish and freelancing on the side.
NEXT LEVEL
MOVING FORWARD
WE ARE ALL CONNECTED BY WATER®
Friel began working with the Quest for the Ring Tournament toward the end of his time at Alliance; by 2013, he was ready to make the leap into an entirely new venture so began Dennis Friel Art Studios which, eventually transformed into his current podcast and brand, Connected By Water.
Friel, who is now 50, routinely asks himself, “How can I leave an impact on my community and bring greater purpose to my fishing artwork?” He does so by using his podcast to highlight the importance of natural resource preservation through promoting community-service efforts that educate people about their local fisheries. The Connected By Water podcast, sponsored by conservation-minded companies like Papas Pilar Rum and Starbright Solutions (a company that produces environmentally friendly boat-cleaning products), features guests like Florida TV and radio show hosts, along with local celebrities and anglers. Fishermen and hunters, Friel says, are the front line of conservationists, and it’s important to him and the podcast listeners to keep clean water and marine environmental conservation at the forefront of most discussions.
Nowadays, along with podcasting, Friel works in a variety of mediums including digital art, watercolor and oil painting, acrylic painting, and more. He has maintained long-lasting relationships with organizations like the IGFA, who featured his artwork on the cover of this year’s world-record book. The only things, Friel said, that he hasn’t dabbled in (yet), are sculpting and freshwater-focused art. However, his current home is only a mile from the Everglades, where there is world-class largemouth bass fishing, Friel’s first love in the sport. He hopes to branch out into more bass-fishing-themed work, and even expressed an interest in doing more fly-fishing-focused art, also a passion of his.
Beyond Florida, Friel says, we are all Connected By Water®, and he believes that connection is what will unite coastal communities to fight for the resources that make them desirable places to live or visit. Friel plans to continue using his art and podcast as ways to create a legacy that will positively impact the future of our fisheries.
The Connected By Water® Podcast is fueled by Papa's Pilar Rum and features the most legendary names and influencers in the world's fishing, diving, and waterman communities.





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ARTIST, FISHERMAN, CONSERVATIONIST, & PODCASTER
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