RJ’s path has never followed a straight line. An art major in college and a standout baseball pitcher capable of throwing a 90-mile-per-hour fastball, he briefly pursued a professional baseball career before shifting direction. After baseball, he went on to own and operate the legendary South Florida music venue The Ambassador, booking cutting-edge alternative acts during a defining era in live music.

Throughout it all, art remained a constant. A painter, illustrator, and draftsman, RJ’s creative drive fully reignited after a pivotal trip to New Mexico, where exposure to the gallery world made it clear that art could be more than a passion — it could be a profession.

While working as a mate aboard some of the world’s top sportfishing boats, RJ used every spare moment to draw and paint — documenting the same fish he helped bring to the dock. Traveling through the Bahamas, Venezuela, Nova Scotia, and Puerto Rico, he sold his work directly within the fishing community, to people who lived the experience he was capturing.

The shift happened naturally. Art began to outpace fishing.

RJ stepped away from full-time mate work and committed fully to his craft, selling paintings out of his van, at tournaments, and at art shows across Florida. What started as artwork quickly grew into something larger — the foundation for a space where fishing, art, and community could come together.

RJ is widely recognized as a pioneer of modern daytime swordfishing, helping develop the techniques and tackle that are used today. Through The Crew Platform, his instructional video platform, he shares that knowledge with anglers around the world.