Whether it's fishing or making art, hopeful passion is at the core for marine artist Steve Goione. "I just think you have to be yourself, be honest, and things will come to you," he said during a phone interview from his new Wilmington, NC studio.

And they did. His talents, influenced by a decade of childhood summers along the Jersey shore, led him to an art degree from The Ringling School of Art and a graphic design career that evolved serendipitously into a flourishing marine art business.

What started as a pastime of painting boats and the big catch of the weekend led to illustrating diagrams for fishing books. Word of mouth following the book illustrations sparked a flurry of commissioned paintings which were eventually displayed by a high-profile boat builder. That one-time exhibit led to an invitation to be the tournament artist for a fledgling tournament in the Bahamas.

Now, more than a decade later, Goione is sought out to participate in as many as sixteen national tournaments a year and is the official artist for the Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin for the third year in a row.

"Sandestin is the perfect setting," said Goione, a self-proclaimed Sandestin fan. "You've got everything there. The potential is limitless." And, evidently, so is Goione's talent. This easy-going New Jersey native can make anything seem effortless. His thoughtful tableau-style marine art demands four to five months of focused work. Once a concept is settled upon with a client, he carefully paints a vivid watercolor illustration touched off by hand with pen and ink stippling, a technique that provides the detail and realism Goione is known for.

"We feel quite fortunate to have landed the creative talents of Steve Goione," said tournament director Chris Miller. "His ability to create original artwork that is unique to Sandestin is extraordinary and only makes our tournament that much more special and memorable."

Once the original artwork for the 2005 Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic is completed it is reproduced onto the cover of the official tournament program, posters, t-shirts and other merchandise and materials used to promote the ECBC.

What is the correlation between fishing and filling a blank canvas? For Goione they're one and the same. "You pick a spot, hope it's a good spot, put in your lures, do the best you can and with a little luck it all comes together," he said. It certainly has for this talented marine artist.

Steve Goione will be available to sign posters during this year's tournament taking place at Sandestin June 21-26 .