Retired minor league baseball player creates custom murals in Tampa Bay

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A St. Petersburg artist went from swinging a baseball bat to swinging a paint brush.

Aaron Tullo can't remember a time when he wasn't playing baseball.

"I started down the road here at Woodlawn, and I was probably about six or seven," said Tullo, Owner AJT Art Design. "And you know, played my whole life, you know, all the way up until about 25."

Aaron Tullo found a new passion with art.

The 35-year-old St. Petersburg native played college ball and was fortunate enough to play minor league baseball for six years.

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"I loved it. I really enjoyed that time. It was the greatest experience in my life," shared Tullo. "I got to travel the country and do something that I loved."

Because of injuries, Tullo retired from baseball and decided to take a swing at another passion, painting.

Tullo played in the minor leagues. 

"I had to kind of give up baseball, but now I enjoy art just as much, so I'm able to kind of have that other passion and take that further into my life," he explained.

He believes there's a correlation between baseball and art.

"You basically you're using your hands a lot in both things. You know, you're painting or spray-painting. Baseball, I'm always, you know, I'm throwing a baseball. So that hand-eye coordination is really important in both aspects," Tullo said.

Tullo owns AJT Art Design.

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Now Tullo has a teammate in painting, Ty Maner.

"We kind of just partner up," said Maner. "We both see the value of what the other person brings to the table. So we might as well get money together right." 

Most of their work are custom murals.

Tullo and Maner work together to create murals.

"I love driving by all murals and kind of reminding myself of my portfolio and to see how their kind of community is partaking in it. Yeah, just it's a cool feeling," Tulllo said.

For more information on his artwork, click here.