Fred Rogers – “Pittsburgh’s Friendliest Neighbor”

Featured here is a colorful painting I created as an everlasting tribute to Fred Rogers and one of Pittsburgh’s enduring treasures. Mr. Rogers as many know created Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood right here in my hometown of Pittsburgh which was launched from the WQED studios fifty years ago. The U.S. Postal Service released a forever stamp earlier this year honoring the television icon who would have turned ninety years-old. His legacy and the lessons he left us will continue to capture the hearts and imaginations of children in Pittsburgh and around the world for generations to come.

Legendary Hollywood actor and filmmaker, Tom Hanks will begin shooting his upcoming feature film as Fred Rogers in Pittsburgh this Fall which is called “You Are My Friend”. The film will be released by Sony Pictures on October 18, 2019.

It was ten years ago that I launched Steel City Artist Illustrations which features many of my Pittsburgh-themed pen & ink illustrations and fine art paintings. I have been been very blessed with the artistic abilities given to me and humbled by the thousands of people who have brought my fine art into their homes and businesses over the past decade. I have met so many great people and have been fortunate to be involved with many memorable events through my artwork. I look forward to the next ten years and beyond and to continuing to share the history and wonder of our beautiful city with fellow Pittsburghers and the world.

Steel City Artist Illustrations – Pittsburgh Art

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Roberto Clemente – “The Great One”

Featured here is my popular painting of the “Great One”, Roberto Clemente as we honor and remember him on his birthday today. His legacy and the lives that he touched will live on forever in Pittsburgh and around the world.

Roberto Clemente was a Puerto-Rican MLB right fielder who played his entire eighteen season career with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955-72. Clemente is regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all-time and he had an illustrious career. He won two World Series championships with the Pirates in 1960 and 1971 and was awarded the World Series MVP in ’71. Clemente was on the NL All-Star team 15x, received 12 Gold Glove Awards, awarded NL MVP in 1966 and became a member of the 3,000th hit club in his last game. Clemente was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 1973 becoming the first Latin American selected and the only Hall of Fame member whose mandatory five-year waiting period has been waived. In 1973, his #21 was honorably retired by the Pittsburgh Pirates and he was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Citizens Medal. To this day, he is loved and admired by many in Latin America and Pittsburgh for who he was as a baseball player and as a humanitarian.

Click the link below to the Sports Art section of my fine art website to purchase this signed and numbered limited edition painting of Roberto Clemente.

Steel City Artist Illustrations – Sports Art

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Isaly’s – “I Shall Always Love You Sweetheart”

Featured here is a new painting I created over the summer of another favorite storied landmark of Pittsburgh. For many generations of Pittsburghers few places evoked many wonderful and unforgettable memories quite like Isaly’s.

The people of Pittsburgh held Isaly’s in high regard and every neighborhood seemed to have one. The chain of family-owned dairies and restaurants started in Mansfield, Ohio and would eventually stretch from Pennsylvania to Iowa. Isaly’s was and still is known for its iconic BBQ chipped chopped ham which is sliced razor thin and is a favorite lunchtime meal. They were also known for creating the famous Klondike Bar ice cream treat and their towering Skyscraper Cones which were loved by children of all ages. The company employed a fun friendly atmosphere with its nostalgic high styled art deco interiors complete with comfortable sit-down booths, classic checkered green and white ceramic flooring and silver polished stools. For many of us who grew up in Pittsburgh, Isaly’s transported us to simpler and treasured times.

Click the link below to the Pittsburgh Art section of my fine art website to purchase this print which has come to be loved by Pittsburghers.

Steel City Artist Illustrations – Pittsburgh Art

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It’s A Great Day For Hockey

The Pittsburgh Penguins are on the quest for their fifth Stanley Cup championship and their third in nearly a decade. The Penguins could soon join both the Pirates and Steelers with five championships, thus cementing their legacy among the many great teams in the City of Champions. The Penguins are led by their all-star captain, Sidney Crosby who is having a phenomenal year and winning another Stanley Cup trophy would be the icing on the cake. The Penguins have seemed to find a way to win all season with contributions from all of their players and the talents of their two goalies. There is nothing better than Penguins playoff hockey and the energy it brings to the city and the fans. We have been fortunate to witness so many great memories and players.

Featured below are two illustrations I recently created with a Penguins theme which make great gifts for any Pens fans. The first illustration depicts Pittsburgh’s magnificent “Golden Triangle” skyline emblazoned in gold color with the team in the foreground. The second illustration commemorates the Penguins 50th anniversary with the Pittsburgh skyline as seen from the North Shore with the sister bridges on the Allegheny River.

Click the link below to the Sports Art section of my fine art website to purchase either of these two prints which make great gifts for Penguins fans.

Let’s Go Pens!

Steel City Artist Illustrations – Sports Art

City of Pittsburgh & Pittsburgh Penguins Mural

City of Pittsburgh & Pittsburgh Penguins 50th Anniversary

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The “Blitzburgh Express” Arrives in Canton

Featured here is an illustration I created honoring Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, Kevin Greene who along with former Steeler, Tony Dungy were inducted into the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame last weekend. Kevin Greene is a former NFL linebacker who played for fifteen seasons. He is a 3x All-Pro and ranks third among all-time sack leaders. Greene spent three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and like the “Steel Curtain” a generation before, he helped form the fearsome “Blitzburgh” defense with Greg Lloyd, Carnell Lake, Chad Brown, Levon Kirkland and Rod Woodson. During his short time with the team, the Steelers played in two AFC Championship games and returned to the Super Bowl for the first time in sixteen years. Greene was voted to the NFL 1990’s All-Decade Team and was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame.

Click the link below to the Steelers Art section of my fine art website to purchase this print which makes a great gift for Steelers fans.

Steel City Artist Illustrations – Steelers Art

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Art Rooney Awards Dinner & Auction

I donated my Andrew McCutchen painting for the upcoming Art Rooney Awards Dinner & Auction on April 4th which will benefit the Catholic Youth Association of Pittsburgh. The painting is called “Cutch’s Walk-Off Home Run” and commemorates McCutchen’s dramatic game-winning walk-off home run against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 11, 2015 and which I was fortunate to attend. The home run will be remembered as one of the greatest home runs in Pirates baseball history and at PNC Park.

The CYA was founded by the Rooney Family and will honor Pittsburgh Pirates MLB star center fielder, Andrew McCutchen at their annual charity event. The painting will be on display at the Westin Hotel where it will be auctioned off to benefit the Catholic Youth Association of Pittsburgh which offer services to children and seniors throughout Pittsburgh. The painting will be professionally framed and matted by Carol Whitehead who is the owner of Carol Whitehead Custom Framing located in Aspinwall, Pennsylvania.

Click the link below to the Sports Art section of my fine art website to purchase this print of the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball star, Andrew McCutchen.

Steel City Artist Illustrations – Sports Art

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Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl 50 Golden Team

Featured here is an illustration I created honoring the eight Pittsburgh Steelers who were selected to the Super Bowl 50 Golden Team. The honorees were chosen by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in honor of Super Bowl 50. The Super Bowl 50 Golden Team consists of the best overall players by each position and their individual career performances in the Super Bowl. Eight Pittsburgh Steelers legends including head coach, Chuck Noll were selected for this distinguished honor which was the most of any team. The seven Steelers players chosen who are all members of the NFL Hall of Fame include Mel Blount, Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Franco Harris, Jack Lambert, Lynn Swann and Mike Webster. Many of these legendary players were part of the famed “Steel Curtain” defense and they each earned four Super Bowl championships.

Click the link below to the Steelers Art section of my fine art website to purchase this print which makes a great gift for Steelers fans.

Steel City Artist Illustrations – Steelers Art

 

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In Remembrance of Lt. Eric Eslary

Featured here is a personalized tribute illustration I created a few months ago in honor of Lt. Eric Eslary who was a police officer who was lost in the line of duty on May 5, 2015. Every once in awhile, I get commissioned by police departments across the country to create these artistic memorials as an everlasting tribute for fellow police officers. This illustration was done only as a memorial tribute and presented to his family.

Lieutenant Eric Eslary lost his life in the line of duty in a vehicle collision when his SUV patrol vehicle was struck head-on by a van driving the wrong way on the divided highway. His canine partner suffered serious injuries and underwent surgery at an emergency animal hospital. The two occupants of the van were critically injured.

Lieutenant Eslary had served with the Ligonier Township Police Department for seventeen years. He is survived by his wife and six children. Prayers and thoughts are with his family, friends and fellow officers.

Steel City Artist Illustrations

Officer Down Memorial Page

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“The Bus Stops Here”

Jerome Bettis, nicknamed “The Bus” is a former halfback who played for the Los Angeles Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1993, Bettis was drafted in the first round from the University of Notre Dame. He is presently 6th on the list of NFL rushing yard leaders and 2nd on the Steelers all-time list behind Franco Harris. He retired in 2006 after the Steelers won Super Bowl XL in his hometown of Detroit. Bettis is a 6x Pro Bowl player and was the Steelers Team MVP on three separate occasions. He is a member of the Steelers All-Time Team and his #36 jersey is no longer issued by the Steelers organization. Jerome Bettis was selected for the NFL Hall of Fame Class of 2015.

Featured here is a detailed illustration I created of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Jerome Bettis who will be honorably inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame this weekend. I know many faithful Steelers fans of Steeler Nation will be making the trip up to Canton to show their support for “The Bus” who will join the many greats of the black & gold who came before him. Show your support for #36 and your Pittsburgh Steelers! Click the link below to peruse my Steel City Artist fine art website and to place your order for this collector’s edition print. I will be donating a percentage of the sales from this print this week to the Jerome Bettis Bus Stops Here Foundation. Here We Go Steelers!

Click the link below to the Steelers Art section of my fine art website to purchase this print of NFL Hall of Fame legend, Jerome Bettis.

Steel City Artist Illustrations – Steelers Art

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“Washington’s Return To Pittsburgh”

In this painting and on this President’s Day, we look at one of the most prolific men in the history of our nation, George Washington. Before becoming our first president, George Washington spent much of his early military career here in southwestern Pennsylvania. I wanted to capture a scene of Washington on his horse of the place that bears his name overlooking the city he helped to shape and what it has become.

Washington’s first journey to western Pennsylvania was an expedition in the fall and winter of 1753-54 from Williamsburg, VA to Fort LeBoeuf (Erie). He faced the unknown of the wilderness and hostile fire on numerous occasions. One skirmish took place on the slopes of Chestnut Ridge in Fayette Co. There he clashed with French soldiers, providing the spark that ignited a worldwide “war for empire”. Locally it is known as the French & Indian War, but it ultimately involved France, Great Britain, Canada, Native American tribes, Spain, Germany, Prussia, Austria & India.

Washington recognized the strategic importance of building a fort at what is now Pittsburgh. The British created Fort Prince George in February, 1754 near the Point along the Monongahela River. No sooner had it been built when French forces arrived burning the British stockade and erecting Fort Duquesne. The French held Fort Duquesne until November, 1758 when a combined British and colonial force, including Colonel George Washington built Fort Pitt which became one of the most elaborate strongholds in North America.

Click the link below to the Pittsburgh Art section of my fine art website to purchase this colorful print for your Pittsburgh home honoring our city and country.

Steel City Artist Illustrations – Pittsburgh Art

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