Robert McFetridge's dynamic art expresses the grace and power of athletes frozen in time. In fact, his expert suspension of bodies in space collapses the distance between art and sports.
The tense articulation of limbs, the laser-like focus in the eyes, the rigorous attention to detail and his imaginatively constructed backgrounds all blend beautifully, commanding the attention of ballers and art fans alike.
Working closely with his father (who owned a sign painting business) helped forge his early development in the arts. Sports Illustrated magazine and football cards also inspired the young McFetridge to create accurate representational renderings of competitors. Initially, he executed his photorealistic portraits with colored pencils. Over time, he employed airbrush and acrylics to efficiently achieve his highly detailed results. Although his vision seems to be fully realized in each piece, he is never complacent, and he continues to explore novel ideas and techniques to take his art to the next level.
McFetridge started playing football when he was six years old and went on to play as a free safety at Millersville University. There he learned the tremendous amount of hard work, dedication and love it takes to be successful. “Both sports and art have played a huge role in shaping me to become the person that I am today,” he says. “As a kid, I had dreams of playing in the NFL someday. When I realized that was not going to happen, I focused on my art and becoming the best artist I could possibly be. By never giving up on my dream and my passion for art, I made the NFL—just in a different capacity. I became a licensed NFL artist.”
McFetridge's art is now part of the visual legacy of professional sports. Through the Deacon Jones Foundation, three of his works were displayed at Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco. Four of his drawings were used as program covers for the NBA's Phoenix Suns. Another highlight occurred when he donated a painting of Andre Reed to his charity and watched Hall of Famer Franco Harris outbid everyone for it in an auction.
Robert McFetridge is licensed by the NFL through the Deacon Jones Foundation. Prints of his paintings can be purchased at deaconjones.com.
