For artist Dave Shetsky, a family theme runs through his drawings of Chicago sports icons

Chicago Tribune

15 hours ago

If you need a crash course on Chicago sports, Dave Shetsky's art is the place to go.
He recaptures various eras using only colored pencils. Upon entering his studio, you're met with framed depictions of local icons.
To begin a recent studio tour, he presented two drawings of Derrick Rose: one from his MVP 2010-11 season with the Chicago Bulls and the other from Rose's final season in 2023-24 with the Memphis Grizzlies.
You know what happened in between.
The first picture shows Rose staring blankly ahead, mentally preparing for a game. The Bulls of that era had high hopes of returning to the prestige of the franchise's championship years, adding weight on Rose's shoulders.
Shetsky said he enjoys drawing franchise players such as Rose because he feels 'sorry that they get hassled' by fans.
'You can't get more pressure,' Shetsky said. 'I always liked him because he's humble and soft-spoken. He's not a social animal. Just leave him alone.'
Rose wrote in the 2019 book 'I'll Show You' that he felt betrayed by Chicago media in his final seasons with the Bulls and wished he had his 'own reporter' to go to when the narrative spiraled out of control, like he felt Michael Jordan had.
'(After) that injury, reporters were questioning his bravery and if he could come back,' Shetsky said. 'When you have an injury and people are there every day, it gets on your nerves.'
Shetsky drew a picture of Rose's mother, Brenda, and sent it to him in 2011. Rose told Shetsky he still has the portrait.
'I'm inspired by their character strengths, abilities and being Chicago,' Shetsky said. 'They get lambasted in the press, so I want to make them know that there's fans out there that aren't ripping on them.'
The second drawing shows Rose in an entirely new light.
'Here, he's very happy,' Shetsky said, raising the smiling Grizzlies picture.
Shetsky then walked to the corner of his studio, where portraits of Mike Ditka shined in the light. He showed a drawing of a young Ditka presenting a college All-America award to his mother, Charlotte.
'Who's that? That's Da Coach,' he said with a big smile.
Ditka was instrumental in the launch of Shetsky's career.
He saw Ditka in a restaurant one day in 2006 'holding court with a bunch of people.' He needed encouragement from his wife, Marsha, to present the portrait to the coach.
'I was scared his hands would envelop me,' Shetsky said.
Ditka's serious demeanor earned him the 'Iron Mike' moniker, and smiles were a foreign concept. That's what Shetsky loves about him.
'Man, he's real,' Shetsky said. 'If he don't like you, you'll know in three seconds.'
But beyond the gridiron, he was a family man. While Ditka's father worked, Charlotte raised their four children, strengthening Ditka's bond with his mother.
Finally, Shetsky presented the picture.
'I just stuck it in front of him,' he said. 'They said he almost cried.'
Ditka bought the portraits Shetsky made of him from that point on. He hasn't seen the coach in 'several years,' but the influence remains. Shetsky found a new purpose in his art.
'I can tell by reading eyes,' he said. 'My wife noticed that about me; that's one of the reasons I do it. He was extremely close to his mom, so that brought a reaction out of him.'
Other portraits stood in the studio closet, hiding in plain sight. Kris Bryant with his wife after the 2016 World Series. A rookie Jimmy Butler with his adopted mother, Michele Lambert. Doug Buffone's children.
In the back right corner lay a fresh portrait of Shetsky's grandson. The baby is wearing Cubs gear, likely an early influence from Granddad. (As for the chances of the Cubs fan creating any White Sox art, Shetsky said they're 'nonexistent.')
A theme runs through Shetsky's art: family.
'They gave up a lot of their lives for them,' Shetsky said. 'I did one of Dan Marino and his dad (because) he sacrificed his whole life for him.
'What I major in, it's got to feel good for them to receive it. I would say I do it because it makes them feel good.'
He describes his art in two words: strong and sweet. He admires the courage of the athletes he draws and their strength to endure pain, physically and mentally.
'When people look at art, they say it's strong realism,' Shetsky said. 'Art is a thousand different things, but if people say he looks real, that's strong in art.
'I'm not sweet, (so) I do little things to make them look their best. A lot of it is my love of being a fan. What I do is close to being a movie of their life. It's not just a moment.'
The final stop of the tour was where Shetsky showed the rest of his work. The art sat under a large drawing of Jonathan Toews carrying the Stanley Cup after the Blackhawks' 2013 championship. The centerpiece is his drawing of Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur that was displayed in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.
Before exiting the studio, he got one final question: Who would be on a Dave Shetsky portrait?
Faster than he first picked up the pencils, with that Ditka demeanor, he pointed toward his wife.