Boston Sports Then and Now

Portnoy's Youk

One of the great things about social media (i.e. Face book and Twitter), you meet all types of people.

People with different personalities and different skills.

People you would probably never have met if it wasn’t for the social technology at your finger tips.

In my cyber travels, I came across two artists that have produced Boston sports works that really caught my eye and piqued by interest.

Neal Portnoy of Idrawpeople.com and Chris DeRoy have expressed their love for Boston Sports in different artistic styles.  However, they have married their passions for art and sports in very similar ways.

With paint and paper.

DeRoy's KG

Works such as these become conversation pieces and family heirlooms that will be passed through generations.

Fans will go on lifelong treks to have these masterpieces signed by the athletes that are depicted in them.

It would be the cherry on top of any Boston sports fan’s sundae.

So take some time with me and meet these memory makers.

I  asked each artist some questions about their backgrounds and of course talked Beantown sports.

Neal Portnoy

How did you become an artist?

I got into the art field when my baseball career ended.  I played College ball at U. Miami in the 70’s and then had a

Portnoy's Teddy Ballgame

short stint in a Latin league that traveled and played in the Dominican Republic and Ponce PR.  A knee injury and subsequent arm injury ended my dream.

What influenced you to combine Boston Sports and Art?

My passion for Boston sports, and my ability to draw, led me (or to use a pun, drew me to Boston athletes) to illustrate some of Boston’s best athletes.

What piece are you the most proud of and why?

The work of art I’m most proud of is my latest….Kevin Youkilis.  It’s a multi image rendering of Kevin that I created in marker 16×20 in size.

What is your favorite Boston Sports Memory/athlete?

My most cherished sports moment was when I got to meet Ted Williams and we chatted about baseball.  I was hired back then to draw caricatures at the Red Sox fantasy camp in Winter Haven, and Ted was in camp.  Years later, Major League baseball Alumni Association commissioned me to do the drawing they presented Ted at his retirement event at the Wang Center in Boston called “An Evening With #9 and Friends”,  Polaroid printed 8×10 reproductions of the original art as an insert in the evenings program for all to have.  I printed an 11×14 of the original which Ted signed for me, and still is my most cherished framed print hanging in my office.

If you are interested in Neal’s works, please visit www.idrawpeople.com for more Boston Sports Art and ordering info.

Chris DeRoy

How did you become an artist?

DeRoy's Larry Legend

I have always been an artist, Since I was a kid.I remember my mom would draw pictures of Sesame Street Characters for my brother and Sister and myself and as far back as I can remember I have been doing cartoons, Caricatures of Kids in my class and so on.

What influenced you to combine Boston Sports and Art?

Well I love sports, I love all Boston Sports but I am not that much into Hockey. I remember being a Kid and having a few of the Caricature T-shirts with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson on it. I sat there and just wished that one Day I could draw those kind of pictures, So Ever since I started to draw I did sports related work

What piece are you the most proud of and why?

I have an abstract Piece that I did called “The Beginning” It is an abstract image of a stomach/hip based on my fiancé Kilah. Don’t know why I like it so much, but it is the one that I am the most proud of.

What is your favorite Boston Sports Memory/athlete?

I can barely remember the Celtics winning it in ‘86, but I do remember it. I have always loved basketball, So I would say that When the C’s won the Championship in 2008 and the way the season Transpired was one of my favorite memories of local sports, that and the Red Sox winning it all in 2004. My favorite Boston Sports Athlete of all time…Well I am going to pick somebody that I remember playing…That I grew up watching and that would be Larry Bird.

If you are interested in Chris’ works, please email christopherderoy@yahoo.com for more Boston Sports Art and ordering info.

Be sure to check out the new monthly feature on Boston Sports Then and Now called Wicked Awesome Sports Art.

If you know an artist that should be featured please email bostonsportsthenandnow@gmail.com.