Profile of Artist Dick Bobnick
Artist, Dick Bobnick, has been a successful illustrator for over forty years. His great versatility in creating near photo realistic portraits, celebrity montages, action-adventure illustrations, glamorous pinups, sports art and historical themed paintings has kept his work in demand by regional and national advertising agencies, public relations firms and publishers of books and collectibles.
Dick graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and with a superb portfolio already prepared was hired within two months of graduation by a major Minneapolis graphic arts studio where he learned basic graphic production. Six months later he was hired by a second major studio as a full time illustrator.
Few match Dick's professionalism, style and ability to capture the likeness and personality of persons in show business, sports and American history. His celebrity portraits, gorgeous pinups, sports and historical montages, private client portraiture and vast experience in general advertising art has afforded him many awards over the years. In addition to his many original paintings he offers beautiful archival Giclee prints for sale in various sizes through his official print site:www.dick-bobnick.artistwebsites.com .
Dick's published work has included portrait illustrations in major national ads in U.S.A. TODAY for President Reagan's second inaugural in 1985. A portrait commission of golf legend, Sam Snead, followed and later became Snead's choice for his official PGA Hall Of Fame portrait.
In 1994 Dick was commissioned to create the official 40th anniversary commemorative print of the Normandy Invasion for the United States Historical Society and in 1996 he produced portraits of the four presidential and vice presidential candidates of Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Bob Dole and Jack Kemp for collectible prints.
Sports heroes Kirby Puckett, Ryne Sandberg, Greg Maddux and Jim Kelly were the subjects of a series of collectible prints marketed by a Minneapolis graphics firm and lead to other sports subjects for Dick's remarkable artwork. U. S. Postal stamp caches of musical legends Louis Armstrong, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams and Pete Fountain became collectors' favorites. The world famous Franklin Mint bought the rights to produce Dick's dramatic portrait of the iconic Roman Catholic nun, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, in 1997 and it became a world favorite.
One of Dick's most honored paintings is his glamour portrait of legendary screen actress Marilyn Monroe commissioned by the Franklin Mint for the inside front and back covers of the bestselling novel, BLONDE, by famed author, Joyce Carole Oates. His action-adventure collector plate series commemorating the classic James Bond films, starring Sean Connery, became a world favorite in the late '90's and is still collected and traded today on the collectibles market. A similar plate series honoring the famous GUNSMOKE TV series soon followed with a similar world market in collectibles.
More recently Dick was commissioned to create a unique series of pinups for Camel cigarettes promotion ads for their new flavored cigarettes by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. That opened a whole new area of subject matter for Dick with his unique boudoir portrait offerings.
Throughout his career Dick has been the recipient of many local, regional and national awards as well as his recognition in international exhibitions and competitions, many of which are listed on the contact-portraits from your photos page.
His impressive list of past clientele has included the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Elvis Presley Enterprises, The United States Historical Society, the U.S. Army, General Mills, the Minnesota Orchestral Association, AT&T, Sony Corporation, Art Instruction Schools Inc., the Grand Ole Opry, Northwest Airlines, Editor/Publisher magazine, Barbour Publishing and all the major producers of the worlds' most famous collectibles: the Franklin Mint, the Danbury Mint, the Bradford Exchange and the Hamilton Collection and many regional and national advertising agencies.
Dick continues producing his dynamic artwork along with his unique "portraits from your photos" service in his Burnsville Minnesota studio.
Montage illustration of GOLDFINGER , one of a series of six paintings commissioned by the Franklin Mint for Heirloom collector plates commemorating the James Bond films starring Sean Connery.