Artist and author LeRoy Neiman has passed away. He was 91 years old.
Neiman published 15 books over the course of his life. Earlier this month, he released his memoir, All Told: My Art and Life Among Athletes, Playboys, Bunnies, and Provocateurs. The artist was best known for his vibrant paintings of athletes. You can explore his work at this link. Here’s more from his official obituary:
It all began at the age of ten, on his grade school playground of St. Vincent’s in Duluth, when he began plying his trade as a tattoo artist to his classmates, until the practice was squelched by his teachers. But the fire had been ignited, and pursuing his innate talent became both an escape from his Depression surroundings, and an entrée into the world at large. His insatiable curiosity and passion for living, lead to a life that lead to developing Playboy with long-time friend, Hugh Hefner, becoming artist-in-residence at every major sporting event of the past century, establishing friendships with Muhammad Ali, Frank Sinatra and a panoply of celebrities. His iconic images of Ali and Sinatra, the Playboy Femlin, jazz musicians, U.S. presidents, Olympic athletes, Los Vegas gamblers, the animals of Africa, and the world’s most elegant restaurants and watering holes will endure well beyond his passing.