Bay area artist's celebrity caricatures wow golf company

"What an incredible Cinderella story. This unknown comes out of nowhere to lead the pack ..."

David O'Keefe, a homegrown caricature artist with world-class skills, has a lot in common with Bill Murray's groundskeeper character, Carl Spackler, from the 1980 film "Caddyshack."

A longtime resident of Brandon, O'Keefe isn't likely to refer to his hometown as "nowhere" - but, considering his naturally self-effacing character, he might not hesitate to call himself an unknown.

Unlike Spackler's "Cinderella story" dreams, however, O'Keefe has a real chance of hitting the big time with his latest large-scale painting. It's a real crowd-pleaser, depicting every major player from the classic golf-themed comedy: Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Chevy Chase, and even Spackler's nemesis, Mr. Gopher.

The painting was commissioned by Steve Garske, president and owner of Par Aide, a manufacturer of golf accessories that made their way to the big screen in "Caddyshack." True to the spirit of product placement, O'Keefe features one of the company's ball washers at the center of his new group portrait.

Garske became aware of O'Keefe's work during a Florida vacation, when he stopped in at his solo gallery on Sarasota's St. Armand's Circle. The gallery is filled with paintings, art prints, posters and sculptures of celebrities from the worlds of pop culture and sports.

"I was just blown away by his 'Godfather' caricatures," Garske says. "That guy is so talented."

Over the years, O'Keefe has humorously skewered hundreds - possibly thousands - of well-known personalities. His drawings, paintings and sculptures frequently were showcased on the pages of the Tribune, where he worked for 27 years.

In addition to the "Caddyshack" painting, O'Keefe recently completed caricatures of the "Seinfeld" cast, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson. He also has produced sculpted "stress toys" representing Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi for The Weekly Standard.

"Ohmigod, a Biden! I can't believe it!" says O'Keefe, gently mocking the public's likely reaction to this new product line.

Keeping a careful watch on the marketplace, O'Keefe looks for cultural icons with "staying power," focusing on "Janis Joplin rather than Taylor Swift - and doing them at their peak." Upcoming projects include rock idol Jimi Hendrix and legendary coach Bear Bryant.

"For years, I've wanted to do a Baroque painting of 'Gilligan's Island'; There would be cherubs all over the place," he jokes. But that dream project may have to wait - unless a Baroque-loving "Gilligan" fan comes calling with a commission.

O'Keefe's "Caddyshack" painting will be displayed in Par Aide's main office in St. Paul, Minn. Before heading North, the painting will be unveiled at a gallery at 1060 Ocean Drive in Miami's South Beach during the buildup to Super Bowl weekend. An encore unveiling is planned for David O'Keefe Studios in Sarasota at 12 N. Boulevard of Presidents, St. Armand's Circle.