Crystal Lake artist paints Cubs greats

CRYSTAL LAKE – John Hanley will try to resemble a composed 47-year-old today as he visits Wrigley Field, but his inner 12-year-old will be doing cartwheels down the aisles.

Hanley not only has a ticket to see the Cubs retire No. 31 for star pitchers Ferguson Jenkins and Greg Maddux, but he also has a hand in the ceremony. The Cubs commissioned the Crystal Lake artist to paint action portraits of Jenkins and Maddux, which will be presented to the players on the field before the game.

The ceremony starts at 12:30 p.m. and will air on WGN-TV. The first 5,000 fans to enter the stadium also will receive a replica print by Hanley that features both players.

“It’s really unbelievable that I’m even part of this,” said Hanley, a lifelong Cubs fan. “I can’t describe it. It was so much fun to work on. I didn’t want it to end.”

Hanley is well-known among sports artists, having been nominated as Sports Artist of the Year by the United States Sport Art Museum in 2002.

But it will be hard for him to top today’s thrill.

Hanley worked in the studio above his home’s garage for 10 to 12 hours a day for almost three months to finish the paintings, which include solo portraits of Jenkins and Maddux and one that combined the pair. He sketched the images before painting them on 30-inch-by-40-inch canvasses with a mix of oil and acrylic paints and colored pencils.

“It was so much fun doing the research, looking at the pictures, and trying to figure out what to do,” said Hanley, who lives in Crystal Lake with his wife, Carol, and three children. “With both of them, their mechanics were pretty much flawless. And Fergie had this signature move that he did with his glove.”

Only a handful of people have seen the paintings, which the Cubs will reveal today. Hanley cannot describe specific details about the paintings until today, but the team is more than happy with the results.

The Cubs plan to make 18-inch-by-24-inch replica prints available soon for fans to buy at cubs.com.

“We were looking for the perfect touch to give arguably two of the best pitchers in Cubs history on their special day,” said Matt Wszolek, the team’s director of sales and promotions. “It really has turned out to be one of the biggest thrills of my career watching John’s talent and love for the Cubs show up on the canvasses. I really can’t wait to see the reactions of Fergie and Greg.”