David O’Keefe Master Sculptor and Passionate Painter
Raised on Hollywood, sports and rock and roll music, David O’Keefe has an acute awareness for the images and personalities that have colored the lives of his generation. He just sees things differently – more intensely, edgier, somewhat more perspicuous than the average spectator. The pop culture icons that we idolize, glamorize and glorify, O’Keefe visualizes for us in all their humanness as well as their stardom.

An editorial illustrator for over 25 years, currently selected image O’Keefe began his art career at The Tampa Tribune as a promotion artist, dabbled in editorial cartooning under mentor, Wayne Stayskal, and spent several years as the Special Project’s Illustrator for the newsroom. His sardonic caricatures and humorous illustrations have appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Mad Magazine, The Village Voice and within the pages of TIME. His advertising clients include Coca-Cola, WaffleHouse, Fuji and SunCom Communications.

In 2007, David left his day job to pursue his passion of painting and sculpting pop culture icons. O’Keefe’s work is transformative, capturing not just the likeness of his subjects, but their personalities as well. He has recently released an epic depiction of the characters from The Godfather and of the entire I Love Lucy cast. His company, David O’Keefe Studios, distributes his work through galleries across the country and in Europe. David O’Keefe Studios also operates a solo gallery on St. Armand’s Circle in Sarasota, Florida.

O’Keefe’s work has won numerous awards from such organizations as The Society of Illustrators (NY and LA), American Illustration, Communication Arts, National Headliner Awards, Dimensional Illustrators, and the Society of News Design.

He considers himself blessed to pursue his dream and finds great joy in his work and in his family. O’Keefe currently resides in the Tampa Bay Area with his wife, Janice and their four children.

This limited edition giclee’ print of artist David O’Keefe’s art masterpiece, La Famiglia, was compiled entirely from O`Keefe`s extraordinary talent and imagination.

David’s Inspiration
“In 2006 I started working on “The Godfather.” I had always been inspired by Francis Ford Coppola and his movies and I wanted to do the most magnificent painting ever.  The time on the clock over the mantle is the time when I finished the painting, 3:25 p.m. or 35 minutes to “Judge Judy.”
LaFamigila includes various iconic elements from the classic saga and features 13 characters including director Francis Ford Coppola.

• Luca Brasi`s (Lenny Montana) huge hands signify he`s the “muscle”of the organization.
• Director Francis Ford Coppola`s portrait hangs over the fireplace. Coppola fought constantly with the studio over getting the film done his way.
• Framed picture of Robert Deniro as a young Don Corleone in lower left hand corner. He will play young Don Corleone in The Godfather II.  Don Corleone is the only the character to receive two academy awards as played by two different actors: Marlon Brando in The Godfather and Deniro in Godfather II.
• Moe Green`s (Alex Rocco) cracked glasses under the lamp. He took a bullet in the eye on a hit by Michael.
• Connie (Talia Shire) holding a purse, signifying her #1 thought is money.
• Michael (Al Pacino) holding Kay`s (Diane Keaton) hand pulling her into the family.
• Godfather (Marlon Brando) prominent in center as diagonal lines draw you into his face.
• The cat held by Marlon Brando in the opening scene was a stray the actor found while on the lot at Paramount, and was not originally called for in the script. So content was the cat that its purring muffled some of Brando`s dialogue, and, as a result, most of his lines had to be looped
• There are approximately 61 scenes in the film that feature people eating/drinking, or just food. Thus the table of alcohol in the lower right hand corner.
• Although the dark photography of Gordon Willis was eventually copied by many other films, when the developed film came back from the lab, Paramount executives thought the look was a mistake. They ordered Coppola to re-shoot and he refused.

• The presence of oranges (the fruit) in the Godfather trilogy indicates that a death-related event will soon occur . In chronological order of such events:

1. Hagen and Woltz negotiate Johnny Fontane`s position at a table with a bowl of oranges on it, and later Woltz discovers his horse`s severed head.
2. Don Corleone buys oranges right before he is shot
3. Sonny drives past an advertisement for Florida oranges before he is assassinated
4. At the Mafioso summit, bowls of oranges are placed on the tables
5. Michael eats an orange while discussing his plans with Hagen
6. Before Don Corleone dies, he plays with an orange.
7. Tessio, who is executed for attempting to betray Michael, plays with an orange at Connie`s wedding.