Dean Crouser was a throwing prodigy, holding national high school records in the shot put, javelin and discus.
An elbow injury took away the javelin but he was still able to compete at the University of Oregon in the shot put and discus, setting school records in both before injuries ended his career.
Thirty-four years later, Dean's records still stand, and if you meet him in person, you can see why. At 55 years old, he still looks like he can still hold his own.
The explosive drive to be the best on the athletic field is gone. It has, some might say ironically, been replaced by a measured desire to learn everything about painting.
For the better part of the last decade Dean Crouser has been, by trade, an artist. He has always been an artist at heart, teaching himself to paint by reading books on technique and studying those whose work he admires. However, in 2008, when the housing market began to slow, he decided to take the leap from real estate to art.
What started as a single sale at an art show has turned into a business that has his artwork everywhere from galleries, to Patagonia catalogs and even beer bottles!
Much like his personality, Dean's artwork is approachable, outgoing and fun. He wants his art to be unique, which is why it has received so much attention. Leave it to the athlete to teach us all about art.