People around Frankfort know a neighbor and former dentist who goes by the name of Steven Lotysz.
Most of the rest of the world knows him as Steve Lotus.
Since becoming a big time artist on the professional golf circuit in 1997, he noticed people had a hard time pronouncing his name, so Lotysz became Lotus and his career as a painter has been blooming ever since.
This year will be special for the 70-year-old, as he will be the artist for his 50th major golf event when he puts brush to canvas for the 152nd British Open at Royal Troon Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland.
He has been commissioned to create official artwork for the British Open in July but before that, he will provide the artwork in May at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
His score card includes the last 10 British Opens, the last 25 PGA Championships, the last four U.S. Ryder Cups, four Masters, the U.S. Open and multiple senior major championships.
One of the many highlights of his career was his first encounter with the Masters in Augusta, Georgia.
Long before he was commissioned to do the 2016 Masters, Lotysz and his son, Christopher, were able to walk around the fabled Augusta National course.
“When we walked on the grounds early that morning, I looked out on the ground and said, ‘If I ever get to paint this course, I will have to buy a lot of new paints,”’ he said.
“The colors there were just amazing. There was so much beauty on that course. The flowers. The grasses. The texture. It was just amazing.”
And in 2016, when he got the green light to provide the artwork for the Masters, Lotysz indeed bought some new paints.
“I was experimenting with new greens because they have a magical formula there to make beautiful colors on that course,” Lotysz said.
His career got started in 1997, when he became the signature artist for the U.S. Senior Open at Olympia Fields Country Club.
But landing the gig wasn’t easy. He thought he was qualified to provide the art for that tournament. Those in charge didn’t quite see it that way.
“The people said they would get back to me,” Lotysz said. “But they never got back to me.”
After a few more rounds of people not getting back to him, Lotysz picked up a break when Vince Greci became the golf course president. Greci and his new staff members did get back to Lotysz and a new career was born.
“What I learned is, don’t take ‘no’ for an answer unless you hear it from the right person,” he said. “It’s all about not giving up.”
Lotysz was an artist growing up and never gave up on it when he attended Northern Illinois and changed the course of his career path. The Chicago native was originally an art major but went into science because being an artist was financially iffy, and he thought he could be successful in the sciences.
Lotysz became a dentist and had a long and satisfying career in that field.
But he stayed true to his art and doesn’t think that being a dentist and artist is all that different.
“Good hand and eye coordination helps in both art and dentistry,” he said. “I think there is an artist in every dentist. What they do requires precision.”
Lotysz’s wife of 47 years, Sue Lotysz, plays a huge role in his career, albeit in the background, taking on administrative duties that have helped him sell paintings and prints to people all over the world.
“It’s very rewarding,” she said. “We’ve met so many people. We’ve gotten to know a lot of people who have become friends over the years.”
They have been to 14 states and three other countries for his painting career.
The husband-and-wife tag-team have not hobnobbed with too many golfers but have gotten to know their families well.
Steve, however, was able to develop a relationship with legend Arnold Palmer.
“We were at the British open and I shook his hand, and we talked about the artwork,” Lotysz said of Palmer. “He said he had one of my pieces hanging in his collection.”
Lotysz is not ready to give up being Steve Lotus just yet.
“How can you retire from something you love to do?” he said. “Sue does a lot of the busy work, and she makes sure the operation is being run and there are quite a few details there.
“But she said if I quit, she would go volunteer somewhere else. So, I said I’ll keep painting.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
