George Vlosich's artwork is truly etched in time. The Lakewood High School and Cleveland Institute of Art graduate started drawing at age two.
At age 10 he picked up an Etch A Sketch and The rest is history.
- Lakewood Ohio native George Vlosich III possesses a rare artistic talent on the Etch A Sketch
- His one-of-a-kind art has grabbed the attention of the world's biggest names in sports and entertainment
- His work on the Etch A Sketch has led to a popular t-shirt and art company, GV Art & Design
“It was my mom's old Etch A Sketch from when she was a little girl and threw it in the back seat for us to play with when we heading to Washington, D.C., and I did the U.S. Capital building and showed them when I was done and they looked at it and they're like oh my gosh, I can't believe you did this,” said George Vlosich, co-owner of GV Art & Design.
“I've learned, you know, as a little kid, there's no point in competing with, you know, the best in the world basically, so I am just amazed every time I see him do another Etch A Sketch,” said Greg Vlosich, George’s brother and co-owner of the art company.
As a teenager, the die-hard Cleveland sports fan concentrated on drawing athletes.
Word spread on his talents, and soon he was meeting legends like Jim Brown, Lebron James, Charles Barkley, Cal Ripken, and even Muhammad Ali.
“Muhammad Ali was up there for me. Michael Jordan was my favorite. John Wooden was just really awesome. He was reading poetry to us and telling us stories and just the inspiration he kind of gave. That was probably my favorite experience growing up with the Etch A Sketch," said George Vlosich.
George Vlosich also got the chance to meet President Clinton, Hollywood A-lister Will Smith, and in 2010 he even made an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show, surprising the talk show host legend with a personalized work of art.
His art is featured not only in Ohio, but in galleries throughout the world. One of his newest murals is featured at Lebron James’ I Promise School in Akron.
Transforming straight lines and squiggles into works of art is not a simple task. In fact, some of the sketches take upwards of 80 hours to create.
“One little knob the other way, its back and forth and so it's hard to actually teach. But yeah, no one in the world can do it to the extent that I can do it,” said George Vlosich.
Perhaps the defining moment in Vlosich's career came in 2007 when he gained internet fame for his Etch A Sketch portrait of Lebron James, when the Cavs were in the NBA finals.
It was also the first opportunity to launch the GV brand.
The video went viral with one million views in a week, and was named by "20/20" as one of the top viral videos for 2007.
The Vlosich family then began selling t-shirts and artwork out of their home and on the internet, using the slogan “Cleveland that I love.”
GV Art & Design continues to be a popular spot with fans and athletes and has three locations across the Buckeye state—in Lakewood, Willoughby and Kent.
“I think people realize what true fans we are of not only the teams but also the city of Cleveland. It's really cool to see how far I've taken it. Now doing these large murals and pieces from the line-work of the Etch A Sketch, and seeing them in a casino and the Browns Stadium, and different places around town is really cool,” said George Vlosich.
Although he has set the standard for the Etch A Sketch for more than two decades, Geroge Vlosich remains humble and focused on the next project and yes, another hometown championship.