To see Stephen Holland at the edge of the ice, with his camera lens poking through a hole in the glass, during a Los Angeles King¹s hockey game, is a familiar sight. In 1989, Holland was named "Official Artist of the Kings." His art regularly appears on the covers of the King¹s "Game Night" magazine, while Kings¹ private offices at the Forum look like a one-man show of Stephen Holland¹s work. Although Holland has painted hundreds of sports paintings for commissions, lithographs, serigraphs and commercial ventures, he is best known for his magnificent portrait of the World¹s Greatest Athlete "Muhammad Ali". Originally painted for the Silver Anniversary of the Victor Awards (honoring Ali as "Athlete of the Century"), the painting was soon selected by Ali¹s wife as the image to represent him for his 50th birthday party. Giant posters of the painting flanked the landmark Wiltern Theatre in Hollywood, as thousands attended Ali¹s televised tribute. A limited edition, fine art lithograph has been issued, each numbered and signed by Muhammed Ali and Stephen Holland. What is it that first attracted Holland to painting sports? As a young painter, unable to afford live models, he drew from boxing magazines. There he saw the male form in all its power and glory, expressed as contemporary gladiator. Reading the articles in the magazines conveyed to him the determination and hard work that any athlete must have to be a winner. Holland found it an inspiration to himself as an artist to put as much discipline, devotion and determination into his own work, in order to express what both he and the athlete experience. None of this came easy for Holland. As a child he was handicapped, and had to watch his family and friends play sports, while the steel brace he wore on his leg even prevented him from attending normal school. But handicaps often heighten one¹s sensitivity and talents may develop elsewhere. So Stephen Holland sat and sketched his friends. Though his mother used to say he began drawing as soon as he could hold a pencil, his talent actually blossomed while attending a special high school that devoted half of every day to art studies. Following that he attended the Art Students League, The School of Visual Arts, and Pratt Institute, all in New York City. His talent and contribution to the field of art and sports received national recognition last year when the American Sport Art Museum and Archives awarded him the honor of 1993 Sports Artist of the Year. Today Stephen Holland lives with his wife J¹Nelle in their home/studio in Southern California. When not at various sports arenas, he is often found enjoying his friendship with foremost sports photographer, Robert Riger (from whose photos many of Holland¹s paintings are taken).