A couple of years back, during the NFL playoffs, I decided to combine two things I love: football and art. And some of you know that I have painted a number of sports paintings for a variety of stadiums and arenas. And also I have made a series of paintings capturing key moments from teams tied to where my family lives. This one’s about the Philadelphia Eagles, where my niece lives in Philidelphia.
The painting is all about Torrey Smith during the NFC Championship game. And yes, I know, Philly fans are… let’s say intense. So, there’s a bit of pressure when you’re painting something tied to that level of passion. But it’s not just about football. It’s about taking that energy, the colors, the movement, and putting it into a form that feels alive.
I wanted the painting to go beyond just being a scene from a game. It’s not about telling a story or explaining what’s happening. It’s about the way the lines pull your eye, the shapes make you feel something, and the colors hit you like the roar of the crowd. Sports art, for me, is less about capturing the play and more about what the play feels like.
Why Football and Art?
Honestly, I’m not even sure why sports have such a hold on me when I paint. Maybe it’s the challenge. Capturing motion in something as still as a canvas? There are times when I’ve stared at the work halfway through and thought, “What am I even doing?” But it always comes together most of the time.
Sports are full of emotion, and painting them is like freezing that one moment before it’s gone. There is something pretty cool about knowing that what I’ve made hangs on someone’s wall and gives them even a fraction of what they felt watching the game live.
Painting Torrey Smith
I kept this one pretty abstract with lots of movement, a sense of chaos but also control. It’s all about how the game feels when you’re watching it. Painting in black and white can be tricky, but it can also give a strong presence to the painting. I used bold lines and forms to create energy. That’s what makes this piece special to me. It’s not perfect, but then again, neither is the game, and that’s the beauty of it.
