When Canada Soccer asked if I wanted to draw the retirement gift for Christine Sinclair I responded with "Do YOU want me to draw the retirement piece for Christine?"
To have the opportunity to draw something like this for a living sports legend is everything a sports artist can hope for... and yet I still tried to find reasons for why I didn't deserve this honour. That insecurity propelled me to work harder than I ever had to produce something that would match even a fraction of what she does on the pitch.
Now, how does one capture over 20 years of dominance in a drawing? I owe the Canada Soccer events team for the amazing input and encouragement. Several key individuals took the time to reminisce and share all of her greatest and proudest moments during the time she played for Canada Soccer.
When I start a piece, I usually jump right to the area(s) that I feel least confident rendering. I really wasn't sure how much detail I was going to try to pack into her kit. In an ideal world, it would include every little detail possible. However, I knew time was ticking. I sat down and began drawing a few sections around the "12". After spending 2-3 hours on each "triangle" I thought it would be possible to capture everything. This led to many long days of drawing dot after dot. In the end, I am glad I went for it.
The drawing incorporates some of her greatest moments
and fondest people in an effort to showcase who Sinc truly is as a competitor and person. In the end, I am extremely proud of what I was able to put together and I hope Canada feels as though I was able to honour her with my work.
Time to Draw: 252 hours
Medium: Graphite pencil on paper
Size: 22x28"
