This is my final Aikman piece from the studio. Completed in 2006, 5 years after Aikman’s retirement, this watercolor captures Aikman in his early UCLA days through his reign as the Cowboys top gun-slinger. 22″x 30″ watercolor and airbrush background on Arches 300# hot-pressed paper.
This painting saw it’s first brush stroke several years before completion. In fact, the original was promised to my father as a Christmas gift for 2005, then officially given to him Christmas of ’06. Yeah, I’m a lousy gift-giver. But when all was completed and framed up, wow, what a great piece. Paintings with this type of realistic detail are extremely time-consuming consisting of layers upon layers of color creating contrasting light and shadows.
This is my fourth Aikman piece – he was a hero to me during his prime as a Cowboy, leading them to multiple Super Bowl victories.