Stanley Cup Moment

A couple of months ago, Shannon reached out on behalf of Handlebar Hockey to ask if I'd be willing to contribute to their 24-hour hockey game in support of the Movember Foundation.  She wanted me to do a rendition of a post-victory moment where Alexander Ovechkin is kissing the Stanley Cup.  I said that if time allowed, I would try.

That project had been sitting in the commission queue for several months when Shannon circled back.  Their event is coming up on November 16th at the Casman Centre.  She gave me a friendly nudge at just the right time and I dived into the project immediately.   I've committed to donating the very first print that comes off the line for their silent auction.  Money raised goes to the Movember Foundation which tackles mens' and boys' health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer, as well as mental health awareness and suicide prevention.


I have painted a few hockey players over the years.  Bryan Trottier's Stanley Cup moment was done just days before the fire down in Edmonton in support of the Alzheimer's Society of Northern Alberta. It sold for $10,000.


Connor McDavid came alive for the same charity in 2017.  As excitement was super high about the Oiler's - they had just won the first round of the playoffs - it raised $18,000.


The young oiler's phenom was also the subject in 2018. The same generous purchaser from the previous year donated $10,000 to give this one a home.


Down in Calgary, I was honoured to paint Gordie, Marty and Mark Howe for the massive Pro Am Tournament that raises money for Gordie Howe C.A.R.E.S. (Centre for Alzheimer's Research and Education Society).  Mark even started bidding on this one, though it eventually went beyond what he was ready to spend.  It eventually sold for $10,000. That was in 2017.


In 2018, my subject was goaltender Sean Burke who played 18 seasons in the NHL and was Canada's net minder during the 1988 Calgary Olympics.  It helped raise $7,500 for the work of Gordie Howe C.A.R.E.S.


What was different about painting Alexander Ovechkin is that he was the first to come to life in the quiet of Birdsong Studio.  All the others happened in front of audiences ranging from 400 to 600 people, including large contingents of NHL veterans.  I got a great jump on the project on Saturday, leaving the Stanley Cup and finishing details for the following day.


I'll be sending off orders for canvas prints to make sure they arrive in time for the Handlebar Hockey's 24-hour game.  Meanwhile, the original is being auctioned off on my Russell Thomas Art Facebook Page.  Bids close at 9 pm MST on Tuesday, October 16.  Bids are in Canadian dollars for those down in the U.S.

Ovechkin's Stanley Cup Moment
20" x 30"
acrylic on canvas
Canvas prints of these quintessential hockey moments sell for hundreds and hundreds of dollars at charity events, helping a broad range of causes.  This is a rare opportunity to bid on an original outside of a major charity event.

If you're interested in ordering a gallery canvas print of this work, please let us know.  You can send a private note on the Russell Thomas Art Facebook Page or send over an email to russell.thomas@birdsongconnections.com.

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