Michael Jordan giclée print by Artist William Lopa
Classic Michael Jordan pose in this giclée print on canvas by the artist William (Bill) Lopa. This is a very nice piece, unsigned by the artist or Michael Jordan. Size: overall canvas is 22.25 x 29.25 inches. Inner white border is 19.75 x 26.75 inches. This print is very rare as the original was commissioned by a patron who has since passed.
Fine art and sports artist of W. Lopa Studios, Bill Lopa has always had a passion for art. At age 5, Lopa segued from mastering his coloring books to bi-weekly art classes at the Nutley Art Academy, where he credits his instructors with educating him about structure, form, and depth perception. Montclair Art Academy followed, and Lopa earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from William Paterson in Wayne, New Jersey. A turning point for Lopa was a professor in his college art class who advised his students never to lose their artistic desire.
From 15 on, art has funded Lopa's life. Friends, family, and neighbors commissioned work from him, and his distinct impressionistic style soon caught on in what can be called grassroots fashion. An avid sports and die-hard Yankees fan, Lopa chose to concentrate his art on what he loved in a genre he found most challenging and enjoyable; kinetic impressionism.
Working in acrylics, Lopa uses a "splatter" technique where the colors are applied with a pallet knife. The use of bold colors and splatter technique captures the image and spirit of an athlete in motion.
Lopa's artwork has been featured in art galleries across the country, such as the Markman Galleries in Las Vegas, Gallery Four at the Garden State Art Plaza, Field of Dreams throughout the country, Artexpo in New York, Just Ducky in Chicago, and in several halls of fame memorabilia franchise stores. Even more special to Lopa is that his paintings are collected and hang in the homes of such greats as Muhammad Ali, Tiki Barber, Roger Clemens, Michael Jordan, Mark McGuire, Paul O'Neill, Mark Prior, George Steinbrenner, Kerry Wood, Yogi Berra, Nolan Ryan, Cal Ripken, Don Mattingly, Derek Jeter, Reggie Jackson, Barbara Sinatra, Diana Munson, Eleanor Gehrig, Julia Ruth, Peyton Manning, Mariano Rivera, Ron Turcotte, and Danny Mantle. Over the past years, Lopa was invited by Major League Baseball, to paint live as the World Series and All-Star Games. He has also painted home plate that was used in the ceremonial first pitch to kick off the 2004 World series.In addition to baseball work, Lopa created the commemorative artwork for three NFL Superbowls and painted live on the sideline of Giants Stadium for the "Manning Bowl". Lopa has also painted live and the Kentucky Derby, one of horse racings elite Triple Crown showdowns. Over his professional career, Lopa's paintings have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities across the country. Just to name a few: American Cancer Society, Barbara Sinatra Children's Hospital, Klein Family Learning Center, Jockey's Guild, James Brown Cancer Center, and the Leukemia Foundation.
Lopa is proud to use his talent to benefit causes close to his heart and has had his paintings. Commissioned by: Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken, Jr. Rodger Clemens, Yogi Berra, Eli Manning, Don Mattingly, Barbara Sinatra, Mariano Rivera, Peyton Manning, Barbara Sinatra, Diane Munson, Eleonore Gehrig, Julia Ruth, and Danny Mantle to name a few.