Messi - The Painting of Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi Cuccittini- 2015

" Messi "
This is a 24" x 30" Acrylic on Canvas painting of
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi Cuccittini. by Joe Versikaitis

The concept for this painting became real after watching the 2014 World Cup. Months later after watching Barcelona FC play in which I got the opportunity to experience Leo Messi perform yet again. I knew then that I needed to create his portraiture.

I am always look at capturing the player in a close up pose. I really want to show the detail in their facial expressions as they play their game. The intensity and drama that goes for any sport that I venture into. The face is what people recognize and they relate to. After all if you can't recognize the player then the painting failed.

As I was watching the game, of course most of the time the only way I can get my inspiration cooking is by watching the games on TV. So standing in front of my 50 inch HD screen, with my camera in hand and watching Messi through the lens I managed to get a couple of shots off. They weren't the best quality but through some sketching and other reference photo I came up with this pose.Like all my paintings I want to leave the unfinished aspect at the bottom. Just slap a little bit of paint around and call it Bueno! 

This jersey and any striped jersey I have done in the past has given me nothing but a challenge. Working with the lines, colors, spacing and then folds. Then try to combine everything to make it look like he is wearing it properly. The yellow is a fluorescent yellowish green kind of color..lol It was fun but really challenging. I hope I did Messi justice?

My wife and I spent most of this spring renovating our house and watching soccer's finest showcase, Brazil's 2014 World Cup competition. Stopping work long enough so that we could watch some of the matches. Everybody in our family has their own favourite team and cheered our hearts away. My team was Spain, and no they didn't do me justice! Regardless of Spain's outcome I also cheered on this tournaments home team, Brazil .......ok and Argentina!...lol

Towards the end of the tournament there was two teams left for the world cup match game, Argentina and Germany. We all know what the out come was by now. But the one player that also fascinated me the most during the games was Leo Messi.At the 2014 World Cup Messi led Argentina to the final and winning four consecutive Man of the Match awards in the process. 

His style of play is in comparisons to compatriot Diego Maradona who himself declared Messi his successor. " I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentinian football and his name is Messi. "

Messi finished as the joint-third-highest goalscorer of the tournament, with four goals and an assist. Messi's goals against the Bosnians, Herzegovinaians and Nigerians put him in nomination for the goal of the tournament award and was voted the best goals of the tournament. His four Man of the Match awards were the most of any player in the tournament.Messi had commented on his awards at the end of the tournament by saying this " I do not care about the Golden Ball. I am just upset by wasting the chances we had. We knew we could not dominate the game but we knew what we wanted to do. Right now I do not care about my prize. I just wanted to lift the cup and bring it to Argentina. The pain is very great."

As I look at what this game of football brings to the world and the talented players it creates. I can't help but wonder what it would be like to be in one of those stadium that holds 80 000 to 100 000 people. Not only to watch these player perform their talent but most of all, just to be apart of the football experience ...

That would be a unique experience don't you think!

Joe Versikaitis

All works are under the Canadian Copyrights Law. Any reproduction in part or whole without the written consent is strictly prohibited

Neymar Jr. - The Painting of Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior. - 2014

" Neymar Jr. " 

This is a 24" x 30" Acrylic on Canvas painting ofNeymar da Silva Santos Júnior - Brazilian born professional footballer playing with the Spanish FC Barcelona club  by Joe Versikaitis

With my family soccer has always been apart of our livelihoods. For 14 years I coached and co-coached both our kids through soccer. The hard work and dedication that these kids put into this beautiful sport earned them both scholarships to the Medicine Hat college and University of Lethbridge

Myself growing up in Venezuela, soccer was our sport. My favourite player was Pele. Even though he was a Brazilian he was very popular in our family.  We own a bar and restaurant but living in a poor country like Venezuela we didn't have organized soccer associations in our area. When we played, in the back yard, in the school ground, or what ever ground we could find, my position was always the goalie. I don't think I was all that good but I did stop balls from going in.  Truthfully, I believe I was the goalie because I was too fat to run....lol

Like most people throughout the world, my wife and I spent most of this spring watching soccer's finest showcase, Brazil's 2014 World Cup competition. Everybody in our family has their own favourite team and cheered our hearts away. My team was Spain, and no they didn't do me justice!  Regardless of Spain's outcome I also cheered on this tournaments home team, Brazil. 

This team was made up of younger and faster players. They were burning up the field against any opponent that dared to step in front of them. They had players like Givanildo Vieira de Sousa, known as Hulk. This guy was ripped like the Hulk. the young kid, Oscar dos Santos, Thiago Emiliano da Silva, David Luiz Moreira Marinho who had a  memorable fist shaking after he had scored, and my favourite kid to watch was Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior - known as Neymwr Jr. 

 Neymar Jr. plays with the Spanish FC Barcelona club. His playing style has earned him critical acclaim, with fans, media and former players drawing comparison to former Brazil forward Pele who has called Neymar "an excellent player", while Ronaldinho has stated "he will be the best in the world".

At the 2014 FIFA World Cup Neymar scored four goals before he fractured a vertebra in his spine in the quarter-finals and missed the rest of the tournament. He received the Bronze Boot as the tournament's third top goalscorer, and was named in the World Cup All Star XI.'With 42 goals in 59 matches for Brazil, Neymar is the 5th highest goal scorer for his national team

As a sports artist my inspiration for this painting came while watching Neymar score almost every game that he played in during the 2014 World Cup. This kid with the ball is fast, tricky, clever and moved very precise.  One on one Neymar is very dangerous. He is capable of shining in any attacking position. What really amazed me was his way to dance around a packed defence line and score..Brilliant!

While watching the crowd reacted to Neymar's moves, I thought  wouldn't it something if I created an art piece of Neymar in which all those fans could enjoy.

I then asked my wife, " Wouldn't it be cool to be apart of the World Cup someday..or ...go to Barcelona and show case my work?"

Joe Versikaitis 

All works are under the Canadian Copyrights Law. Any reproduction in part or whole without the written consent is strictly prohibited