"A New Era" is my very first portrait painting of WNBA star Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever! It is an acrylic and oil painting on canvas. This piece is a part of an "All-Star" series of paintings. The portraits painted before this one have a more intense type of look to them. Its also not an action shot, and as you can see, the background was painted white. The reasons for this are the following:
Caitlin has gotten so much heat and hate from so many people on and off the court, but she remains calm and cool. She simply smiles in the face of it all. I wanted to capture that calmness and class in this painting. The background was painted white to represent a new beginning, or... a new era!
Click HERE to buy a print of "A New Era!"
It has been a dream of mine to one day see my art displayed in the Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury. On Saturday, October 28, 2023, that dream became a reality. I am extremely honored to have a section of the arena dedicated to my art and I. I am so grateful for this opportunity that the Phoenix Suns have given me to be a part of the team’s history. On this section of the wall are my three huge paintings, along with a video about me playing on a big screen, and my bio. The paintings are of 1970s Suns legends Alvan Adams(number 33), Dick Van Arsdale(number 5), and Paul Wesphal(number 44). Each painting is 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide! See each of the paintings below! I am officially a Phoenix Suns artist!
Remember how much fun it was to make art as children? We didn't worry too much about straight lines or perfect shapes. As we grew older, so-called "rules" were put into our minds about how our artwork is "supposed to look." Suddenly our focus was on being perfect and not breaking those so-called rules. Suddenly making art was no longer fun. If we become as children once again, and make art as we did back then, imagine how much fun it will be. Imagine how beautiful our artwork will become if we focus on creativity rather than perfection. Remember, imperfections will make your art perfect!
- Carlos Jimenez