A Losing Bet: The Canadian Maple Leaf Bathed in Olympic Glory

A Maple Leaf by Borbay

A bet is a bet. On the day of the Olympic Ice Hockey final, I challenged the Stanley Cup Keeper to a wager: “if the USA wins, you have to arrange for me to do a painting of the (Stanley) cup in-person… if I lose, I will do a painting of the maple leaf and post it on my profile for a month.”

We all know the outcome. Now, I am a Maple Leaf on Facebook, and I had to memorialize America’s loss.

Borbay Olympic Maple Leaf Painting

I decided to buy a painting at the Goodwill to use as the base… I felt a gold medal painting required a gold leaf frame.

Borbay Olympic Maple Leaf Painting

Sharing my loss with Ryan Miller (even though he got MVP) and giving Bill his props.

Borbay Olympic Maple Leaf Painting

Starting the collage… Sidney Crosby screaming it up in the middle, with Miller on a knee and a beleaguered Brodeur (all part of the story line).

Borbay Olympic Maple Leaf Painting

Paper down, leaf redrawn, beginning to cycle through the colors.

Borbay Olympic Maple Leaf Painting

With six colors down, I began to work the white/red contrast.

Borbay Olympic Maple Leaf Painting

All of the off-whites were mixed with cadmium yellow and payne’s grey; the reds: cadmium red and hookers green.

Borbay Olympic Maple Leaf Painting

Getting close… re-living the headlines made this painting difficult. I started it back in March and it sat in my studio, staring me down for the better part of a year.

A Maple Leaf by Borbay

And finished. To Team USA, I say this, “next Olympics, kill Bill’s dream of a repeat.”

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