Collectibles

Item Description

This 29” x 25” framed, limited edition oil painting is signed by the world-famous basketball coach John Wooden, along with one of his most illustrious players – Bill Walton.  The painting is the work of the renowned sports artist Samantha Wendell, who has completed famous paintings of sporting legends, including Wayne Gretzky, Hank Aaron, Jack Nicklaus, and Joe Montana, to name a few.  The painting is a valuable, limited edition collector’s item, while also being a beautiful work of art.

 John Wooden and Bill Walton Background:

John Wooden is recognized as the most successful college basketball coach of all time, and as an inspirational leader and teacher to generations of players and students.  Nicknamed the “Wizard of Westwood”, as head coach at UCLA he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period, including an unprecedented seven in a row.  Within this period, his teams won a men's basketball-record 88 consecutive games. Wooden's streak of seven consecutive NCAA Championships still stands. Wooden was named national coach of the year six times.

Bill Walton, in addition to being a superstar basketball player, has also achieved fame as a sportscaster and in many ways, a cultural icon.  Walton achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three successive College Player of the Year Awards, while leading the Bruins to two Division I national titles.  He then went on to have a prominent career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) where he was a league MVP and won two NBA Championships.  His professional career was significantly hampered by multiple foot injuries. Walton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on May 10, 1993, and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame that same year.

Samantha Wendell, painter information:

http://www.sportart.net/swendell.html

"The world illuminated by the spotlight" and "Larger than life" are two themes that are consistently portrayed in the work of internationally celebrated artist Samantha Wendell.

Her unique style is perfectly timed to capture the moment of concentration when athletes, musicians, actors and the like are unrivaled. Whether it be at the height of competition, or the height of a performance, Samantha is able to portray both the agony and the ecstacy of the moment intimately. These masterful portraits offer the viewer an unpredictable perspective into an individual's psyche - the struggle with being human, and struggle to reach and attain greatness.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ms. Wendell grew up amid the strong influence of the entertainment industry. Out of a longing for something deeper than a surface reality, she fell in love with the life contained in the human face. Classically trained as a portrait painter in France and England, Ms. Wendell further developed her concepts through vigorous research and discipline. By incorporating her vast education and experiences, she has evolved to a level of perfection and uniqueness in her portraiture.