Kobe Bryant LA Laker Basketball Image Art
Kobe Bryant and Inspiration

As
I am getting older and there are days I just do not want to go into the studio,
I think of how much harder it was for him to face the challenge of his daily
playing. Me? All I have to do is go into the studio and
slap some paint on some canvas. It’s not
like I have to go down into a coal mine and dig out the rock with a hand
pick. Kobe gives me some perspective on my
life.
No, I do Not Want to be Michael Jordan
Another
thing Kobe said
that is very insightful - and in particular, to painting. He said, “I don't want to be the next Michael
Jordan, I only want to be Kobe Bryant.”
How does that relate to painting?
Well, one of the mistakes most artists make is that they want to paint
like someone else. They create similar
work to others so it is the same thing.
What makes interesting art if for the artist to be different than
others. Be unique. Don’t copy what others are doing but create
your own work that is unique to you. We
already had a Picasso or Van Gogh. And
in Kobe ’s case,
there was already a Michael Jordan. It
was great to have a Kobe Bryant or a LeBron James. And now we have a Stephen Curry. It is much more exciting to have a variety of
different kinds of talent. So we do not
want another Kobe Bryant (although we miss you) or a Michael Jordan because we
now have a Stephen Curry.
Do
I want to be the new LeRoy Neiman of sports art? No I
want to be the best John Robertson. I
may not being the best sports artist or create great sports art but I will
paint paintings and not LeRoy Neiman paintings.
This
LA Lakers basketball image of Kobe Bryant is 13" x 19" acrylic on
paper.