Paris Olympics 2024, Women's Gymnastics Individual All Around: Full of Joy

In her post event interview Suni Lee (USA) was asked about her performance after winning the Bronze Medal.  She had some troubles in the early rotations, so her response was a lesson to us all.  "I was sure I had no chance for a medal, so I just went out and enjoyed myself."  It showed.  She has had many setbacks that I wrote about earlier, so I imagine that the possibility of not winning an individual medal was a big issue to her.  My hat is off to her to remain that cool, and to do it with that many cameras clicking and whirring away in the background.  Not to mention the TV cameras everywhere, the fans and celebrities filling the venue and all of us watching on various media outlets.  And all that, and she still came away with the Bronze.  Not too shabby.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra. 

"Full of Joy PO24-51" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Women's Gymnastics Individual All Around

Alice D'Amato (Italy) personifies the idea of artistic gymnastics.  It was most evident in her floor exercise were her grace and movement really had a chance to shine.  As I now look at this painting, I should have added some shadows on the mat just to help you see where she is in space.  I imagine that is a problem for many of these athletes as they flip themselves high above the gym floor.  She had that horrible fate of just missing the podium and doing so by a mere 0.132 points.  Still, it was a brilliant performance worthy of both art and our praise.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra. 

"Artistic Gymnastics PO24-50" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Women's Gymnastics Team All Around: Stick in Like Butter

I owe this title to Jordan Chiles' (USA) father Timothy.  As she finished her uneven bars routine he could be heard just before she ended her routine telling her to "stick it like butter!"  I'm sure it wasn't the first time he had said it, but it was the first time I had ever heard it.  The announcer and I both enjoyed it.  I also love that as she sticks the final landing of her Floor Exercise routine, her head coach Cecile Caquete-Landi and the rest of her team celebrate her performance.  As she finished, it was clear to them all that the team had won the Gold Medal.  In their minds that had finished the goal of the "Redemption Tour" coming back from their disappointment of taking silver rather than gold in Tokyo.  

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra.

"Stick It Like Butter PO24-35" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Paris Olympics 2024, Women's Gymnastics Qualifying: Flying High

Despite having hurt her calf in her floor exercise warm-ups, Simone Biles (USA) was still able to fly in Floor Exercise.  Reportedly, her feet are currently over ten feet in the air as she does one of three tumbling passes.  With her performance tonight, she will be competing in the Team All-Around, the Individual All-Around and for different individual apparatus competitions.  Hopefully, her injury will be much better by the time she returns to competition on Tuesday.

This is a small 4x6 inch original watercolor painting that is available through my website at greigleach.com or you can simply follow the direct link at the end of the post to purchase the painting above. Since it is an original work of art, it is a first come first served reality. The work sells for $95 USD including shipping, but, yes, international shipping is both available and extra. 

"Flying High PO24-13" (Original art by Greig Leach)

Rio Olympics: Generating Power

Simone Biles (USA) is brilliant on the floor excerise, okay, she is brilliant in gymnastics all together.  Part of her dominance on the floor is her powerful tumbling runs.  That power comes from the runs she takes into the flips and jumps.  Here she is winding up for her final tumbling run that wins her the fourth Gold Medal and fifth medal of these Games.  Her teammate, Aly Raison, won the Silver Medal, with the Brit taking the Bronze.  It is so unusual to see no Russians, Japanese or Chinese women on the podium.  It is feeling like the power of gymnastics is swinging to the eastern hemisphere.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Remember this is an original work of art, so once it has been sold, it is gone.  Don't delay buy it now!

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Summer%20Olympics/2838612-145-226051/PaintingGenerating%20Power%20Rio145-Greig-Leach.html#.V7SkE5grLIU

Rio Olympics: For the Judges

Erika Fasana (Italy) took her final pose as the Italian opera music faded in the hall.  Fasana had just completed her floor exercise routine and held this pose as the judges looked on as though they were disgruntled.  I am not sure why they seemed like they had sour milk under their noses, but their scores reflected their apparent mood.  I thought that Fasana moved with grace, certainly one of the best dancers of the competition.  But then the tumbling is where the points are.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Remember this is an original work of art, so once it has been sold, it is gone.  Don't delay buy it now!

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Summer%20Olympics/2838549-144-226051/PaintingFor%20the%20Judges%20Rio144-Greig-Leach.html#.V7SgnJgrLIU

Rio Olympics: He Is a Happy Man

Diego Hypolito (Brazil) must have been carried by the home crowd.  His tumbling runs flew higher and his landings were stronger as the crowds roared their delight.  Hypolito jumped for joy, shaking his fists in the air after finishing his routine.  He may have started a new way to influence the judging by running around in a stay of wild glee in celebration of his performance.  Now he had the long wait to see if it was worthy of a medal, at least the judges gave him great scores.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.  Remember this is an original work of art, so once it has been sold, it is gone.  Don't delay buy it now!

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Summer%20Olympics/2837606-119-226051/PaintingHe%20Is%20a%20Happy%20Man%20Rio119-Greig-Leach.html#.V7ITAZgrLIU

Rio Olympics: Leaping for Art

I look back at this painting that I did rather late last night and I can tell that I was running out of steam.  I have now created 89 watercolors of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and I am beginning to tire just a bit.  Apparently I didn't have enough left in the tank to cover the right side of the page.  That being said, it is still a wonderful composition of a wonderful moment in the Women's Gymnastics All Around.  Aly Raisman (USA) who had lost out on a medal in London to Aliva Mustafina (Russia) due to a tie breaker rule, made sure their would be not repeat of that heart break.  Her floor exercise was flawless after her equally brilliant balance beam.  She couldn't quite catch her teammate Simone Biles for the Gold, but she scored a very convincing Silver Medal, solidly distancing Mustafina, who took home another Bronze.  As soon as she had finished her routine, Raisman broke into tears of relief and joy at her medal worthy performance.

To be fair, I did take a post midnight drive out to the country to watch the meteor showers.  That to was a beautiful show.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Summer%20Olympics/2836500-89-226051/PaintingLeaping%20for%20Art%20Rio89-Greig-Leach.html#.V64AnZgrLIU

Rio Olympics: Home Team Girl

Brazil did well to get one of their gymnasts into the Women's All Around competition.  Rebeca Andrade (Brazil) was naturally a crowd favorite.  Her floor exercise was spot on, rivaling those of most of the medal winners, but not her scores.  The patriotic crowd loudly boo-ed the score as it played across the stadium.  It must have rattle the next gymnast waiting to start her routine.  Her dance elements reminded me of the great Josephine Baker (although she was never a gymnast).

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Summer%20Olympics/2836495-88-226051/PaintingHome%20Team%20Girl%20Rio88-Greig-Leach.html#.V639uJgrLIU

Rio Olympics: Her Own Move

The tiny and powerful Simone Biles (USA) showed her signature move that she has self-titled as she hit the Olympic floor for the first time.  Today was team qualification, but at this point she is also leading her teammates in qualifying for the chance to compete in the all-around for Women's Gymnastics.

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Summer%20Olympics/2834368-29-226051/PaintingHer%20Own%20Move%20Rio29-Greig-Leach.html#.V6ghpbgrLIU

Rio Olympics: A Leap of Faith

With power, grace and bizazz, Laurie Hernandez (USA) took to the floor exercise in the Olympic Gymnastics team qualifying round.  It was a leap of faith that she would make the all-around competition, a leap she did with aplomb!

This is a small watercolors and ink painting measuring just 4"x6" and was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.richesonart.com.  This painting and all of my Olympics artwork will be available through my artist website at www.greigleach.com.  To purchase this particular painting just follow the direct link at the end of this post.

http://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Summer%20Olympics/2834365-28-226051/PaintingA%20Leap%20of%20Faith%20Rio28-Greig-Leach.html#.V6gfs7grLIU