Beijing 2022: Jumping into Gold

Just as I typed out the title of this painting did I realize that I had used yet another pun in my titling of my artwork.  I had wanted to paint one of the German sleds just to add a bit of a variation of the overwhelmingly cool palette of vitually all of these Winter Olympics watercolors.  Their yellow (or golden yellow) sleds are a pleasant change for the eyes.  Plus this is Laura Nolte (Germany) jumping into her sled on her final glide down the House of Speed track.  Her Gold Medal run meant that Germany all but one of the sliding events held in these Games. Now that is impressive!

This also marks the end of my paintings of the Olympic Games.  I will start back painting cycling this weekend with the Omloop het Nieuwsblad and the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne races.  I know that I didn't paint every event and certainly not every Olympian or medal winner, I'm bot sure that would be possible.  However, reach out to me through the website if you would like to commission a watercolor of something I didn't paint.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors and Steve Quiller brushes from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3868221-59-293321/Painting/jumping-into-gold-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Something to Celebrate

Crossing the line with a run that she knew was good enough for a medal, Elana Meyers Taylor (USA) threw her fist in the air in celebration.  She and her teammate (and brakewoman) Sylvia Hoffman won the Bronze medal in the two-woman bobsled, making Meyers Taylor the most decorated black American Winter Olympian.  Her fist in the air caused no reacion unlike it did 54 years ago when Tommie Smith raised his black fist in the air on the podium of the Summer Olympics in 1968.  Look it up.  

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3868201-58-293321/Painting/something-to-celebrate-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Out of the Final Turn

This might just be the best painting I did if these Olympics.  But then I am rather found of speed skating having strapped on a pair a few times in my youth.  Chung Jae Won (Korea) led the field out of the final turn to open up the sprint for the line with his teammate, Lee Seung Hoon, poised to come out of the draft for the win.  However, it was Bart Swings (Belgium) who had the legs to win the sprint and the Gold medal.  It is his country's first Winter Games gold medal in 74 years!  Chung took Silver. That left Lee Seung Hoon and Joey Mantin (USA) literally fighting it out for the Bronze.  Despite Lee pulling back on Mantin as he pushed his skate over the line, the Bronze was awarded to Lee.  Mantin was left in fourth by 2/1000th of a second with his protest denied.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3868197-57-293321/Painting/out-of-the-final-turn-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Over the Top

The second Winter Olympic sport the bears a resemblance to cycling is cross country skiing.  Going so far as the announcers refering to the main group of skiiers as the 'peleton' and those off the front as the 'breakaway.'  The high winds of the final days of these Games meant that the men's mass start "ski marathon was shorten from 50k to 28k.  The bitter cold and fear of exposure had to have factored into the decision as well.  Simen Hegsted Kreuger (Norway) used a climb with just 10k lrft to ski to try an get away from the Russian duo of Artem Maltsev and Ivan Yakimushkin and Clement Parisse (France).  The American Scott Patterson hid in the peloton most of the day finishing in 8th place (two placings higher than his proclaimed goal).  Kreuger was caught by the Russian duo in the final kilometers with Maltsev winning Gold and his countryman Yakimushkin taking Silver. Kreuger held on to take the final medal of the day bringing Norway's medal count to 38, a record for the Winter Olympics.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3868188-56-293321/Painting/over-the-top-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Fighting for Gold

My wife, the actor Bridget Gethins (look her up on IMDB.com) noticed that yet again I forgot to titled and sugned this painting while she was selecting her favorite of the day.  She came up eith "Fughting for Gold: which is far superoir to my idea of "Sprinting for Gold"  (This is why she titles all of my large scale works).  Ivanie Blondin (Canada) and Francesca Lollobrigida (Italy) got out of the final turn first, but it was Irene Schouten's (Netherlands) incredible sprint that decided the Gold Medal.  Blondin held on for a close run Silver. And the it was Lollobrigida (the great niece of the famous Italian actress from the 60s) and Mia Manganello Kilberg (USA) in her first international race vying for the Bronze.  It went to the Italian.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3868157-55-293321/Painting/fighting-for-gold-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Making Sure

There are two disciplines in the Winter Olympics that strongly resemble all of the aspects of cycling.  Speed skating is one of those.  Many of its events are identical to track cycling.  Riding a velodrome is still one of the things on my cycling bucket list. Meanwhile, back at duscussing this painting... Irene Schouten (Netherlands) keeps a close eye on her main competitors; Gina Lollabridgida (Italy), Valerie Maltias (Canada) and the Japanese skater who's name I wasn't able to catch.  She crashed out of this semi-final heat and her name wasn't posted on the finish listing.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3868136-54-293321/Painting/making-sure-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Pushing Forward

Well, tecnically, Eric Radford is pulling his figure skating partner, Vanessa James (Canada) back, but pushing forward feels so much more inspiring.  As far as I know this is the first time I have seen a figure skater of color take to the ice ib the Winter Olympics.  It is almost definitely the first time I have seen a mixed race pair of skaters compete on the international stage.  I am old enough to have been alive before mixed race marriages were legal in the USA.  So while James/Radford may have finished in 12th place they have pushed the world of figure skating and the Winter Olympics forward.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3868082-53-293321/Painting/pushing-forward-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: It Should've Been Stopped

The title gives you into my feelings about the Men's Free Style Half Pipe event.  As the runs progressed, the winds got stronger and stronger leaving few skiiers able to get to the bottom of the pipe upright.  But worse than not finishing their run, some fell hard and may only think they weren't hurt due to the adrenaline of the moment, including the Gold Medal winner Nico Porteous (New Zealand) who fell hard on his shoulder due to a hard cross gust of win.  On Aaron Blunck's (USA) final run, while trying to get a score that would put him on the podium, fell hard and spent some time not moving on the flat bottom of the half pipe.  His teammate, David Wise (who had fallen hard on one of his own runs) ran up the pipe to make sure Aaron was going to be okay.  He was able to get up and ski down to the finish corral.  Wise was able to win the Silver Medal sue to the strength of his first run.  He made have completed another, but it was much lower score as he respected the win, his life, and his family back home.

Side note the delayed women's Alpine events and even postponed one of the men's events to the next day.  Just because the half pipe looks like a daredevil sport, doesn't mean they don't have any regard for their own safety, and so should the IOC!

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3867883-52-293321/Painting/it-should-have-been-stopped-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Less Heighth, More Style

I'm sure I'm not the only one who wishes they had spell check in their pen.  So it goes.  Gus Kenworthy (Great Britain) was one of the few skiers that was able to complete a fourth run in a very windy half pipe.  Conversely, he was unable to get the kind of big air that is required to put down a Gold Medal run.  The cross and down drafts that would have high gusts blew up at almost any time.  Many were blown way off line, but more about that later.  Without the big air, even this Switch 900 wasn't enough to move him above 8th place.  Never the less, his style was still a pleasure to watch.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3867878-51-293321/Painting/less-heighth-more-style-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Good Throw

 

The American figure skating pair of  Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier (USA) landed a beautiful triple throw in their short progam in Beijing.  They held first until the two Chinese and three Russian pairs took to the ice.  Clearly that left them in sixth place going into the free skate competition.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3867809-50-293321/Painting/good-throw-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Going to Be an Olympic Champion

As Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (France) skiied her way into the final stretch of the Mass Start Biathlon the announcer provided me with the title for the painting.  Since I watch as close to live and paint the image that appeals and tells a good story, I didn't know that moments after this one she was handed a French flag to carry across the finish line.  Her final five shots were all hits allowing her to jump ahead of the pair of leading Norwegians who had to ski penalty loops for missed shots to claim the Gold medal in the final Biathlon event in Beijing 2022.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3867797-49-293321/Painting/going-to-be-an-olympic-champion-beijing-2022.html

 

Beijing 2022: Skiing Faster, Shooting Cleaner

The title is the simplified plan to winning a biathlon.  The Norweigian duo of  Marte Olsbu Roeiseland in front and hidden behind her, Tiril Eckhoff were doing just that.  As they left the first shooting range their perfect shooting put them over forty seconds ahead of the rest of the field in the Women's Mass Start Biathlon.  Alas, their lead didn't quite hold up (others can use the same formula), but Eckhoff ended the race wuth the Silver Medal and Roeiseland took home the Bronze.  This Bronze meant she has earned five medals in these Games alone, a new Norweigan record and Winter Olympic Women's record as well.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3867743-48-293321/Painting/skiing-faster-shooting-cleaner-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Having Some Fun

Eileen Gu (China) had score well enough on her first run down the half pipe to win the Gold Medal.  On her second run she improve her score to untouchable.  On her final run with the points in hand to know that gold was also in her hand she decided to have some fun with a couple of goofy jumps in her coronation run.  Chapeau, Eileen!  I hope every Olympiad has rememberedto have some fun dispite all of the pressure, danager, and desire to win.  Afterall making it to the Olympics is a victort in and of itself.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3867298-47-293321/Painting/having-some-fun-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: She's Above It

Eileen Gu (China) has been that stand out Olympian in these Games.  First, although raised in the USA she chose to compete in the land of her mother, China.  She felt that she could use the platform to elevate her sport and the power of women in China.  She certainly got people taling about her both on a off the slopes as she wom two gold medals and one silver in the three events she entered.  Now she is on to Stanford University.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3867297-46-293321/Painting/shes-above-it-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: A Good Deed Rewarded

To explain, Brittany Bowe (USA) gave away her opportunity to come to theses Olympics so that her friend Erin Jackson would have a chance to skate in Beijing.  First something happened (and I don't know what it was), and she was able to make the trip to compete as well.  Then in her 500 M race, Erin Jackson won the Gold Medal.  And now tonight, Bowe skated her way onto the podium with a Bronze Medal in the 1000 M.  I'm not saying that karma made her win third, she did that with her own legs. But, it didn't hurt.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3867280-45-293321/Painting/a-good-deed-rewarded-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Any Part Will Do

Well, not really, the skis don't count, any body part will do.  At the end of their semi final in the Women;s Freestyle Cross, Daniela Maier (Germany), Fanny Smith (Switzerland) and Brittany Phelan (Canada) stretched as they could to claim a chance to ski for a Gold Medal.  Maier and Smith got the chance.  However, Smith finished in third but was yellow carded moving her to fourth and Maier into Bronze.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3867274-44-293321/Painting/any-part-will-do-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Watching Each Other

I love watching cross country and like the announcers I see strong similarities in race tatics between this sport and cycling... including the tights.  While this is the Nordic Combined Team Relay, it does conclude with a peleton stradegy.  At this point a one skier (rider) has slipped off the front and looks poised to take Gold for Norway.  This trio, Martin Fritz (Austria), V. Gieger (Germany), and Rioto Yamamoto (Japan), are looking at each other trying to decide when they would be able to get away from the other two.  They knew the Gold Medal went up the course and that only two more medals remained for the two of them.  Alas for Fritz, he was the odd man out.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3867265-43-293321/Painting/watching-each-other-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Staying with It

Hillary Knight (USA) may have missed her first try at this goal, but she stayed with it.  Picking up her own rebound she was able to flip the puck over the Canadian goalie's outstretched mitt.  Knight's effort got the USA on the scoreboard but they were still trailing Canada 3-1.  The more southern "Americans" did score again but still found themselves taking the Silver Medal and Canada the Gold.  Just another four years and the will be back out on the ice together again.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3867220-42-293321/Painting/staying-with-it-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Face Off

This is the seventh Winter Olympics that the Women's Ice Hockey Gold Medal game has been contested by USA and Canada.  That makes this titled have another layer as Canada and USA as the two teams face off to decide who will take home the Gold Medal from Beijing 2022.  At this point Canada is leading 2-0.

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3867200-41-293321/Painting/face-off-beijing-2022.html

Beijing 2022: Holding on for Now

I love it when I am so into the moment that I forget to title and sign the artwork.  I didn't discovered that fact untitle I was preparing the photo of the painting for this post but decided to go ahead and just sigh it now.  In her second leg of the women's Team Cross Country 4x6 Relay Rosie Brennan (USA) was hanging tight to the skis of the Swedish skiier, Maya Dalquist.  She was closely marked by Finland.  Unfortunately Team USA faded to fifth place on the day, despite the special relay socks, with Sweden taking the Bronze medal.  Finland missed the podium as well finishing fourth (that was a lot of Fs in one sentence!)

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 painting was created using Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors from www.Richesonart.com. The work sells for $75 USD plus shipping, and yes international shipping is available.

https://www.greigleach.com/large-multi-view/Winter-Olympics-2022/3866947-40-293321/Painting/holding-on-for-now-beijing-2022.html