My daughter's boyfriend was a rugby player in his youth. He had a difficult childhood and found a mentoring system through the Tulsa Rugby team that helped him build a solid foundation in which he thrived as an adult. He gives a lot of time and his money to several foundations that mentor children. That's were I was this weekend, helping support his rugby team, which ScotFest supports through its charity work.
I'm doing this acrylic painting for him, I've never painted with acrylic before and I've never painted or drawn a man! I'm going to finish today after taking a couple months off to think about changes. I'm bringing the same brush stroke patterns into Jonah's face and finish details and shadow/light work.
I researched rugby so I could share intelligent conversation with my Daughter's Boyfriend and found I loved the, "All Black Team," of New Zeland. Their ritual at the start of each game gives me goosebumps. Jonah Lomu's life story is a struggle of a native culture surviving occupation and the fame professional sports bring expectional athletes, which many times the athletes don't have the tools to deal with the stress fame brings. Jonah died penniless. Jonah's Death and Debt
The Haka