NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — When the Cincinnati Bengals play the Los Angeles Rams Sunday night, a New Orleans artist will be standing by, with his paint brush ready. Or, maybe he’ll have a new painting ready to be revealed.
“I’m gonna paint the Lombardi Trophy right next to the Heisman,” says Shakor with a grin.
“When it was down to the last four teams, and it was Joe Burrow against the Chiefs, we knew, my wife and I, we said, Joe Burrow’s going!” he recalls, from his Gallery Cayenne in Jackson Square.
Shakor has a knack for putting local heroes on canvas; some play instruments, others play football.
“As an artist, I like to think of myself as a historian. With the sports culture here, I’ve done portraits of Drew Brees, half the team of the Saints, and most recently one of my newest pieces is that of Joe Burrow, because of course being a graduate of LSU, that makes him one of ours,” says Shakor.
Even before the Super Bowl bid, Burrow’s portrait was already hanging in Shakor’s gallery. The first in this series shows him with coach Ed Orgeron.
The new painting is a double image of Burrow, as both a Bayou Bengal, and a Cincinnati Bengal.
“For him to be picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals, that really kind of made him like a double tiger, you know what I mean?” says Shakor.
Shakor’s latest creation is called “Tiger Legacy” and it honors the former LSU quarterback who is vying for a “triple crown” of football wins: Heisman Trophy Winner, college football national championship, and Super Bowl win.
Shakor’s prediction? He says the Bengals are going to win, 24 – 16.
Check out the video above, to hear more about his latest creation, and what’s next. Secret images: watch as he shows WGNO Reporter Stephanie Oswald what’s hidden in the bayou waters of the painting.