This beautifully framed piece features an original piece of watercolor artwork glass-framed in an attractive two inch wide black resin frame with a double mat. The outer dimensions of the framed piece are approximately 17” wide x 24.5” high, although the exact size will vary according to the size of the original piece of art.

At the core of the framed piece is the actual piece of original artwork as painted by the artist on textured 100% rag, water-marked watercolor paper. In many cases the original artwork has handwritten notes in pencil from the artist (be sure to “See the actual artwork without the frame” elsewhere in this website). Simply put, this is beautiful, one-of-a-kind artwork.

The outer mat is a rich textured black acid-free mat with a decorative inset white v-groove, while the inner mat is a complimentary colored acid-free mat reflecting one of the team’s primary colors. The website image of this framed piece shows the mat color that we suggest (Red), but since each piece is custom framed, we are happy to use whatever color mat you wish (depending on availability) – our standard mat colors are:

Light Blue / Dark Blue / Brown / Maroon (close to brown) / White / Silver / Gold / Yellow (bright yellow) / Green (dark green) / Orange / Purple / Red (bright red, somewhat close to PMS 186)

Beneath the artwork is a silver plate with black text describing the original artwork. The text for this piece will read:

This original, one-of-a-kind watercolor painting of the 1988 Phoenix Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals) uniform is the original artwork that was used in the creation of this Arizona Cardinals uniform evolution print and tens of thousands of other Arizona Cardinals products that have been sold across North America. This original piece of art was painted by artist Nola McConnan for Maple Leaf Productions Ltd.

Beneath the silver plate is a 3” x 9” reproduction of a well known, best-selling print that celebrates the history of the team. The print beautifully illustrates the chronological evolution of the team’s uniform and shows you how the original art was used in the creation of this print. If you look closely, you will see that the print features the actual artwork being offered for sale. The 3” x 9” print looks like this:

The piece is framed with an extremely high quality framing glass. We have used this glass style for many years with excellent results. We package every piece very carefully in a double layer of bubble wrap and a rigid double-wall cardboard package to avoid breakage at any point during the shipping process, but if damage does occur, we will gladly repair, replace or refund. Please note that all of our products come with a 90 day 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Each framed piece also comes with a two page letter signed by Scott Sillcox describing the history behind the art. If there was an extra-special story about your piece of art, that story will be included in the letter. When you receive your framed piece, you should find the letter lightly attached to the front of the framed piece.

If you have any questions, at any time, about the actual artwork or about any of the artist’s handwritten notes on the artwork, I would love to tell you about them. Simply email me, Scott Sillcox, at scott@heritagesportsart.com and I will tell you everything I can about your original piece of art. The artists and I spent well over ten years of our lives creating these pieces of original artwork, and in many cases there are stories I can tell you about your actual piece of artwork that might add an extra element of interest in your one-of-a-kind purchase.

Please note that all reproduction rights for this original work are retained in perpetuity by the National Football League unless specifically stated otherwise in writing by the NFL. For further information, please contact Heritage Sports Art at questions@heritagesportsart.com .

 

History

In 1987  the Cardinals were facing dwindling attendance in an outdated Busch Stadium and talk swirled around St. Louis that the team was ready to take off for a new home. The Cardinals would get off to a slow start, which included 3 games played by replacement players while the NFL was on strike. The Cards finished the 1987 season 7-8 under second year head coach Gene Stallings.In the Spring of 1988 the Cardinals relocated to Arizona after 28 seasons in St. Louis.They would call Sun Devil Stadium, on the campus of Arizona State University, their new home and they would now be known as the Phoenix Cardinals.In their fist season in the desert, the team raced to a 7-4 record, gaining a share of the NFC East Division lead. But the club was beset by injuries and a five-game losing streak dashed the Cards hopes for a postseason berth, their first since 1982. They finished the season 7-9.Stars on the 1988 team were: RB Ron Wolfley, WR JT Smith and OL Luis Sharpe.New to the 1988 road white jersey is an addition of the state flag of Arizona over top of wide bands of cardinal red striping separated by thin black and white stripes on the sleeve. Otherwise this jersey is pretty much the same as the road jersey worn in previous years.  On the shoulder are red TV numbers, so named because TV coverage demanded an easier way for viewers to identify players. On the front and back are large Cardinal red numerals outlined in black trim.The white lace up pants have a new twist to them. Five stripes ( 2 black, 2 white and one thick red stripe) run down the side of the leg. Again the pants are fastened at the waist by a belt, this time a black one. And the helmet remains the same, white with the profile of a cardinals head.