This beautifully framed NCAA football 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 28” 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 is an original, one-of-a-kind watercolor painting of the 1950 Oklahoma Sooners uniform worn by 1952 Heisman Trophy winner #35 Billy Vessels and was used in the creation of this Oklahoma Sooners uniform evolution print and thousands of Oklahoma products that have been sold across North America. This original piece of art was painted by artist Nola McConnan for Maple Leaf Productions Ltd. 1950 was a National Championship season for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Beneath the silver plate is a 6.5” x 7” reproduction of a uniform evolution 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 6.5” x 7” 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 University or the designated licensing body unless specifically stated otherwise in writing by the University or their designate. For further information, please contact Heritage Sports Art at questions@heritagesportsart.com .

 

History

This painting honors the 1950 University of Oklahoma football team and #35, worn by Billy Vessels. Coached by Sooner icon Bud Wilkinson and co-captained by Harry Moore and Norman McNabb, the 1950 team went 10-1, outscoring their opponents 352-148, en route to the schools first National Championship. Oklahoma was crowned National Champions in 1950 despite the fact that they lost 13-7 to Kentucky in the Sugar Bowl.Billy Vessels, also known as Curly, was a Halfback for the University of Oklahoma. His 15 touchdowns scored in the 1950 season were instrumental in helping lead the Sooners to their first National Championship. In 1952, after rushing for 1072 yards (including seven 100+ yard games) and 17 touchdowns, he won the Heisman Trophy - awarded to the outstanding intercollegiate football player in the United States. Following his career at the University of Oklahoma, Billy was selected 1st overall in the 1953 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts. He instead opted to join the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL) where he would lead the Western Conference in rushing with 926 yards and 8 touchdowns and be named the 1953 CFL Most Outstanding Player. In 1956, Billy would rejoin his original drafter, the Colts, but due to a leg injury, would only play one season in the NFL.He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1974:http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=50067He played 1 season in the CFL:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_VesselsHe played 1 season in the NFL:http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=VESSEBIL01Here is what our friends at Wikipedia have to say about Billy Vessels:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Vessels