{"id":343356,"date":"2025-12-13T21:26:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T21:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/343356\/"},"modified":"2025-12-13T21:26:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T21:26:07","slug":"artist-samantha-woj-painted-grey-cup-work-using-cfl-ball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/343356\/","title":{"rendered":"Artist Samantha Woj painted Grey Cup work using CFL ball"},"content":{"rendered":"

Montr\u00e9al artist Samantha Woj<\/a> uses tools almost no one else in her field relies on \u2014 basketballs, soccer balls, hockey pucks, hockey sticks and even the occasional ski boot have become her paintbrushes, creating the dynamic, textured marks that define her work.<\/p>\n

The technique began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when an ankle injury left her stuck at home shortly after completing her master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t be physically active, so why not be creatively active?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

When Woj rolled a paint-covered ball across a canvas, she realized she had discovered something different. After posting her early pieces online, support grew quickly, including from Olympic athletes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI realized I had something going.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\tGrey Cup commission under pressure<\/p>\n

That experiment eventually led to one of her standout projects: a commissioned artwork for the CFL\u2019s 2025 Grey Cup<\/a>, which was auctioned live during championship week<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And with Rider Nation buzzing again over the newly released 2026 schedule<\/a>, Woj said she can\u2019t help thinking about that project and the pressure behind it.<\/p>\n

Because the finalist teams hadn\u2019t been determined when she received the commission, Woj avoided depicting players and instead focused on the Grey Cup trophy itself, scaling it up dramatically.<\/p>\n

The size wasn\u2019t the problem. The colour palette was.<\/p>\n

\u201cI used so many shades of grey that I kept getting lost,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She worked through sketches, reference photos and countless adjustments, finishing the piece just days before kickoff so it could be shipped in time.<\/p>\n

She still doesn\u2019t know where the painting ended up.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were four people bidding on it. I\u2019d love to know who got it, it\u2019s a big painting, and I have so many questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\tA growing list of pro-league collaborations<\/p>\n

The Grey Cup piece joined a portfolio that already includes work the NFL; MLB, including Toronto Blue Jays; NBA, including the Toronto Raptors and Oklahoma City Thunder; NHL, including the L.A. Kings, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs; and MLS, including CF Montr\u00e9al.<\/p>\n

Some pieces were created for team charities, while others were made for major events. Each one required Woj to adjust her technique, learning how each piece of equipment behaves on canvas.<\/p>\n

Every object brings its own challenges. Basketballs and soccer balls easily fill large areas but struggle to produce thin, controlled lines. Hockey sticks and pucks offer more precision.<\/p>\n

One tool, she said, earned a permanent ban.<\/p>\n

\u201cSki boots,\u201d she said, laughing. \u201cThey\u2019re heavy. I did it once \u2014 never again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working with sports equipment means adapting rather than forcing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t change the shape,\u201d she said. \u201cYou have to figure out how to communicate with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\tSports central to Woj\u2019s life<\/p>\n

Sports have always been central to Woj\u2019s life. She grew up participating in soccer, skating, diving, gymnastics, swimming and dance. She also grew up watching the Montr\u00e9al Alouettes.<\/p>\n

She said the sense of belonging in fan culture continues to influence her work. \u201cThere\u2019s a feeling of being understood and welcomed,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Her art is also tied to her experience with ectrodactyly, a condition she was born with that gave her two fingers on each hand. For years, she hid her hands under sleeves or goalie gloves. Posting videos of her painting process forced her to confront that instinct.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt brought my anxiety straight to the forefront,\u201d she said. \u201cBut the response was mostly positive, and it made me more confident in who I am and what I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the FIFA World Cup approaching next year<\/a>, Woj hopes to create one or two new pieces, though she\u2019s booked solid through January.<\/p>\n

Choosing a subject, she said, may be the hardest part.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Team Canada,\u201d she said. \u201cBut who do I choose?\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Montr\u00e9al artist Samantha Woj uses tools almost no one else in her field relies on \u2014 basketballs, soccer…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":343357,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":["post-343356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canadian-football-league","tag-canadianfootballleague","tag-cfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=343356"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343356\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/343357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=343356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=343356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=343356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}