Football Ferns striker Hannah Wilkinson has used her talent as an artist to celebrate the goalscoring achievements of her Melbourne City clubmate Jamie Maclaren.
Wilkinson, an accomplished artist who was recently commissioned to paint a mural at Auckland’s Eden Park, has created a giant piece of art to acknowledge Maclaren’s goals that have taken him to the top of the A-League’s all-time goalscorers, and second in the country’s all-time domestic goalscorers.
She completed the public piece of art at Richmond Station, a three minute walk from Melbourne’s AAMI Park where Maclaren has scored so many of his goals for Melbourne City.
Wilkinson plays for City’s women’s A-League team.
To create the work, Maclaren selected his favourite photograph of him after scoring a goal.
Wilkinson then set about sketching a comic-book superhero-themed version of the photograph, before transferring the image to its full glory on the rail station wall.
Allowing for weather interruptions, Wilkinson and a fellow artist completed the painting in three days.
Unfortunately, for player and artist, the mural is a temporary work. It will be taken down after a month.
Wilkinson wrote a special column for Keep Up about the artwork, writing:
“Getting this opportunity meant a lot to me. Not only was it a terrific chance to showcase my work, but I also got the privilege of commemorating a player that truly inspires me.
“I play the exact same position as Jamie – central number 9 up front, for Melbourne City Women. Under City, we have the same playbook, and therefore the same goalscoring responsibilities under a very effective, patient system of play.
“We’re expected to be in the right positions at the right times to put away goals, goals that come from chances that are carefully and beautifully produced by our teammates, from the keeper, all the way to the front line.
“He is an artist himself in the way he knows how to be there, and how to clinically finish those chances, and 143 goals says it all.
“He is magic to watch, and I hope to emulate his performances in the future in my own football career, particularly in this upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup at home.”
READ MORE: See more of Hannah Wilkinson’s art >>>>
Watch the creation of the mural
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