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Boynton Beach resident Cortney Wall is in the national spotlight with her unique ability and style to use sports equipment to create original paintings of athletes. The passionate sports artist is also making a difference through her work with a philanthropic focus on athletes’ charities.
Wall’s latest artwork, an original painting of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, was created using a football. Burrow recently played with the Bengals in the Super Bowl LVI. The painting will be made available by online retailer Fanatics and include editions featuring Burrow’s signature.
In advance of Super Bowl LVI, Boynton Beach artist Cortney Wall painted an action shot of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. (Cortney Wall / Courtesy)
Wall started creating original paintings with the football leading up to the Super Bowl during 2021 in Tampa. She partnered with Fanatics and her sold paintings have included prominent quarterbacks Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. She has also created paintings of several notable quarterbacks, including Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers.
“I want to bring authenticity to the painting and create details so fans can really recognize and relate to it,” Wall said. “I work with the football to express the energy and likeness of the athlete as best as I can. I enjoy experimenting with new and different techniques so it makes the painting unique. When people see how it was created, it adds a really fun element.”
Wall, who grew up in New Jersey, is one of the most accomplished female sports artists in the country in the last 15 years. She was able to get a start in her career after receiving an opportunity to produce artwork of New York Yankees players, which were used during starting lineups on the Jumbotron at Yankee Stadium. She has since produced paintings with several former New York Yankees players and their charities, including Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, David Cone and David Wells.
Cortney Wall shows off her painting of NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers. (Cortney Wall / Courtesy)
Wall has been recognized at events and fundraisers and her artwork has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities across the country. Her work has been displayed in museums and in collections of corporations, executives and philanthropists. The paintings have been commissioned by prominent sports organizations, including the New York Yankees, the USTA Foundation, the NFL and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
In 2015, Wall created a live painting for the USTA Foundation during World Tennis Day at Madison Square Garden in New York. The exhibition match featured several tennis stars on the court, including Roger Federer and Monica Seles. Wall came to the realization she would not finish the painting within the timeframe of the match by just using brushes. She experimented with a tennis ball to create art for the first time, which attracted several spectators in attendance to watch her in action.
“I never thought at that time experimenting with a tennis ball would be such a game-changer,” Wall said. “I grew up loving sports and I really enjoy using the sports equipment to connect with my audience. It’s been really cool.”
Wall’s artwork was on display for athletes and their charities at the Super Bowl in Tampa in 2021, which included a Top Golf event for the David Ortiz Children’s Fund. She has several philanthropic partners, including Building Homes for Heroes. She has featured original paintings and worked with several former athletes to benefit charity events, including connecting with Derek Jeter, Joe Namath, Jerry Rice and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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“I really enjoy working with different charitable organizations,” Wall said. “It’s great to make an impact with my paintings.”
Wall’s style of painting has also included using baseball bats, hockey sticks and basketballs. She created an original painting of Los Angeles Angels outfielder and pitcher Shohei Ohtani, who was the 2021 American League MVP. The piece was showcased on MLB Network.
Wall, who works from Boynton Beach studio, also performs at live painting events. She is known for murals, wildlife and pet portraits and her work is displayed at live auction art sales.
Wall has partnered with Fanatics and her artwork is commissioned on a bigger scale, which includes signed editions from athletes. The paintings can be purchased through the Fanatics sales department.
