The Guards, 1947

Commissioned for the Office of the President, Louisiana Tech University

This painting was created to honor a legendary lineup of offensive guards from Louisiana Tech’s 1947 football team. The source image—a black-and-white yearbook photograph—includes the university president’s father (far right) alongside teammates who would later become lifelong friends. The painting serves not only as a public tribute, but also as a deeply personal reflection on legacy, family, service, and community.

Working from the original photograph, I reimagined the scene in muted tones to echo their service in World War II, retaining the players’ postures and expressions while transforming the background into a bold visual field of rhythm, light, and “Tech Blue.”

The final painting integrates hand-rendered typography, bold color fields, and a faint overlay of the university’s bulldog mascot—blending tradition with a contemporary aesthetic. My goal was to create a tribute that felt both grounded in history and visually resonant in the present: a portrait of collective strength, loyalty, and legacy that continues to echo through the university's story.