The Art of Poker [feature]

The Art of Poker
A modern artist’s take on three of the best poker players in history

Poker has long transcended the borders of its own discipline and recently, it’s become the subject of an amazing artwork theme.

On March 2013, Detroit-based artist Terry Beveridge released a set of warped paintings of popular card sharks called “The Art of Poker.” According to Terry, he started this project because of his love for the card game and the subjects that he chose for it are those whom he admires and respects.

Gus Hansen is one of the subjects of Beveridge’s painting. Having won 3 World Poker Tour open titles, the 2007 Aussie Millions main event, and being picked as one of People Magazine’s 50 Sexiest Men in 2004, he’s the perfect model for any painting. Terry perfectly captured Gus’ dead-serious but sexy look in the artwork, which is what the latter’s aura emits in real life.

Doyle Brunson is also a subject of Beveridge’s art. He has been playing professionally for over 50 years and during the span of his career, he had won two WSOP bracelets, a WPT title, and has been inducted in the Poker Hall of Fame. He is considered to be the “Godfather of Poker” and is so influential that he’s even gotten one competition named after him: the “Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic.” Beveridge’s depiction of Doyle’s far-off look in the painting speaks of ambition, wisdom, and flare despite his old age.

Daniel Negreanu is the last piece the rounds up Beveridge’s Art of Poker project. Daniel is perhaps the most successful of the three, having won six World Series of Poker bracelets and two World Poker Tour championship titles. Daniel is a known philanthropist who regularly participates in sports-related fundraisers and the founder of the annual Big Swing Charity Golf event that benefits different charities. Daniel’s portrait shows a lot of intensity, making it as if he’s in the middle of a match and trying to think of ways on how he can successfully bluff his enemies.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen dozens of new faces appear on the poker scene, giving artists like Beveridge ample material to work with. The stories behind these personalities are also quite intriguing, and they can be used to add another dimension to the warped paintings. Betfair’s ambassador Elisabeth Hille, for example, was a young, beautiful Norwegian waitress who stunned the world by almost making it to the final table of the 2012 WSOP Main Event. Phil Ivey, widely regarded as the best professional poker player in the world, also traces his career to humble beginnings as a telemarketer in New Jersey, stealing away to play poker in Atlantic City using a fake ID. It’s stories like these that make poker players some of the most interesting personalities in the world, and Beveridge’s art works to highlight these intriguing stories.

Beveridge studied Commercial and Graphic Arts in his home country. He started his career creating technical illustrations for GM and does freelance art jobs. According to him, his interest in painting flourished while watching his grandmother paint with oils in the backyard of their home.