Artistic Oilers fans churning out best work during motivating playoff run
The Edmonton Oilers' playoff run is inspiring the team's most creative fans.
"Creativity comes in random spurts, more often than not," artist Taleb Choucair told CTV News Edmonton in a recent interview.
"So usually during the playoffs I get that hype… I feel that's when the Oilers paintings, for me, really thrive and I get my best paintings out during that time."
Since last season's playoff run, he has created about 20 portraits of the Oilers' star players.
The paintings portray the players on the ice, perhaps gliding back to the centre line or celebrating a goal. Like his other work, the portraits feature some abstract styling and high contrast colouring.
They are displayed in a gallery at Hectic Cutz, a barbershop that has been frequented by some of the Oilers' star players.
Edmonton Oilers fan and artist Taleb Choucair stands beside his paintings of the team's star players Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. (Nahreman Issa / CTV News Edmonton)
"(Customers) really like them. I've noticed they're really engaged in sports, especially because we're Edmonton," Choucair said.
Playoffs have also spurred interest in Catherine Hiller's bedazzled jerseys and bead bracelets.
The latter came first, inspired by the "Taylor Swift craze," she says.
"I was like, well, why can't I do the same for hockey players or hockey? So when I posted the idea, a bunch of people had reached out," she told CTV News Edmonton.
Then a TikTok user put her on to bedazzling and she ventured out to an old Connor McDavid jersey with glue and jewels.
Edmonton Oilers fan Catherine Hiller holds up a Connor McDavid jersey she bedazzled. (Nahreman Issa / CTV News Edmonton)
"I'm pretty happy with the outcome of it. I learned a couple new techniques along the way," she said. "You learn how to outline and line up the beads a little bit. It definitely helps cover a lot of the spaces. In the beginning I was always worried I'd have to put another little bead to fill it in. If you honeycomb it, it actually works pretty well."
Bedazzling all of the numbers and letters on the jersey took about 40 hours.
"So many (beads). I had to order extra, too, because I thought I had enough then I ran out," she said.
Even the oil drop on the Edmonton Oilers' logo was bedazzled when Catherine Hiller took jewels and glue to an old jersey. (Nahreman Issa / CTV News Edmonton)
By now, her bracelets have been sent out across the country and interest in bedazzled jerseys is spreading, too. Hiller is even willing to work on Flames memorabilia, she said.
"I love my Oilers, but if there's another team I can do and jazz it up for them, that would be pretty wicked."
The Oilers sit 1-1 in the first round against the Los Angeles Kings. They play next on Sunday in L.A.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nahreman Issa
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Scheffler detained by police at PGA Championship for not following orders after traffic fatality
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was detained by police Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was led to a police car. ESPN reported he failed to follow police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.
Ontario sees first measles death in more than a decade after young child dies
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary as it adapts to Internet age and combats hoaxers
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
Wildfires are dampening against cool, rainy weather, but there's plenty left to contain
An opportune system of cool, wet weather Friday is dampening the spread of wildfires across Western Canada, but there's still plenty of work for responders and residents alike.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.
Zach Bryan and girlfriend Brianna Chickenfry are 'happy and alive' after 'traumatizing' car accident
Zach Bryan and his girlfriend Brianna LaPaglia were involved in a scary car accident earlier this week, according to LaPaglia, who recalled the experience in a candid video posted to her TikTok page earlier this week.