Professional and amateur bodybuilders are discovering the pleasure of having their muscular figures immortalized in an oil portrait, and gaining the interest of an eight-time Ms. Olympia is helping to spread the word about this unique twist on an old tradition.
(PRWEB) November 29, 2005 -- Memories In Oil founder Joachim Rapp of Los Angeles recently completed orders for oil portraits of two professional bodybuilders: Eight-time Ms. Olympia Lenda Murray and 2003 Masters Olympia champion Claude Groulx. Rapp’s booth at the annual Fitness Hollywood event in the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel Nov. 18-20 showed off these and other works, with subject matter as varied as newlywed couples, kids, and horses.
“Bodybuilders consider their bodies to be an art form, so this is another way to express that,” Rapp said. “They already have a lot of photos. A painting takes it a step further.”
The process of turning a photograph into an oil portrait is surprisingly simple. Through his company, www.memoriesinoil.com , Rapp sends a photograph to his professional artists in China, who hand-paint the portrait and return it in about four weeks. He has the canvas stretched, framed, and delivered stateside at an affordable price totaling $250 to $600, depending on the size and complexity.
“The best part of the Fitness Hollywood event was getting the chance to meet Mr. U.S.A. Joe Antouri and seeing how excited he was about my paintings. He invited me to a large event, Fit Expo, at Pasadena Civic Auditorium Feb. 17-19, where I will personally deliver the painting to Lenda Murray,” he said.
Dr. Antouri is founder and chief executive officer of ProPTA (Private Trainers Association, www.propta.com) and is involved in the fields of fitness, nutrition, and professional training certification.
“Many other professional bodybuilders from organizations like ProPTA and IFBB (International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness, www.ifbb.com) approached me about doing paintings for them,” Rapp added.
The multi-show Fitness Hollywood event claims media attention from national television and news outlets including ESPN and MTV. It provided an excellent stage to unveil Rapp’s unique subject matter, and he said the superior texture and quality of oil paintings make this medium ideal for preserving the detailed image of bulging muscles, rippling veins, and ‘curves to die for’ that bodybuilders spend their lives obtaining.
“Their bodies are amazing to look at, so naturally they make beautiful paintings,” he said.
