Local Artist Captures Ryan O'Reilly's Storied Career in 'Collage-Style' Portrait

A picture is worth a thousand words – or, in this case, a thousand games. 

Nashville Predators forward Ryan O’Reilly played in his 1,000th career NHL game on Oct. 31 at Vancouver, and the Preds celebrated the milestone in a pregame ceremony ahead of their home game on Saturday against the Arizona Coyotes. 

Among the gifts the team presented to O’Reilly to commemorate the milestone was a 3’ x 3’ portrait painted by Nashville-based artist and illustrator Destiney Powell that showcases some of the highlights of O’Reilly’s career on and off the ice with a vibrant and imaginative twist.

“I feel like a portrait is not only someone's likeness,” Powell said. “There's so much of who they are in their portrait, like their personality. Even if I haven’t met [O’Reilly] personally, I feel like I know him because I can see his dedication. I can see that he works hard. I can see that he’s passionate about what he does.”

For Powell, the elements that O’Reilly’s family and team chose to have included in the commissioned painting speak volumes about who he is as a person. In addition to images of O’Reilly playing, carrying the Conn Smythe Trophy and hoisting the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues, the portrait includes his wife, Dayna; his parents, Bonnie and Brian; his sisters, Tara and Shannon; his brother, Cal; his sister-in-law, Terra; and his children, Jameson, Declan and Willa.

“He loves his family, and that's where his passion and drive comes from for his work,” Powell said. His dedication to what he does is the same dedication he has towards his family. My perspective on portraits is that it's another way to tell a story about who we are… I tried to find pictures of the family where they were smiling and happy and celebrating accomplishments together. I had to kind of piece together different moments, so it’s collage-style.”

Between subject research, preliminary sketches and actual painting, Powell estimates that she spent more than 60 hours on the portrait. She gets to know her subjects primarily by watching game highlights and interviews from throughout their careers. 

“I watch how they respond to comments, and I watch their mannerisms so I can make sure that I'm actually capturing their likeness in the way they speak,” Powell said. “Certain things they say will make me think, ‘Oh, I feel this color aligns with who they are’... Sometimes if there's a long interview, I'll listen to them speak while I'm painting so I know who I'm who I'm painting.”

Powell’s personal touch in all of her work is in the vibrant colors that she uses, and her portrait of O’Reilly is no exception.

“This piece was a collection of his work and his story as a hockey player,” Powell said. “So I didn't necessarily hide too much in there because I wanted everyone to see family and his accomplishments and I wanted that to be at the forefront. So the part of me that I kind of hid in there is always in the colors I choose. I chose to make him feel more warm against the cool background. I just feel like he may be a really warm, loving person towards the people that he knows and he’s really close to.”

At first glance, the background of the portrait may appear to be a haphazard collection of brush strokes and drips; but for Powell, the effect was intentional.

“To me it's, it's how I see memories,” Powell said. “That's my interpretation. So because this is a highlight of things that have already happened in his career already, it's a memory. The way I see and conceptualize memories in my brain is fading in and out. So drips are a way to transition into the past, present or future. It's an artistic representation of a transition in time and memory.”

The result of Powell’s thoughtful work is a stunning visual representation of a long and decorated career that O’Reilly and his family can cherish for years to come. For Powell, it’s a labor of love.

“I study what I do,” Powell said. “I practice all the time. I want to make sure that I am not only capturing likeness, but that it feels real, that it feels like a moment captured in time.”

To learn more about Powell and see more of her work, visit poeticallyillustrated.net.