Behind the Raptors is a talented fan base of artists. Even the players have taken notice

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Ever since Samantha Woj was introduced to art in elementary school, she’s been passionate about finding ways to create art pieces that push limits.

Now, that’s taken her to social media fame. How? Most recently, she painted portraits of Raptors stars such as Scottie Barnes, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam amid the team’s playoff run using a basketball as a paint brush.

“I was somebody who never liked to do what everybody else did … I was like ‘I’m gonna be realistic, I don’t care what people think. I am gonna keep doing it,’ ” the 27-year-old Montreal-based visual artist told the Toronto Star in an interview Thursday.

“And then I would push a limit in the box of how I can do realism in my own way.”

Woj said she first started gaining attention for her illustrations of celebrities on coffee cups but has since been making waves on social media for her captivating time lapses using everyday sports equipment to paint beloved Canadian athletes.

Wanting to stick to her personal art style of pushing the envelope to produce abstract work, Woj began repurposing sports equipment around her home to create her portraits such as hockey sticks, soccer balls, skates, ski goggles, paddles, curling brooms and golf balls.

Being an avid athlete, combining her love of sports and art became a rush of adrenalin and fun for Woj. Some of her first projects were portraits of Canadian Olympians competing at the Tokyo Games last year during the pandemic.

“Athletes had no family members, there was no audience,” Woj said of the Olympians in Tokyo. “So why don’t I just try to paint them with some sports material I have around the house … and paint these portraits of them to support them from back home saying ‘Good luck from Canada.’ ”

She has also worked with the CAN Fund organization to auction off her paintings to raise money for Canadian athletes who didn’t receive any money for winning a medal at the Paralympics.

Woj has a physical disability called ectrodactyly which impacts people’s fingers and toes. She was born with one finger on each hand, with a toe being added on to each of her hands to replicate an additional finger.

“As a disabled person, I knew they’re going on TV. I wanted to support (them because they) don’t get as much news or people who support them like in the art world,” she said of raising money through her art.

“It was amazing getting so much love and I had people wanting my art.”

According to Woj, it takes her about two days to create a portrait. This accounts for outlining, painting and editing any mistakes or “happy accidents” as she likes to refer to them.

Sometimes, the process of painting can be frustrating, she added, pointing to one time where she stayed up late to completely restart a portrait of Raptors guard Gary Trent Jr. when she realized her first canvas wasn’t working.

After starting her Instagram account with only around 200 followers made up of family and friends on social media, Woj said her mind has been blown with the amount of excitement and positivity she’s received from athletes and fellow sports fans.

“It’s been a complete utter experience … like over 1,000 people follow me? What’s going on!,” Woj said.

Throughout her career, Woj has also participated in art therapy to support people struggling with mental health.

“We discuss their emotions, look at them on paper … I get to talk and help people through mental health because I’ve always been somebody who likes to help people,” she said.

When it comes to the importance of art to Woj, she describes it as an addiction and a way for her to relieve her emotions and energy.

“It’s my way of becoming happy and getting this adrenalin high … It’s me soaking in this goodness where I get to create something from nothing,” she said, adding art has consistently been with her through ups and downs.

“Art heals … It’s always there and it doesn’t judge.”

Woj spoke to the Star on the day of Game 6 in the Raptors’ first-round playoff series with the Philadelphia 76ers. While she has never been to a live Raptors game, she and her family are avid fans.

“This house gets insane for basketball … I want to see them one day. That’s my goal, to see the actual Toronto Raptors complete and play,” she said, pointing to Barnes and fellow Montrealer Chris Boucher as two of her favourite stars.

Woj sometimes tries to paint during the game but often gets distracted under stressful moments when scores are too close.

“Sometimes you’ll see in my time lapses where I’m basically staring at a screen for 30 seconds watching the game,” she said.

As for what portrait we can expect from Woj next, she says many fans have suggested Raptors president Masai Ujiri. But she has also thought about polling people on who they want to see next.

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