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Photo courtesy of Steve Skipper
Terry and former University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban, left, pose with Homewood artist Steve Skipper at the unveiling of Skipper's latest work, "The Process Fulfilled," on Oct. 16, 2024, at Saban's office in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
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Photo courtesy of Steve Skipper
Former Alabama Coach Nick Saban, center, greets artist Steve Skipper, right, as Saban's wife Terry looks on, before the unveiling of Skipper's latest work, "The Process Fulfilled," on Oct. 16, 2024, at Saban's office at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
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Photo courtesy of Steve Skipper
Terry and Nick Saban get their first look at "The Process Fulfilled," the latest work of art by Homewood artist Steve Skipper, on Oct. 16, 2024, at Saban's office in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
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Photo courtesy of Steve Skipper
Terry Saban, center, is moved to tears standing next to her husband, former Alabama Coach Nick Saban, left, as Homewood artist Steve Skipper unveils his latest work, "The Process Fulfilled," on Oct. 16, 2024, at Saban's office in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
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Photo courtesy of Steve Skipper
Terry Saban, wife of legendary Alabama football coach Nick Saban, hugs artist Steve Skipper, right, after the unveiling of Skipper's latest work, "The Process Fulfilled," on Oct. 16, 2024, at Saban's office in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
As 2024 draws to a close, we’re highlighting some of the top newsmakers in Homewood from this year as part of our Newsmaker of the Year series. Today, we’re announcing one of our finalists: Steve Skipper.
It has been a whirlwind year of capturing icons for Homewood sports artist Skipper. In 2024, Skipper unveiled paintings of the queen of England and the king of College Football. These accomplishments are what earned Skipper a spot in our most notable newsmaker pieces of the year.
Revisit our feature on Skipper from October here.
It has been a whirlwind year of capturing icons for Homewood sports artist Steve Skipper. In 2024, Skipper unveiled paintings of the queen of England and the king of College Football.
Those two projects intersected around a third landmark opportunity for Skipper: capturing one of the iconic plays of Iron Bowl history, and in executing it, making some history himself.
Skipper on Wednesday unveiled “The Process Fulfilled” alongside legendary former Alabama Coach Nick Saban and his wife, Terry, in Saban’s office at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. The painting represents more than 2,000 hours of work by Skipper but it captures the full picture of Saban’s illustrious 17-year run with the Crimson Tide.
Represented in the painting are Saban’s national titles – he won six with the Crimson Tide – as well as his relationship with Terry and his relationship with the athletic director who hired him at UA, the late Mal Moore. There are nods to his relationships with his players, their academic success, images as the iconic straw hat he wore at practices and iconic plays that marked championships. The extra touch is a nod to his family heritage and upbringing, including the values he learned from his father – also a coach – that shaped his own career and The Process by which he won big.
“I don’t think you could capture anybody’s life at Alabama better than that,” Nick Saban said at the unveiling. “It’s fantastic. I can’t believe it’s a painting.”
“Mr. Steve, you outdid yourself,” Terry Saban told Skipper. “The detail, the color, the story that it tells … we just appreciate it so much. You’ve captured a lot of years there.”
Skipper, who was named the 2023 Sports Artist of the Year by the United States Sports Academy, said the painting of Saban was a labor of love. He wanted the work to reflect the totality of Saban’s impact in Tuscaloosa, both on and off the field.
“Coach Saban gave me a shot that most people at the University didn’t want me to have,” he told The Homewood Star. “He gave me a written endorsement and a contract when he won his first national championship. “Through the years he affected my life and career in a tremendous way. His relationship with Miss Terry is special. Their love and support of each other is bigger than most people realize. Their help of the less fortunate is something special.
“His love for his parents and the Process that he received from his dad is unprecedented. Not only the effect on players and coaches but anyone who knows him personally.”
Proceeds from the sale of each Limited Edition Print will benefit the Nick’s Kids Foundation. Saban requested that the first Canvas Reproduction hang in the Saban Center in Tuscaloosa.
Prints may be purchased at Skipper’s website, www.SteveSkipperStudio.com.
Wednesday’s unveiling continued a busy year for Skipper, who in 2024 unveiled his portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, a work that made him the first Black artist to be commissioned by Buckingham Palace to create a portrait for the Royal Collection.
It was during the production of that painting that he was struck by another inspiration: Jalen Milroe’s last-play touchdown pass to beat Auburn in what would be Saban’s final Iron Bowl.
After the game, Skipper immediately began work on “The Resilient Gravedigger,” which captured Milroe’s 4th-and-goal touchdown pass covering 31 yards in a stunning 27-24 win at Auburn.
That project was unveiled earlier this year, and it also represented a bit of history as the first work by Skipper to be officially licensed by the university as a Name, Image & Likeness deal featuring a student-athlete. Milroe receives a portion of all sales of “The Resilient Gravedigger.”
“It’s overwhelming,” Skipper said of his success in 2024. “I’m on Cloud 50.”
