On The Ball: Craig Black's latest artwork pays tribute to the Champions League

Craig Black appears to be on a sporting kick at the moment. Only recently, we looked at how he captured the spirit of tennis with an Acrylic Fusion masterpiece, and now he's back at it again with a beautiful tribute to the world's greatest football club competition.

Created as a personal contribution to the contest, the piece titled Champions League Inspired Fusion Football sees layers of paint poured over a football to create mesmerising swirls of colours. Bursting with glints of orange, white and blue, the artwork-cum-sporting equipment serves as a fitting nod to the ball that makes, or indeed breaks, the hopes and dreams of fans.

The use of colours, as you'd expect from an artist who has previously worked with some of the most recognisable brands in the world of sport, is no coincidence either. In fact, they have been carefully chosen to evoke the look of a night sky, complete with white stars twinkling against a swirling blue, all framed with the warm orange glow of a sunrise.

Craig, who played professional football in an earlier life, said: "I remember seeing Champions League games at Hampden Park in Glasgow and revelling in the unbelievable atmosphere.

"Watching Zinedine Zidane volley the ball into the top corner – the arc of its flight, the power and the accuracy – is etched into my memory. I wanted to create a football worthy of such momentous occasions.

"With every rotation of the ball, a new Acrylic Fusion pattern emerges while staying consistent as a whole. It would be my dream to someday see the ball played by the stars of the Champions League."

The football connection clearly runs deep for Craig, and his sporting works have started to get noticed by the right people. Earlier this month, he was commissioned to make unique trophies and medals for the Chivas Regal FC Game Day 2023, which was held at Old Trafford.

Emblazoned with Chevas Regal's distinctive, muted colours, which appear to run and ooze thanks to his Acrylic Fusion technique, these artworks are a first step towards Craig seeing his Champions League Inspired Fusion Football becoming a reality on the pitch.