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Stross poses with the Lion Jan. 24 at his studio in Roseville.
With temperatures climbing above freezing, Stross has been doing regular maintenance on the Lion.
ROSEVILLE — As excitement for the Detroit Lions builds, artist Edward Stross, of Gonzo Art Studio in Roseville, has used his talents to pay tribute to the NFL team.
With his artistic abilities, Stross used snow and blue food coloring to create a lion in front of his store, located at 28305 Gratiot Ave., at Utica Road.
“It’s symbolic of the fans’ optimism and their love for the Lions,” Stross said. “I’ve always done things for our sports teams to show my spirit.”
It took him five days to create the snowy artwork. As word spread in the community about the lion defending his den, residents have stopped by to snap pictures and post them on social media.
Stross built the lion during freezing temperatures. When the weather warmed up a bit, the wintry project began to melt. Because of that, Stross regularly goes outside to work on the lion.
While it’s too early to know if the Lions will make it all the way to the Super Bowl Feb. 11, “I take my games one at a time,” Stross said, “It would bring everyone together.”
The Lions will play the San Francisco 49ers at 6:30 p.m. this Sunday in Santa Clara, California, in the NFC championship game. The winner will play in the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
The Lions have never played in the Super Bowl. The Lions last won the NFL championship in 1957. The first Super Bowl was played in January of 1967.
