‘I went to a friend’s house one day after school and found him airbrushing a T-shirt. I was in awe – I had never seen anything like this! I ran home and asked my mum for a kit for Christmas and the rest was history.
When I married my wife, a military officer, I needed a business where location didn’t matter, as she was required to move every four years. This was when Head Strong Grafx LLC was born! Goalie masks were perfect: it didn’t matter where I was because none of my clients were local anyway. I really lucked out when my wife was posted at Scott Air Force Base near St Louis – a great hockey city!
I got involved with rinks, stores and events across the area. One day a friend of mine got a job with the St Louis Blues. Goaltender Brian Elliott hated his current mask. My friend mentioned my name to him and I got a call to come in. I was star struck – standing in the locker room with all these NHL players! It was like a dream. When I returned to present Brian’s finished mask to him, goaltender Jaro Halak was there. He asked me to paint his mask and backplate in honor of his good friend Pavel Dimitry who had tragically died along with his team in a plane crash.
When Jaro saw my work he was thrilled. The backplate went viral. I was getting calls from Fox, ESPN, you name it! This launched my career. For the next few years I was one of the hottest mask painters around. NHL and AHL teams were requesting so many masks from me that I couldn’t keep up.
This story is from the December 2019 - January 2020 edition of Pinstriping & Kustom Graphics Magazine.
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This story is from the December 2019 - January 2020 edition of Pinstriping & Kustom Graphics Magazine.
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NOT YET
TELLING A STORY WITH ART
THE Lowdown
Our place for news, courses, updates, the latest products and anything else awesomely kustom
DEAN ''WALLY WILINSKI
Name: Dean “Wally” Willinski
WALTER CUETO
I was accepted to Art & Design where, at the time, we had to take four periods of art. I fell in love with the airbrush and never put it down since 1988. Fast forward to today, and I continue my education, I attempt to take yearly airbrush classes, in order to improve and grow.
GRISAILLE
CONTEMPOEARY ART USING MASTER'S STYLE
JOHN BOOTH IN
Location: Louisiana, USA
Claudio nosari leathercraft
My name is Claudio, and I am based in Northern Ireland. Originally I come from a small country town in Northern Italian Prealps.
DANNY RIDDLE
My name is Danny Riddle. I’m a pinstriper, sign painter and I do gold leaf, airbrush, custom graphics (pearls, flakes, candies, etc). Painting is my passion. I’ve been involved with this business for 50+ years.
Casey Mckinley
My name is Casey McKinley, and I am an illustrator living near Kansas City, Missouri, with my wife Monica and three kids Ella, Eli and Ean. My specialty is in inking and coloring with Adobe Illustrator. I have been a professional graphic designer and illustrator for over 20 years. You can find all of my work on Instagram and Facebook, and I go by @mckinleyillustration.
Between the Lines: Steve Chaszeyka
Brush painted cartoons
