Lance Mountain made skateboarding accessible. He was full of heart and humor, and was relatable in a way that made developing as a skater feel attainable. He was like the guy down the street — but he was also REALLY good, especially in a pool or a halfpipe. Even the graphics on his sponsored skateboard deck were different, employing a “future primitive” style that contrasted with the skulls and bones of other skate graphics, in a way that felt more mature and grounded. Lance made us feel like we belonged.

The Skater series is inspired by the photography of J. Grant Brittain and especially his recent book, Push. Grant was there in the early days of skateboarding, working the skate parks, capturing, chronicling, and sharing his work through Transworld Magazine, which he co-founded. Skateboarding is larger than a hobby, larger than a sport. It is a culture, which Grant helped to establish through his creative direction of Transworld, and by the deep relationships that he built with the skaters whose lives and talents he shared through the images and moments he captured.

The color palette I chose for the Skater series is intended to keep the subjects grounded in reality, complemented by a consistent, prominent orange for the skateboards as a through line across the portraits. However, the skaters appear to be anything but grounded, as they soar through the air, each in some form of flight. The explosiveness of their actions is accentuated by the 1980’s style paint splatter motifs that echo their kinetic energy.

Original is acrylic on canvas. Prints are available in limited editions per size. Read more about print quality, edition details, and commissions in the FAQs .