Tony Hawk is the figurehead, the skater who, more than any other, transcended the sport into super-stardom. As pool and vertical skating exploded in the early-mid 1980s, Tony Hawk lead the way. He was long and lanky, and literally flew through the air. He was truly explosive, stepping into a leading role for his team and for skating as a sport. When the “Tony Hawk Pro Skater” video games came out there was no question why it was his name on the cover. Put him up there with Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, you don’t argue that he’s the GOAT. It’s just obvious. (I say that as a Lebron fan!)

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 .