The Gonz

Mark Gonzales. Dude is the best. End of story. (I'm not totally satisfied with the portrait I sculpted for this and I am currently re-working it.)

John Cardiel

I did this sculpt to honor one of skateboarding's most incredible individuals. It wasn't a commission or anything. I really did it for myself. But as I came close to finishing the sculpt, I thought 'Why not send it to John?' I'm really glad I did. It's the least I could do for a guy who gave so much inspiration to the skateboarding community. When he recieved the sculpture via the guys at DLX, he called me to thank me for it. When I realized who I was on the phone with I couldn't breathe. LOL I was so hyped! Thanks John!
I want to thank the guys out at DLX for helping me finish the sculpture. Jim Thiebaud and Damon Thorley both sent me photos that helped me out tremendously. When the sculpt was finished I sent it to DLX and they made sure John recieved it.

I love Mark Gonzales so I'm gonna quote him again here speaking about Cards in the Transworld Sight Unseen film. "He's an original ripper; He's an original Coors." I'd say that about sums it up. There are few people who epitomize the spirit of skateboarding like John Cardiel. If you don't know that, then you need to go watch his videos. Enough said.

Andrew Reynolds

I started this one immediately after finishing the Thomas sculpture. I ran out of steam though. The obvious choice for The Boss is the frontside flip. This should give you an idea of how my sculptures look in the early stages of development. This one was sculpted in a softer wax which allows me to work faster. But it adds a step because I then need to make a mold and cast it in the the harder green wax to finish the details. The pole coming out of his back is just a temporary support to help establish the pose. Anyway I think the thing that killed this for me was the fact that it would eventually need to be supported by a big rod. I got turned off by that. I'm gonna try and come back to it eventually. Maybe when I can make things levitate with my wizard skills.

A Brief History

Depending on your point of view (mine varies from day to day) I had the blessing (or curse) of being raised by artists. My mom is a landscape painter and my dad is a professional sculptor. This being the case, I was raised around art and my path as an artist was pretty much written in stone from birth. In fact, shortly after I was born, my mom apparently showed my father my hands and said, 'These are the hands of a sculptor.' Well I'm not one to believe in fate but genetics don't lie. I've always been involved in art in some capacity. As I mentioned earlier, I started skating in 1994 and I was instantly obsessed with it. I skated as much as I could and eventually became friends with a small group of skateboarders in high school. Kind of funny to think back to this time period when skating was still rather unaccepted. We were constantly harassed in school by the 'jocks' and 'preppies'. Of course we thrived on this and it fueled our punk rock attitudes. Remember when skate boarding was synonomous with Screeching Weasel and NOFX? Those were the days. So our little group donned baggy clothes and skated constantly. It was in many ways the best time of my life. I grew up in the suburbs of Philly and the closest skate shop was Fairman's in West Chester Pa. Fairman's sponsered some big names in skating including Bam Margera. It wasn't uncommon to stop by Fairman's on a weekend and spot Kerry Getz or Mike Maldanado. The skate scene was growing quickly by this time and I'm glad I was part of it. Of course I wanted to be sponsored but I was just never good enough. My skating career was highlighted by a couple sprained ankles, and a warrant for my arrest issued because I hadn't paid a fine for skatebaording where I wasn't supposed to. My friends and I made some films of our exploits and we tried to take this stuff seriously. At the very least, I'm glad it was documented. The skating is not spectacular but I suppose it wasn't bad for 2000 or so. Anyway it's proof of the fun I had. Here's me in our last home brewed video. And yes I push MONGO! LOL

Even though I failed art in high school (due in large part to skateboarding) I've always loved creating things and the Independence that goes along with the creative act. When I left high school, I spent the next year skateboarding and working at a department store. I was pretty directionless. Eventually, at my mom's urging I enrolled for classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. As usual Mom was right, and I fell in love with art school and the creative atmosphere it offered. The Academy of Fine Art in Philly is very traditional art school and this is where I learned to proficiently sculpt human anatomy. Upon graduation, I once again fell in to the doldrums. How could I possibly apply my artistic education in a practical sense to make a living. This time my dad stepped in and suggested that I attempt to break in to the commercial sculpting field. I got my portfolio together and was eventually hired by McFarlane Toys in June of 2003. My employment at McFarlane Toys gave me the opportunity to learn the commerical side of fine art. I learned how to add the polish and detail to a piece of art and make it producible on a larger scale. Basically creating fine art for the masses. It's a long tedious process

Jamie Thomas

Jamie Thomas has long been a mover and shaker in the skateboard industry. His part in Toy Machine's 'Welcome to Hell' video had an enormous impact on the skateboard community. It was definitely a game changer when it was released and it absolutely had a lasting effect on me. Say what you will about Jamie, watching him destroy those enormous handrails while Iron Maiden belts out 'Hallowed by Thy Name' was unforgettable. I felt it would be fitting to make my first skate sculpture an ode to this beast. I didn't chose a particular scene or photo to base this sculpture on. I just thought, 'Jamie Thomas = Smith Grind'.
This first one was definitely a learning experience. There is a lot of room for improvement but the most glaring mistake is that pole stuck in his butt. I should have found a way to incorporate it in the hand rail. Live and learn.
The finished product...

In the beginning...

Circa 1994... I was standing outside my Jr High School waiting for my mom to pick me up. I watched in fascination as two fellow 9th graders rolled by on their skateboards. Mike Manidis looked up at me after attempting some sort of flip trick and said, "I know there is a skater in you." (Mike is currently directing the Element skate camp, and I think that makes perfect sense.)
He was right, and the following year I began skateboarding. 15 years later, I still ride. A lot happened in the interim of course. I (barely) graduated high school, went to art school in Philadelphia, started sculpting professionally, got married, bought a house etc etc. Through all the ups and downs, I had two constants. My art and skateboarding.
During the 7 years I spent sculpting for McFarlane toys, I had a lot of time to reflect on my interests. At some point in 2007, it dawned on me that I could combine the two great passions of my life in to one pursuit. I could sculpt skateboarders. Few things in my life have seemed more obvious. I could combine my years of experience in professional sculpting with my years of experience as a skateboarder. I immediately felt as though I had found my 'niche'. And so with no real goal in mind other than enjoying myself, I went home that night and started sculpting a skateboarder at my kitchen table in our tiny studio apartment.