Growing up in Detroit, with the Great Lakes nearby, I was always getting outdoors. I went to art school at the University of Michigan and afterward I was looking to work in the outdoor industry. evo popped up. They were hiring graphic designers and it seemed like a great fit. I was up for a new adventure and moved out here.
It was based on the Ballard mural I made. I thought it was interesting when everyone was masked up and you could only see eyes. I was kind of focused on that as a repetitive pattern. Steve Settles (evo Assistant Skate Buyer), thought it would be awesome on a deck and asked me to mock something up.
Shoutout to Ballard Alliance - they organized everything. They’re very community based. They find artists in Ballard to make the neighborhood prettier. At the time, all the businesses were boarded up with plywood and depressing. Everyone was scared. So the idea was, “let’s paint them and make it pretty.” You could feel the community. Everyone was taking pictures. It provided a little hope. It was a cool thing.
I think I take just so much inspiration from the outdoors. The textures and shapes. Being outdoors creates a feeling of connection to the earth and to each other as humans. The earth is so beautiful so it’s hard not to try to mimic that beauty. The more time I spend in nature the better because it makes me a better person and I make better art.
Learn more at @bmals