SWAVES

"Piet Mondrian" Dunk Hi

Everyone knows (or has at least seen) the work of "Piet Mondrian". This was a pet project for me that I have been wanting to do for quite some time now. There are 3 main reasons I decided to dive into these. #1 Although this pattern has "been done" many times before, I have yet to see a pair of customs that didn't leave me thinking that I could do better. #2 Due to the design, and the number of straight/clean lines involved in pulling this off, these customs do a great job of showcasing my skill with a paint brush. And #3 I think Mondrian's work is awesome! :P

As always every line was done freehand without tape or masking. There are imperfections in it (unfortunately heh) but I am only human after all :P

These will be on sale at my Online Store. I will be painting them to order for anyone interested

Hope you like them!

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"Two-Wheeler" TOMS Classics

Back in 2010 the clothing store Anthropologie released the Two-Wheeler Shirtdress. After receiving positive reviews, and making a couple TV/Commercial appearances this shirtdress disappeared off the racks quickly, and is still sought after by many vintage textile lovers around the world.

I figured that those who liked this dress would no doubt like the fit and comfort of TOMS, so I decided to remount the idea on a pair of TOMS Classics. Each bike took approximately 30 minutes to be meticulously brush painted freehand, with as much care as possible dedicated to the finer details, such as the spokes.

I hope you like em!

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"Believe" TOMS Classics

At the end of September my girlfriend will be dancing on the Justin Bieber "Believe" tour. Those who saw my Franciscan "Starburst" customs, know that she in a fan of TOMS. She asked me to make her a nice simple pair that she can wear on the tour bus and between performances.

One of my favorite things to do has got to be painting beautiful script on shoes. I study calligraphy when I am not working on shoes or dancing, so it is nice to kinda bring the two together in one.

These will be available at the Swaves Store OR on my new Etsy Store which will be including some "crafty" things in the near future as well. :)

Enough talking... Here they are!

:P Swavey

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"Starburts" TOMS Classics

In 1954 the "Starburst" line of dinnerware was introduced by Franciscan Ware, a part of the organization Gladding, McBean & Co. With the prosperity that came after the war, consumers were ready for something new. And the futuristic starry design on Franciscan Starburst fit in well with a new chrome kitchen and advanced appliances, making Franciscan Starburst the definitive dinnerware of the 1950's.

My kitchen happens to be accented with Franciscan Starburst tiles. Because of this, my girlfriend and I have joined the masses of "hunters" who scour flea markets and estate sales to find the rare missing pieces to their dinnerware collections. For our anniversary I got her a couple dinner plates to add to the collection, and painted my first pair of TOMS! Freehand painting such fine lines on canvas shoes proved to be a challenge, but I could not be happier with the outcome. Ladies and Gentlemen I give you the Franciscan "Starburst" TOMS Classics!

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"Predator & Prey v2" Dunk Hi

A client recently came to me asking for a modified version of the "Predator & Prey" Dunks I did a for an art show a while back. They loved the design but wanted the shoes to have a completely inverted colorway. The original design featured silhouetted images of a Zebra and a White Tiger on a pair of white Nike Dunks. This time, considering the base is solid black, the animals were done in white. As always the paint work on these was done freehand, and I think the lettering could be considered some of my best to date.

Which do you like best? White with Black stripes, or Black with White stripes? :P

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"VW Hippie" Dunk Hi

I was contacted by a customer from my home town to work on two pairs of shoes for her son and daughter. Her daughter, I was told is very into peace signs, tie-dye, and essentially everything hippie colored. I figured what says hippie more than an old Volkswagen Bus panted with rainbows, and flowers. So I began my journey to transform a pair of Nike Dunk Hi sneakers into a VW Bus. This process was very different from the way I usually plan my customs. My designs are usually meticulously planned out before they are applied to a shoe, but this time (in an attempt to keep the hippie vibe alive) I simply went for it. As always this custom was done 100% freehand, and I am very happy with the results.

Last night, since I am back home for a couple weeks of summer time, I was invited out to the customers house to deliver the early birthday presents in person. Everyone was pleased with the shoes, which as you know is the only thing that really matters. :)