Travel is probably one of my greatest inspirations. I like visiting new places and noticing the hand-painted signs, old packaging, architecture, and small details that give each place its own character. Mexico and Japan have been especially inspiring because there is so much history and craftsmanship in the everyday design. Growing up, I was also really inspired by the Artist Network Program that Pat Tenore started at RVCA. I thought it was rad how they put the artists’ names inside the neck of the T-shirts and supported them through art shows and videos. Artists like Barry McGee, Ed Templeton, and Phil Frost, and the documentary Beautiful Losers, had a big impact on me. I still find myself coming back to old packaging, typography, and illustration. I like how those designs were made to serve a purpose and catch your eye but still had so much personality.

I wanted to create something that tied back to mezcal. From spending time in Mexico, I remembered seeing snakes preserved in jars of alcohol. I thought it would be rad to paint a snake wrapping around the flask, with agave plants worked into the background. From there, I sketched out how everything could flow around the shape of the bottle and then hand-painted the final design using 1 Shot lettering enamel. I'm used to painting at a much larger scale, so working this small was a fun challenge. I had to use smaller brushes and figure out how to keep the details clear while wrapping the artwork around the flask.

A lot of the joy and fulfillment comes from seeing other people connect with my work. It's cool to spot a random person wearing something I designed, or to visit someone's house and see a painting I made years ago still hanging on their wall. As far as routines go, a good cup of coffee in the morning always helps. If I can fit in a surf session or bike ride to get the heart going, that's usually a great way to clear my head and start a creative day.

It was rad to see so many friends and family reposting and supporting my work. I really appreciated everyone showing up for me like that. More than any one message, seeing people take the time to share it and encourage others to vote was what stuck with me.

It would have to be my brother, Ken. Unfortunately, he passed away, and I would love to share a mezcal margarita with him!

KENERGY FOREVER.

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I got my start pretty young. My neighbors, Sher and August, taught art classes where they let us make paintings and ceramics. They would put together an art show of all the kids' work, and our friends and family would come and buy it. It was cool to learn at a young age that you could make art for other people, not just for yourself. Since then, my work has moved between graphic design, illustration, and sign painting. Each one has taught me something different, and they all continue to feed into each other. I’m always trying new approaches and building skills I can carry from one medium to another.

I was originally drawn to the work of Stephen Powers, aka ESPO. I couldn't understand how sign painters pulled such straight lines by hand, and that curiosity led me to old Von Dutch sign-painting tutorials. Then one day, I was at my friend Murphy's studio, and he had some 1 Shot lettering enamel and masking paper, so I gave it a go. I freehanded the names of some of my favorite surf spots, and it just clicked. I wanted to paint an actual sign that same day, so I spray-painted a background over one of those corny metal signs and painted "NO WAY OUT" on it. Ironically, I'm still painting today - with no way out, haha. I never imagined I would eventually get paid to paint and design. At first, I was just doing it for fun and painting things for friends, but the ball kept rolling from there.