By MIKE CHAIKEN EDITIONS EDITOR While some artists will paint on canvas, maybe parchment, artist Tom Ryan has taken a different tack. The Naugatuck resident, who has been a frequent presence on the Bristol arts scene, uses skateboards as his medium of choice. (See an example at left.) The selection of this unconventional medium was accidental, in the true meaning of the word, said Ryan. “My brother left one (a skateboard) at the house, and I tripped over it.” “And (I) thought, hey, that might be cool to paint on, so I took the trucks off, sanded the board down and went to town with spray paint and acrylic. I had so much fun painting on it I soon went out and bought more and more boards,” said Ryan. “The first few I purchased were cheap Walmart ones. When I found a couple of local skate shops, none of them would give me a bulk discount. But some suggested Ebay and that’s now where I get my blanks. Although Ryan is neckdeep in skateboard art these days, he said he never was a skateboarder when he was young. “I have a hard enough time just standing up, let alone putting […]
By MIKE CHAIKEN EDITIONS EDITOR While some artists will paint on canvas, maybe parchment, artist Tom Ryan has taken a different tack. The Naugatuck resident, who has been a frequent presence on the Bristol arts scene, uses skateboards as his medium of choice. (See an example at left.) The selection of this unconventional medium was accidental, in the true meaning of the word, said Ryan. “My brother left one (a skateboard) at the house, and I tripped over it.” “And (I) thought, hey, that might be cool to paint on, so I took the trucks off, sanded the board down and went to town with spray paint and acrylic. I had so much fun painting on it I soon went out and bought more and more boards,” said Ryan. “The first few I purchased were cheap Walmart ones. When I found a couple of local skate shops, none of them would give me a bulk discount. But some suggested Ebay and that’s now where I get my blanks. Although Ryan is neckdeep in skateboard art these days, he said he never was a skateboarder when he was young. “I have a hard enough time just standing up, let alone putting […]