My family and I cannot describe in words our loss and grief for Stefan Liv. Our thoughts and prayers are with Stefan's family and especially his dear wife who has lost her husband and their two boys that have lost their father. Our thoughts are also with the Russian hockey team and everyone involved in the crash.
One of our greatest hockey profiles of all time has left us in deep regret. Stefan is and has always been a big part of my life, my painting, and how I started DAVEART. My family will remember him as the extremely warm-hearted and generous man who always had a smile on his face. Whenever we met, his first question to me was to always ask about my family and kids.
There is so much that I can tell you about Stefan. I will never forget the first time we met and I was to paint his new mask. It was at the beginning of my painting career and I was very nervous. I lived with my parents at the time and had been painting in my small room. I wanted to make him as happy as I could with the painting. He wanted a special design that was a tribute to Pelle Lindbergh.
After that, there were many masks over the years. He's the single goalie that I have painted the most masks for in my career, often, several masks in one season. I noticed immediately that he was a guy with his heart in the right place. Stefan, with his great sense of humor, always wanted to have something different on his masks. Everyone knew it was something fun going on when Stefan was involved. Media often used to wonder what Stefan would have on his new mask. And everyone I met asked, always with a smile, what Stefan's next mask design was going to look like this time. It was the standard question I received from people for more than 10 years. I felt like the coolest guy in the world when I got to paint for Stefan. Sometimes he just wanted something funny on the mask. But most often he wanted tribute designs with his children, his mother, his brother, and his friends.
I cannot describe in words how grateful I am to Stefan and all the special things he has done for me. He has always been very supportive of me and my painting. From the beginning and as he became a big star. It is not easy to start a business and being a small business owner there is always a level of uncertainty. He was a rock that supported me from the very beginning, helping to promote me and my painting to the media and to other goalies. He was always so interested and asked how things were going with the painting and what new projects I have been working on. When I painted his masks, he was especially curious and wanted me to send MMS images as the designs progressed. And when I was finished with the new mask, he wanted to come himself and pick it up in the studio.
In the spring of 2002 I had an exhibition in Jönköping County Museum. Even though Stefan was busy with the National team and the upcoming World Cup, he came to participate in the inauguration and talked about the masks I had painted for him.
One Summer I was in Kinnarps Arena to meet with Stefan and to talk about new mask projects. My brother in-law, Joel, accompanied me to meet his great idol Stefan Liv for the first time. It was a great time and I was so glad Joel got to meet his idol. When we were about to return home, the team equipment manager came running over to deliver an autographed stick that Stefan wanted Joel to have. Joel was so happy and it still hangs on his wall today.
A Christmas a number of years ago, members of the HV71 team were in the A6 shopping mall to sign autographs for the holiday shopping season and meet the fans. I was also invited to join Stefan and showcase his masks for the HV71 fans. Stefan requested that I sit next to him and also sign autographs. It was a time that I will never forget, I felt like a superstar that day.
Sometimes life feels strange and unfair. This is such a moment. Now the grieving process begins where we help each other to remember Stefan for the wonderful man he was.
Stefan, you will always be in our hearts. May God bless you and your family.
David Gunnarsson with family
One of our greatest hockey profiles of all time has left us in deep regret. Stefan is and has always been a big part of my life, my painting, and how I started DAVEART. My family will remember him as the extremely warm-hearted and generous man who always had a smile on his face. Whenever we met, his first question to me was to always ask about my family and kids.
There is so much that I can tell you about Stefan. I will never forget the first time we met and I was to paint his new mask. It was at the beginning of my painting career and I was very nervous. I lived with my parents at the time and had been painting in my small room. I wanted to make him as happy as I could with the painting. He wanted a special design that was a tribute to Pelle Lindbergh.
After that, there were many masks over the years. He's the single goalie that I have painted the most masks for in my career, often, several masks in one season. I noticed immediately that he was a guy with his heart in the right place. Stefan, with his great sense of humor, always wanted to have something different on his masks. Everyone knew it was something fun going on when Stefan was involved. Media often used to wonder what Stefan would have on his new mask. And everyone I met asked, always with a smile, what Stefan's next mask design was going to look like this time. It was the standard question I received from people for more than 10 years. I felt like the coolest guy in the world when I got to paint for Stefan. Sometimes he just wanted something funny on the mask. But most often he wanted tribute designs with his children, his mother, his brother, and his friends.
I cannot describe in words how grateful I am to Stefan and all the special things he has done for me. He has always been very supportive of me and my painting. From the beginning and as he became a big star. It is not easy to start a business and being a small business owner there is always a level of uncertainty. He was a rock that supported me from the very beginning, helping to promote me and my painting to the media and to other goalies. He was always so interested and asked how things were going with the painting and what new projects I have been working on. When I painted his masks, he was especially curious and wanted me to send MMS images as the designs progressed. And when I was finished with the new mask, he wanted to come himself and pick it up in the studio.
In the spring of 2002 I had an exhibition in Jönköping County Museum. Even though Stefan was busy with the National team and the upcoming World Cup, he came to participate in the inauguration and talked about the masks I had painted for him.
One Summer I was in Kinnarps Arena to meet with Stefan and to talk about new mask projects. My brother in-law, Joel, accompanied me to meet his great idol Stefan Liv for the first time. It was a great time and I was so glad Joel got to meet his idol. When we were about to return home, the team equipment manager came running over to deliver an autographed stick that Stefan wanted Joel to have. Joel was so happy and it still hangs on his wall today.
A Christmas a number of years ago, members of the HV71 team were in the A6 shopping mall to sign autographs for the holiday shopping season and meet the fans. I was also invited to join Stefan and showcase his masks for the HV71 fans. Stefan requested that I sit next to him and also sign autographs. It was a time that I will never forget, I felt like a superstar that day.
Sometimes life feels strange and unfair. This is such a moment. Now the grieving process begins where we help each other to remember Stefan for the wonderful man he was.
Stefan, you will always be in our hearts. May God bless you and your family.
David Gunnarsson with family
Posts
