It is so incredibly exciting to create the mask artworks for my friend, the New York Islanders keeper Rick DiPietro. Once again the theme of the mask is military to honor his father who was a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam war.
And once again we wanted to do something totally new, think outside the box, but with the same theme. This design concept I came up with and sketched when I sat at Heathrow airport waiting for my plane.
The design is a so called 2 designs in 1, and also a storyteller-design. The design is built on two lines, the orange and blue lines inspired from the white Islanders jersey. I painted them winding around the mask, almost like a flag flying in the wind, it gives a very cool design when you look at the mask from a distance. And I added white stars in the blue to give a feeling of the US flag. Then, when you come closer you will discover all the details and a new design is created in front of your eyes.
On one side the helicopter again is in focus, this time I painted it in a sketchy documentary style. I love to paint in new styles, never stand still. Rick also wanted his dog in the design, I painted the dog as a soldier on the other side.
Then all over the mask I created a detailed map of artworks as a tribute to USA. I love to do a lot of research for every mask. It is all painted in that sketchy style. I love to create lots and lots of details, here on this mask you will find famous statues, soldiers, action shots, even parts of the Memorial Wall and much much more. On the chin is Rick´s own logo I created for him a couple of years ago.
I remember when I made the first mask for Rick some years ago. I wanted to do the design in a totally new way, something never done before. Rick was so happy when he got it. When we presented it my mailbox almost exploded of all the mails I got, I was so happy. And it has been the same after every new design I have made for Rick.
Welcome to check out Rick DiPietro´s New York Islanders mask design in the mask gallery and on Facebook. And in the App for iPhone, iPad and Android of course...
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