Custom Art designers are
popping up a lot these days, and I’d love to be as artistic as they are, with
their canvas paintings on Converse and Vans trainers, these are real pieces of
work that you’d want to treasure forever. I’m not sure, after spending a vast
amount of money on a piece of art, I’d want to take them out in the rain
though.
We caught up with Matt
Jago who came to our attention after a photo was posted on social media by John
Barrowman, showing off his rather fancy pair of Converse with Captain Jack and
the Tardis on them. Naturally, we wanted
to know more, and after locating Matt on Twitter, then viewed more of his
artwork on his website, we wanted to know more.
Hi Matt, thanks for this
opportunity.
Have
you always had artistic flair or have you had to hone your craft through uni or
is this a natural talent crafted on your love of all things sci fi?
Matt: It's definitely a natural talent which
has grown massively over the years. I have always loved being arty since a
young age but didn't attend art school or uni for it.
I certainly wasn't as good
as I am now when I started painting the shoes 8 years ago.
You
have an awesome Etsy page, I love all of them. Do you just paint shoes?
Matt: At the moment I'm busy with the shoes
yes. But will be painting canvases very soon.
How
did you meet John in order for him to own a pair of your shoe art?
Matt:
I met John at Supanova Brisbane. He came to my stall and actually
purchased my Star Wars converse for his display back home and then he placed a
custom order for the Dr Who/Torchwood pair.
Do
you do commissions for other celebrities or people in general?
Matt:
I do take commissioned orders, yes. The majority of my work is
commissioned. John is my biggest celeb so far.
Are
you a fan of the genres you paint for?
Matt: I do get a lot of different requests
for different genres and I am definitely a fan of the comics/sci-fi/musical
genres I paint.
I
would imagine that painting onto canvas, especially shoes, doesn't leave room
for error. How do you prepare before each painting?
Matt:
I actually create designs on Photoshop first, so I have a clear image of
how I want the shoes to look before I paint.
How
long does it take to complete an order (as such)?
Matt: The timing does depend on what I am
painting but for example the John Barrowman pair took 16 hours in total. Which
is actually super fast for two portraits, the Tardis, Torchwood tower and I
also added the DW logo and Torchwood logo to the tongues.
Can
you move for shoes in your house? Or do you have a workshop?
Matt:
I do work from home and I do have a huge stack of shoes in boxes. I
order in the shoes on a weekly basis, so I have a nice flow of shoes in and
out.
How
many years have you been painting shoe art for and when did your interest in
this kind of art begin?
Matt: I've been painting on shoes for 8 years
and it all started with a birthday gift for my brother. That led on to a couple
of people asking for a pair then a couple more and there was a lot of interest,
so I started a Facebook page and I took off.
Other
than Etsy, do you have anywhere else that showcases your work?
Matt:
I have a website store http://www.MattsCustomArt.com where you can order any shoe I have on there
or place a custom order and I'm also on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at
@MattsCustomArt.
Because
the shoes are painted, would it streak if you wore them in the rain. or if they
were damp?
Matt: The paint is totally permanent. It
won't run or fade in the rain. And can be washed.
Thank
you so much for the interview.
Matt: Thank you very much
Photos
for the cover and indeed the interview are courtesy of Matt Jago
Credit
John Barrowman for photo of proudly showing off designer shoes.
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