Friedesigns Interview: Viral Masks of the NHL

In this episode, we sit down with Dave Fried and Tasha Fried, the masterminds behind one of the industry leaders in mask art: Friedesigns. We discuss their impressive Team Canada Olympic resume, the masks of Adin Hill and Logan Thompson, and so much more. Join us for lots of laughs and a deep dive into the story behind some of the most viral mask designs around the NHL. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:06

From the popular social media page Goalie Mask 101 comes a brand new way to celebrate and share our love of hockey and goalie mask art. Welcome to Every Mask Has a Story. Through this podcast series, we will bring you everything goalie mask related from the history of mask art, mask art stories, interviews with artists and goalies, and up-to-date goalie news. Every mask has a story, and we're here to bring that story to life. Thank you for being a part of the goalie mask 101 community, and we hope you enjoy. In today's episode, we have the incredible honor of chatting with one of the top mask designing businesses in the industry. Husband and wife duo Dave Freed and Tasha Freed are the masterminds behind Freed's design. You saw their work at this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games, during the Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup run, and on some iconic and viral goalie masks around the NHL that we will be discussing today. Without further ado, let's get into it.

SPEAKER_02 1:10

Okay, so today we have a very exciting mask artist team with us. We have Dave and Tashov here with us today. Thank you so much for joining us and welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_03 1:20

Yeah, thanks for having us.

SPEAKER_02 1:21

Yeah, of course. Awesome. Um I'm just gonna jump in with the first question for today. How did you guys get started with mask art?

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Yeah, definitely started with me. So I have kind of the traditional story that every mask painter has. I'm a goalie. I was a goalie as a kid. I think I started in Adam. So I was infatuated with goaltending from that age, staring at the goalies at that era with masks. And I always did art too. So it's kind of the same story, you know, a kid that likes goalies and he's into art. And I just started staring at them and dreaming about who, who, who paints these and who who does this. And so a little bit into I think when I was kind of in Pee-Wee, my dad actually got me a real fiberglass goalie mask, and no masks were painted. People didn't even really have fiberglass goalie masks back in. This was like probably mid-90s in my area. And then uh my brother is actually a Brap designer, um, he's 10 years older than me, and a friend of his painted goalie masks in Winnipeg. So he got me a mask painted. I actually got them to do the venom teeth over the cage when I was a kid. I was into comic books as a kid.

SPEAKER_02 2:26

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 2:27

That got me the first paint job, and that that started my interest because I he can actually found somebody physically to do it. So you can this can actually be done by a person and an artist, you know. As a kid, you don't you think this is stuff, something that can't be done, right? So yeah, I think that that made it real. So then uh moving to my kind of early 20s, uh, I'm got into tattooing and a professional artist, and that's when I decided, well, I think I can do this myself. So I just started painting, and as I started painting my own masks, uh, friends started to see it, and I started painting their masks. It just snowballed until we got a bunch of masks kind of photographed and done by mostly just friends and family and myself. And then and then that's where Cash came into the business, and she Yeah, you know what?

SPEAKER_03 3:11

I was he was tattooing and I was I was doing another. I I've I've always been kind of in customer service and sales, and I saw the passion there and I was like, Oh, you know what, Dave? I I can see you're really into this. And I was the one that was like, I think we should make a website and you should try to market this a little bit and see where it goes. I I can just see that you're really passionate about it.

SPEAKER_00 3:33

So yeah, we we did that afterwards and yeah, and then I think we got our first first few hits on the website from local bullies in Calvary. Yeah, and then we started, you know, like everybody, it starts small, it starts with um uh kids kids. Yeah, yeah, I think one of our first our first kind of main clients, it's called Quadrant Hockey in Calvary. Okay, it was the North Stars. A lot of guys get drapped to the WHL from those quadrant teams, uh and it was Ian Scott that e emailed us that he was 14. Yeah, and then he went on and got drafted by the Prince Albert Raiders and the Toronto Toronto Maple Leafs, and so just like one of our first clients we landed was Ian Scott, and it was yeah, so it just it was kind of luck of the draw launching the website at the right time. I think it was yeah, and then Tash has been, you know, I I think I kind of tricked her into this business, and you know what I'm enjoying it, so I'm I'm happy. She doesn't just do now, she does everything. She does uh painting, she does sanding, she does the her main job is the managerial kind of yeah, yes, heart.

SPEAKER_03 4:34

I I try to help when I can and where I can, so yeah. Yeah, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 4:39

I love that. I love that you came together but through that as well. That's so cool.

SPEAKER_00 4:45

I tricked her into it.

SPEAKER_02 4:48

A good trick, awesome. Um, so from there, how would you describe your mass designing style?

SPEAKER_00 4:55

Um yeah, like I said, I my brother was a graph designer and I really looked up to him as my big brother. Oh, his name's John. He taught me a lot of graph design stuff and kind of got me passionate about it and made me pay attention to a logo, isn't just a boring logo. There is so much art to it. You know what I mean? So I really like simplicity and graph design. So I think that's where my foundation is. And then after that, I like drawing and I'm a tattooer. So I think it's a mix of kind of clean with detail or cartoon. I always like kind of the juxtapose of something bold and then something detailed. So when you get close and I try to make them complement each other, but again, that's my opinion. Uh like what do you think, Tash?

SPEAKER_03 5:35

I think you started off doing like everyone, he started off doing more logo-based masks, so more bold graphic designs. And then as he, you know, got better at the trade, he he started realizing, oh, like, you know, what what do you like more? So he started getting into cartoon style. I I think he's kind of wanted to adapt so that he can kind of take on anything. So he just keeps trying to evolve and you know, he he tries different styles.

SPEAKER_00 6:00

Definitely. I tattoo as well, and that's what I do with tattooing. I try to be open to any style because you can make more work when you're good at anything. Yes, you know what I mean. So I try to do that with bully masks too. And it honestly, if anybody asks me for anything, I'll give it a try. And yeah, it might not knock it out of the park every time, but I'll I'll give it my honest try for sure.

SPEAKER_02 6:18

I love that. I definitely your cartoon ones are some my favorite. I mean, I love all your mass designs, but those are definitely especially the Team Canada ones, which we'll talk about later. Those are I love I just love looking at those going back and be like, wow, those are awesome.

SPEAKER_03 6:31

Are you more passionate? Well, you're not necessarily more passionate, but about cartoon stuff.

SPEAKER_00 6:36

Yeah, the thing, the reason I like cartoon stuff is you can always have a story to it. You can make them goofy and fun, and then and then it draws the viewer into it and go, is that guy holding a fishing rod? And there's like connected to it. And why is he, you know, you can you can create uh a story and then you you make the whole mask kind of based off of that? It's another trick that I I took from tattooing, it's the same thing. You can create a story from any any imagery and kind of make make it have some depth to it, not just image static images sitting there, right?

SPEAKER_02 7:06

Yeah, yeah, that's also I love all of that. What's a fun fact about the mass designing process that most people wouldn't already know?

SPEAKER_00 7:15

Probably like you can see me and Tash sitting here. We we banter and we go back and forth. We're really involved back and forth with like brain brainstorming, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:25

So yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

Lowly or equipment manager will be like, I don't know, you guys got any ideas? And then we'll be like, Yeah, I'll get back to you. And then we have to sit around for a while and start talking about ideas. And we want to try to always create something that's not been done, something a little different, maybe something a little fun, like the cartoony stuff.

SPEAKER_03 7:42

And I think me and Dave are two different people and we have different ideas. So I think when we both we both kind of think over it for a while and then we'll sit down and we'll chat about it. And I think maybe that sometimes is a benefit as well.

SPEAKER_00 7:54

Yeah, and the thing about Tash, we we we've known each other since we were teenagers, so she's she's not afraid to call me on something. So she's my harshest critic critic, like that that looks strange that and looks dumb. Like I'm his biggest fan too, so but I'm actually taking the criticism because then I go, shoot, I don't I wouldn't have caught that. So I think that's maybe something interesting, and then maybe a bit of a superpower that we have that we can kind of get a second eye on things and and and brainstorm and and it comes from tattooing too.

SPEAKER_03 8:27

Dave has done tattooing forever, and I've been around it. So I think like uh just seeing um sketches and drawings and stuff like that kind of transitioned into the goalie mask part as well, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

Yeah, I think the other thing too is um I take designing and really uh it's kind of my foundation of my design. So we take it really seriously, and we always try to come up with kind of some really unique, interesting things.

SPEAKER_02 8:51

I love that it's kind of like a conversation the whole time, not just oh, okay, we're just gonna go for this. It's like, oh, we have this, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

It's also because it's it's important.

SPEAKER_03 9:00

These are really for these goalies, so we want to make it's unique and kind of fun for them and something, you know, sometimes goals like like the same ideas, but you know, throwing something a little bit new in there for them as well.

SPEAKER_00 9:13

Yeah, make some personal for them.

SPEAKER_03 9:14

Personal, yeah, that's the big thing. Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:17

Which I feel like you're you guys are really good at doing the personal stuff on the mask as well, but in such a creative way because it's so like there's a lot of identifiers where it's like, oh, that's for sure Hill's mask, or that's for sure like Rubber's mask. I find yeah. Um, yeah, just from my point of view, that's what I've noticed.

SPEAKER_00 9:37

We look at it from our point, we don't see certain things. And and again, people say uh uh style, and it's like that's cool that people notice that because it's um I'm trying I'm trying to do that, but it it yes for me looking at it's hard to see it all the time.

SPEAKER_02 9:50

So that's oh for sure, yeah. Like when you're staring at one thing, it's like, oh, what do you guys mean? So that's cool. Yes. So as this year was the Winter Olympics, I wanted to start off jumping into more of the mask art stories of highlighting your impressive resume with Team Canada. So I believe at this year's Olympics you had it for the men's, women's, and men's paralympic hockey teams. You had mass featured. How did you get connected with painting for Team Canada?

SPEAKER_00 10:25

Yeah, that uh that would have started uh in 2022 for the last Winter Olympics. Yeah. So I got a buddy here in Calvary, his name's Brad Kirkwood. Uh, he's a goalie coach. Uh he's got his own goalie coach company, Top Prospects Goal Tending in the region. He's also the goalie coach for uh Team Canada women's. He championed me and said, you know, I got this guy, local guy, he's really good. You should get the girls to get uh the masks done. So 2022, I got to do all the girls and they won gold, and it was amazing. And it was one of the biggest accomplishments at that time uh of our our career. Uh and then it just kind of kept going from there. We kept painting up through Team Canada just through the years until the next Olympics came. And you know, we were kind of holding our breath to hope that you never know though.

SPEAKER_03 11:13

You know, you you never know what's coming until it's here.

SPEAKER_00 11:16

So yeah, you you just and you never uh you never expect anything.

SPEAKER_03 11:20

Yeah, you always just have to Yeah, we never expect anything, so it's it's always really exciting when when you hear from them or hear from somebody in their their cups. Yeah, that's always the the most exciting for sure.

SPEAKER_00 11:32

So then jump to this time. Uh the first person that was confirmed was Logan Thompson. And uh we've been working with Logan Thompson since he was uh I think 16 years old. So right when he got, I I kind of knew we were I was hoping we were gonna do it, like nobody would farm him out to somebody else, and he right away texted me actually before uh he got picked and he said, I think I'm getting picked. Uh just get get your paints, paints ready kind of deal. So that was yeah, super exciting. And then from there, uh once that happened, kind of flashback. The equipment manager for Team County, his name was Darren Granger, he's for the LA Kings equipment manager. So he knew me from the Kings organization, and last year with uh the Four Nations with Hill painted a mask for him. So he kind of knew my work and we've established a bit of a relationship, and that's when he reached out and said, Well, would you want to do Darcy's too? You might as well. Yeah, so I was just like, Yeah, of course. Those two guys, which was uh awesome, and we can elaborate on their their designs more too. Um, but then the girl started contacted me, Emmerin Smashmeyer, who I painted for last Olympics. She reached out. Uh, I was so excited to uh hear from her again. She's amazing to work with show, he's has really fun cartoony ideas, and then it was the same thing. Then uh Team Canada was like, Well, if you would you want to do Cayleys as well, and the same thing. We were like, Yeah, sure. But the problem with all this, and then and then the Paralympics came around, and we were just like, Oh, of course. So we were just crazy, you know, six six Team Canada mats out of uh, you know, there was only eight, so we got six of the eight uh of of all these different Olympics for Teen Canada.

SPEAKER_03 13:06

Yeah, it's pretty awesome, and it's a a big responsibility too. You want to make sure that yeah, and honor, and yeah, it's really exciting.

SPEAKER_00 13:14

Yeah, so but then uh reality hits, and then me and Tash look at each other and go, okay, we gotta get six masks out in like a couple weeks. Wow.

SPEAKER_04 13:26

Oh my gosh, that's always tricky, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:30

Your own kind of Olympics.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

Like, let's see how fast and and we got another local goalie, uh, a Gabby for Teen Italy, which was awesome as well. So actually seven.

SPEAKER_02 13:40

So yeah, wow, that was a lot. That's awesome. Yeah, it was really cool to see your guys' work every game. I'd be like to my friends, like, oh, that's theirs. Oh, that one's theirs. So that was cool to see. So, can you break down some of the highlights for the Team Canada mass this year, or like how you tamed with the designs, or just some of your favorite parts of it, anything like that?

SPEAKER_00 14:00

Yeah, so for the men's, it was they both kind of came at hit at the same kind of tone. So they they wanted to represent something to do with their home province and kind of their home city area. So uh, you know, Logan won at the Calgary Tower and uh something to do with the Rocky Mountains. So that's kind of all he gave me. And I worked with Logan for so long that he just gives me like a little bit and then says, Show me something and and you know, we'll go from there. And I showed him the first layout and he was like gone, you know. So that was that was pretty cool. I I added the shiny scene in front to it, so it looks like a shiny scene and then the cities in the back just to add some Canadiana to it. Um, yeah, and then I I actually I think me and Tash did the same thing. We're like, what should we do with uh the Rocky Mountains? And I didn't I don't remember it was such a blur at that time. She might have given me the idea for the bear. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 14:52

So I think yeah, back and forth, and yeah, it was nice. We want to create again a story and and we want each goalie to feel seen as well, not that it's just the same design over and over. We you want to get their personality and you want them to feel like, oh, this is you know made for me.

SPEAKER_00 15:10

And and this is the Olympics, the masks are so important, they're gonna have these on their wall for the rest of their lives.

SPEAKER_03 15:16

Yeah, it's so cool. They they're representing their country, and you just want to make sure that they're feeling the best they can, and they're you know, their mask represents them too.

SPEAKER_00 15:25

Yeah, so I think we nailed uh Lovens. He was he was super happy about it. Uh oh, that's awesome. Darcy, I I I just texted him. I don't have a relationship with him quite yet, so he just said something to do with Saskatchewan and Tash is from Saskatchewan, uh, and I'm from so I was like, Yeah, we we got this scar.

SPEAKER_03 15:45

We can come up with a few things for you.

SPEAKER_00 15:47

Yeah, so then we came up with uh you know the farm scene on the side for Sass Saskatchewan by with the wheat, and then he he actually threw the the loony in there, said I think it'd be really cool to do a loon on the side. Um kind of loony, and then I I did the lake scene. Saskatchewan has so many lakes, it it really worked, it worked really well. I was really proud of both of the men's ones for sure.

SPEAKER_02 16:09

Yeah, they were awesome.

SPEAKER_00 16:10

Yeah, and the big the big bonus was uh when Logan played uh Prime Time, they talked about the masks, and yes all of our friends and family were texting us like they're talking about you, and they they actually mentioned not Calgary, they mentioned my hometown, Swan River, Manitoba. They were talking about all the hometowns of the goalies. So my hometown, Swan River, was was just over the moon that they got mentioned. Oh, that's the time Olympics. So that that was really special. So that was probably the coolest part of the whole process for for the men's uh masks.

SPEAKER_02 16:44

Wow, that's awesome! And then on the woman's side, did you want to mention any of those?

SPEAKER_00 16:50

They were they were awesome. Um, so emirants, I've done three cartoon vibe masks, one just for the world champions and two now for the Olympics. So she just like you guys were saying, people like the cartoony stuff that I'm doing. So she knows that I like doing it. I come up with a bit of a story. So, but she gave me every sport for this mask. So she said, let's do uh let's she didn't give me the animal, she said let's do one uh as a skier, one as a snowboarder, one as a bigger skater, and one as a skeleton. So then I'm me and Tash started going, which one was gonna fit this thing.

SPEAKER_04 17:26

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 17:28

So yeah, I had to have the uh the beaver as this skier because it I don't know, it just and I don't know who thought of the idea for the snowboarder. Again, this was gonna remember this time. It's kind of a blur. Yes, for sure. So there's a lot of back and forth in panic mode. So uh and to clarify for people too, all these all these uh designs have to be designed quite a bit like a couple weeks before we paint, and then they have to be sent off and approved by the Olympic. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 17:55

Well, so sometimes that process does take a while, so you know you are you are waiting and uh just make it you don't want to go ahead until you you're sure, right?

SPEAKER_00 18:04

So well, you'll have to redo because if they if they're not allowed a certain thing, um so it took it took a while for sure, yeah. Too long for for how short of uh I think we had about three weeks all in and they were creeping on about two weeks of getting the approval done, and we're just kind of like but I understand they have so many designs to go through, and they they want to make sure that every every country is being represented.

SPEAKER_03 18:28

So I get the process, and it's for a reason, but yeah, it w when it's crunch time, it was like, oh but it was you know we were all in the same boat.

SPEAKER_00 18:36

I was texting Travis, TM Customs, and going, like, did you get approved? Well, how's it going with your end? And he was like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 18:44

Do they give you guidelines like beforehand for it?

SPEAKER_00 18:48

Okay, it's kind of the same as ENHL, uh, but they're even more because they can't show certain uh like landmarks, uh logos, like everything's very protected. So because you gotta pay a lot of money to advertise on those masks. So yes, okay. They can't have anything advertising anything, it has to be okay very personal and just kind of basic to the country, if that makes sense. Yes, but yeah, that's how we came up with Emirates, and hers turned out so fun. And um I think I think the I like the goose the most. He like he's kind of doing like a grab on his board. He's small on the top, but he's like flying in the background.

SPEAKER_03 19:25

Um yeah, just fitting for a goose.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

Yeah, and then Kaylee was kind of uh the same as Darcy. Like I never worked with her before, and she's just like, I don't know, can you come up with something cool? So mostly based it off of her gear. She had really cool gear that looked retro with Team Canada kind of stitched on, like look like a flag on her pads. Uh so I kind of made it stitched looking uh with kind of the strikes down the side and uh to add some character with the stitches and the rough part. Um and then uh we added some personal stuff with uh Ottawa on the side. There's the Parliament, and then we did some other personal stuff on the other side. We actually snuck a bit of Italy, uh couple Italian scenes in there, and we had to get approval for that that we could show certain parts of the street. Okay, because she wanted the mask to represent Italy and Canada because she wanted to remember this mask. So she's you know, that's gonna be a huge thing on her resume and you know, the Olympic mask hanging on her wall. So it was they're they're all special, and you always want you, you know, like we said, we want to make them all special for these goalies because it's really, really important for them.

SPEAKER_02 20:28

Yeah, yeah, that's amazing. And then for the Paralympic ones, you had worked with Adam previous.

SPEAKER_00 20:36

Yeah, the the and I worked with them before uh I did I did world championships a couple of years ago, so yeah, a bit of a rapport with them, so that was awesome. Yeah, Corbin always wants a dragon for at some sort, and I thought it was a super cool idea. And uh I kind of wanted to vibe off Trevor Kidd a little bit. Um, Trevor Kidd's got some masks uh that have like kind of this fierce dragon breathing fire on either side, symmetrical. Um, we didn't do the fire breathing, but I wanted to kind of have that kind of 90s vibe to it, uh, if that makes sense. Uh so I just went for that. He he was stoked. And and the other thing that we did a really important thing uh on the back for his dad, he explained it on an interview. So we had a fire on the back, and so it was a really special mask uh for him, uh, just with the dragons in the thing for his dad. And uh Adam, he just likes simple, kind of clean style design. So we just he kind of had he had more of a really distinct idea, and I I wanted to make sure. And he he always gets a wolf on his mask. So we did a little subtle wolf, but mostly when you stand back, it looks like real clean retro, kind of a classic look. So they they are all a little different, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 21:43

But I was gonna say they're all different styles, you know, representing the goalies. Yeah, uh that's always cool too. They're not all the same, you know, like it it shows their personalities a little bit too and what they like.

SPEAKER_00 21:54

Yeah, and like we talked about too. Us I was trying to show off a bit of my range too. We we could do kind of any style. So it was a big uh it was a big kind of task to pull off and and yeah, I think we were happy. We were tired when we were done this.

SPEAKER_02 22:10

I can imagine. At least you had like the Olympics to kick back and watch after that. That it was like, okay.

SPEAKER_03 22:16

That's so cool. Yeah. To be able to watch and see and oh yeah, it's that's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 22:22

Yeah. I can imagine like on that literal world stage seeing your artwork. Like that must be insane.

SPEAKER_00 22:30

Biggest stage in the world. It's bigger than bigger than the NHL. Everybody watched it. So it's uh yeah, it's it's probably the the biggest achievement in our business. So we we don't take it for granted, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_02 22:43

Yeah, but so well deserved. Like those all all of those masks were like perfectly Canadian, just so creative. I loved all of them. So congratulations, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:54

Thank you. And the other thing that mentioned too, uh, Hockey Canada is in Calgary. So we we have got a bit of a relationship with Hockey Canada here. So I think that helps our our cause too, but we're just trying to do our best. That's that's our goal in this entire industry, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:13

Jumping away from the Olympics into our NHL kind of realm. Um so you're the master signer for several NHL goaltenders. So I'm gonna start off with um Stanley Cup winning goaltender Aiden Hill. Yeah, um, so how did you get connected with Hill?

SPEAKER_00 23:29

Yeah, so that goes way back again. I started painting for him when he was 17, I think, 17 or 18, uh, for the Portland Winter Hawks. So it's the same thing. It was the same as Ian Scott, Tasha had the website going and shot us an email. And again, we were kind of new to that world. So we would always get an email and go, Oh, I think I recognize this kid's name. And then you look him up and he's drafted, and you're like, Oh, this is a real serious goalie. Yeah, it was exciting. And then we just got to get to know Aiden and his family. Uh, I think the first mask we did, we dealt with his mom and his dad, and you get to know the the parents, and then you start getting to know the goalie. So you you establish a relationship at that kind of stage in their career. And then once he got into the Arizona Coyotes organization, we just kept painting for him. And he was the first uh goalie to break into the NHL in in our company. I think it was 2017 or 16, this first game.

SPEAKER_03 24:24

Dave's better with with uh Dave and me.

SPEAKER_00 24:29

I remember watching it and going, Holy, that was the first mask in the NHL. So that he he will always be remembered in uh in for our our business with that. And we wow I've I've told him personally, you know, he knows that he's pretty special. So yeah. In that sense that he broke the glue first, you know. Then go fast forward to his Stanley Cup mask. So that was that was a crazy year because uh Logan, uh who also paint for two and Aiden were on the same team.

SPEAKER_04 24:57

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 24:57

Logan killed it that year and uh pretty much dropped them to the Stanley Cup. And then like before the playoffs, he was he was winning, you know, all their games and really stepping up because they had injury issues. And then he got hurt right before the Stanley Cup uh playoffs started. So I think they went to Brissois for a while there because Aiden was still hurt. So we didn't really know that this was gonna, and then guys started going down in the playoffs, and and then finally Aiden came in and we were like, oh man, this is really good shot for Aiden. Maybe you can pull this off. And once you saw his swagger, and we we know Aiden, and we know uh like he's a really uh competitive guy, so you could just see it in his eyes on that playoffs. Like, oh, this guy's this guy's got this, you know. So that was really exciting, and uh yeah, they won the the Stanley Cup, and uh because we know Aiden and Logan, we got to go to the the ceremony or like their their party in Calgary and oh my gosh, yeah, me and Tash got to see the Stanley Cup, our little guy got to see the Stanley Cup pretty surreal too. So that was amazing. Uh you know, first a first masked one in uh a Stanley Cup, but we know the clients, so we you know we get so excited for them. Well, they're from our hometown too, so that yeah, that I I don't know if much can beat that that experience. That was pretty good.

SPEAKER_02 26:16

That's so cool, and I guess the unexpectedness of seeing your mask, not like at the beginning of the season, I don't think you would have thought, oh, that's gonna be the Stanley Cup winning mask, right?

SPEAKER_00 26:27

Yeah, and and they're going to the Stanley Cup finals again, right now, yeah. Yeah, which is crazy. He's the backup, but it doesn't matter. It the backups are they're practicing every day and they're working with the teams, he's still right there. So it's yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:41

Yeah, it really is so exciting.

SPEAKER_00 26:43

Yeah, so we're keeping a close eye on the on Vegas again.

SPEAKER_02 26:46

That's also uh so how does the mass designing process with Hill work like for any of the masks that you've done for him? It does he have like a lot of input or how does that work?

SPEAKER_00 26:56

Yeah, he's different. It depends on uh on the mask, to be honest. He's given me full range a few times, but then other times uh I've been back and forth with him quite a bit because he's really uh specific. And then other times I work with his dad, uh Kyle. So it's between us three that usually come up with the ideas. So it's Kyle and I will like pick a mask because and I get it because these guys have so many masks every year, so I think they get a little fatigued. Um, and Aiden always wants really creative masks, but it's you know, he's got a job to do, he's got stuff to focus on, and his dad really likes designing, and I know his dad pretty well, so we'll get on the phone and go back and forth and come up with ideas, and so it's it's a unique process for sure.

SPEAKER_02 27:37

Yeah, that's really cool having the kind of family element to it as well.

SPEAKER_00 27:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:42

So with all of Hill's masks, do you guys have a favorite from his portfolio?

SPEAKER_03 27:49

That's a hard one, hey.

SPEAKER_00 27:50

Yeah, you you go first. There's a few.

SPEAKER_02 27:53

Yeah, I like or top three.

SPEAKER_00 27:56

They didn't get as much attention because it they had a bad year, but I liked both of his sharks' masks. They were they were pretty fun. Um, and actually the one with all the sharks swimming on it, uh, the one we wore more, uh, that was designed by Kyle, his dad.

SPEAKER_02 28:12

Oh, cool.

SPEAKER_00 28:13

He always has these like really specific things. He wanted to have like 30 some sharks on there. If you count them, and there's little teeny ones because there was 30 years or earth, it was around that number. I can't remember. Sharks organization was around. So these little subtle hints. There was a little G on the boat uh for his brother. Uh just a little personal things. It was it was really neat. Yeah. So any of yours, Tash?

SPEAKER_03 28:37

You know what? I really like the Shears mask, the dragon. It was a little fierce, and I I just I really liked it. I like the colors, I like I like the cage, and yeah, I just like how I'll yeah, I'll I'll agree with Tash.

SPEAKER_00 28:50

Yes, I like that mask the most too. It was yeah, that one's really good. That one is yeah, it's just got that kind of Cujo vibe, but it has a dragon, so it goes with the Vegas, so it's unique. So I haven't seen a lot of dragons in the NHL with that Kujo kind of mix, so that was a cool mask. And then we got to work with Apple um designing uh made on iPad.

SPEAKER_02 29:14

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:15

The whole process was special to kind of get to work with Apple. They show showed it off in their kind of preview and then get to see it in the NHL, and it's one of my favorite masks this year. So yeah, but there's a lot. I like I like them all. There's some Arizona ones I really like of his.

SPEAKER_03 29:30

It's hard to pick all week. It's it's always such a hard question. It's yeah, they're all they're all your favorite at the time, if that makes sense. I don't know if that makes sense, but that does make sense.

SPEAKER_02 29:40

You're defenses every time.

SPEAKER_03 29:42

Every time you're like, oh, I want to do the best I can for you, and then you know, and then you do another one and you're like, oh, maybe I like this one more, but you know, at the time you're like, yeah, you're always invested in that design.

SPEAKER_00 29:53

The next one is gonna be the best one.

SPEAKER_02 29:55

Oh, yeah, yes. That's awesome. I do also like the dragon a lot, so I think I think you've like one upped every year. That's that's the goal.

SPEAKER_00 30:06

You gotta stop doing that because it's getting really hard.

SPEAKER_02 30:12

So shifting years, we already mentioned it, but you're also the mask designer for Logan Thompson. Yeah, a lot of his masks are some of my favorites from you guys. So I did want to walk through the one from this season, which was the night at the museum mask. So, how did you guys come up with that mask design?

SPEAKER_00 30:30

So he just gives me uh movie ideas from so right now he wants to kind of keep them based-ish off of something to do with Washington. Um, and there's so many movies that either were filmed in Washington or were kind of based above Washington because it's such a prominent area in the USA.

SPEAKER_04 30:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 30:48

So he came up with that, and uh, I actually never watched the movie, so I was I seen the first one, but I didn't see the second one. I'm like, well, I guess I gotta go watch it. So I remember watching it like the day before I painted it and uh came up with the concept. And yeah, again, I've been working with Logan since he was 17, I think. He was my very first major junior client. He was the Brandon Wheat Kings, same thing as his family reached out. I never met him the first time, I just got to work with his parents, and then uh okay. Once they got the first mask, I started to kind of develop a relationship, same as Aiden's family, started developing a relationship with their parents and and Logan. So those are the two guys that have been kind of early in the WHL and then they just kept rolling, um, which was amazing. And we've done so many different projects with them. My relationship with them is really good, so we just you know, usually text or call or and they give me a lot of free range. So I think that's kind of how it works. Like it and sometimes he can't think of a movie, you know, so I'll start ideas. I actually seen him just a couple weeks ago. We were in our tattoo shop, and Sasha's brother, my brother-in-law, he tattoos with me at the shop, and he knows Logan as well. So Mike and Logan sort of talking about what they should come up with mask ideas for this year. Uh, and they actually came up with a movie idea, and right away when they said it, they were like, That's what we're gonna do. Can I oh my gosh, but it's gonna be a really good one for this this upgrade. So it's the same, we're all surrounded by artists, and we always try to throw ideas, ideas around, and so yeah, that's uh that's how we come up with his designs, and uh it's really fun one for sure.

SPEAKER_02 32:26

Yeah, I do think it's so cool how Thompson and Hill both ended up on Vegas for that little period of time together. Like that that's really cool that they were both like such early on clients for you guys, and then they got to be together.

SPEAKER_00 32:38

Like, that's to be honest, it was surreal, like they yeah, they actually grew up here, they didn't know each other like great growing up, but I I think they went to school together for a little bit and they knew each other in the WHL. And you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 32:52

Both being from Calgary, yeah, both ending up on the team, like it was, and then both getting Dave to paint for them. It was yeah, it was crazy. Coincidence, or I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 33:01

It was it was yeah, yeah, it was uh and and I'm you know proud of both of them. There'd be they've you know did to get to that stage, it's a lot, yeah. That's a lot of hard the the the accomplishments they've pulled off is not not an easy task getting to the NHL still and fit knowing them a little closer than some other clients, it's really cool because they're they're just normal guys and uh we're really proud of them.

SPEAKER_02 33:23

So yeah, that's amazing. So then just jumping to probably the most spiral, I'm going to say, backplate ever is Tom Wilson on the back plate of Thompson's mask. So how did that come about?

SPEAKER_00 33:38

Well, the cool thing about Logan is I think people know a bit of his personality just because he shows it, you know what I mean? And he's a he's a really like uh funny guy, he's got a really kind of fun sense of humor, laid back guy. So I think he likes to jab uh jokes whenever he can. So it was it was an inside thing, and uh I think because Logan's masks are so kind of different and maybe detailed, and we've done some like tribute stuff on them. I think Om was kind of bugging him like, when are you gonna put my my face on your mask? So then we had a mask that uh we took it really seriously because we had uh you know Ovechkin and a bunch of other alumni all over the mask, old Zig. Uh uh it was a really classy looking mask, and then he likes some fun stuff too. So he's like, Let's get this order that he asked to put his arm with mask. Let's let's put him on the mask, but let's make sure it's the school and face. Uh and it when somebody gives you an idea, you know it's gonna probably take off, and you're like, This is you know, I even tell Tash, like, just so you know, this one's probably gonna take off pretty pretty good, so just just get ready for it. Um, but then that that went into kind of being on social media for a while, and then just before the Olympics, because Logan was going to the Olympics, uh, he got put on Hockey Night Canada for after hours and started talking about um just his career. And then they brought up like a three-minute segment about his goalie masks, and then they brought up the Wilson thing, and it was it was so so hilarious. And I remember talking with with Logan aftergoing, like, did you know this was gonna happen? And he was like, I had no idea they were gonna. So I just said, Thanks, dude. That was he said some really kind words, and I I just said that thanks for letting me ride your coattails for many, many, many, many years here. It's been pretty good.

SPEAKER_02 35:22

That's so awesome. Yeah, that that the first time I saw that backplate, I'm pretty sure I like laughed out loud, like fully. So it's like it's like serious, serious, and then like but I have to give that's full Logan credit.

SPEAKER_00 35:34

I I didn't come up with that. Yes, he gave me all of that. He knew that was gonna be uh a big thing, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:44

So then also another kind of viral mask that you guys did, which was a little bit of a throwback now. You were the mask designer for Cam Talbot's Deadpool mask for the Ottawa Senators. So can you tell us the story about that mask for the listeners?

SPEAKER_00 35:58

Yeah, so he's not my regular goalie. I don't paint for him anymore. It was in the one time thing. So what happened was uh the equipment manager from um Ottawa, Johnny, uh, he knows us pretty good. We've painted for Mads and uh Anton Forsberg uh in that organization, so they he kind of we got a relationship with him and he knows our work. And Cam just needed a second mask. Uh so I'm like, yeah, of course, I'll do it as much as I can. And it was a few years ago, so we weren't quite as slammed, so we could turn it around really quick. And we knew it was it was a pretty uh high up goalie, so we squeezed it in the schedule. And then uh I remember texting Cam and he gave me the idea. And I remember after he gave me the idea, I turned it to Ash and I was like, this thing's gonna get crazy because this is like this this is the most perfect timing idea that you could possibly do. Because right at the time, there was tons of rumors that Ryan Reynolds was gonna buy the Ottawa Senators, and Cam was like, why don't we kind of do a tongue-in-cheek thing with that with Deadpool? And it's Deadpool's popular, and this whole kind of thing in the media is popular about Ryan Reynolds. So that's how that's how it came to be. And then again, me and Tash started brainstorming and coming up with ideas.

SPEAKER_03 37:08

We wanted to make it a little Canadian as well.

SPEAKER_00 37:10

Yeah, we would get some like uh some really kind of tongue-in-cheek Deadpool-y stuff going on there. Uh, and I think maybe I think Tash gave me that uh Tim Hortons Cup idea to put in Deadpool's hand, and uh it was it was fun. We did the foam finger, like he's a kind of a number one fan of uh senators because he was kind of like Ryan Reynolds is a fan of the senators and uh yeah, this Canada flag, I think. Yeah, so then what happened is once he got it, it went crazy. And then Cam Cam posted it, connected to the senators, and we were connected to that post, and then Ryan Reynolds got on that post and then started promoting it, and then it just went bonkers. I think it got up to like five or ten million, like it was just insane. I'm so I don't really run the social media, Tash does, and she was on Twitter just like dick, dick, kisses. And then at the very end, yeah, at the very end, Tim Hortons ended up commenting on it and talking about. So then Tim Hortons got involved in it. Wow, and then at the very, very end, we got a personal message from Ryan Reynolds that was just like, Wow, that was a really cool mask, or something like that. Oh my gosh. So I was just like, yeah, I don't know if we'll ever hit that kind of uh yeah. That was a pretty pretty popular thing. So that that was that was fun. He didn't he didn't wear it as much that year because it was his backup mask, but just yes get that kind of couple weeks of attention. That's that was that was pretty special.

SPEAKER_02 38:36

That was such a cool mask, and yeah, I loved how much it blew up and just like I think every Canadian just loved it, like no matter if you were a Senators fan or well again, it all it all comes to timing, and it was kind of a luck in a time thing, and it it just sometimes it aligns.

SPEAKER_00 38:52

That was pretty fun.

SPEAKER_02 38:53

Yeah. If you had to choose out of like either all the masks that we talked about today, or in general, other ones that we haven't talked about, what would be your top three mouse designs that you are most proud of and why? That's a hard question. Yeah, that is a very hard question.

SPEAKER_00 39:12

Yeah, I've been talking too much, so maybe I'll let Tash, you you you get one, Tash.

SPEAKER_03 39:17

I I'm gonna say I I like them all, but um one that sticks out in my mind that is kind of special for me was when Dave was painting for a Tristan Jari and he did uh a monster uh truck goalie mask for him. And we were doing the same, like his masks were always so fun. We always came up with like lists, and then Tristan would kind of come up with a list too, and then Dave would, you know, get an idea or whatever. But our little guy was really into monster trucks. He came up to us one day and he's like, I think you should do a monster truck uh goalie mask. And then just by chance, Tristan emailed his ideas and it had a monster truck theme, and you're just like, oh man, and done, yeah, done. And our little guy just oh, and it's just a memory that I just thought it was hilarious that he's like, we're like, you're we're never gonna paint a monster truck mask. And then he's like, I showed you like there, I can write you, and I just love the sparkle on it, and it was just a really fun idea, so yeah, that's that's a special one for me for sure.

SPEAKER_00 40:20

Yeah, I would probably have to go back to for sure Aiden Hill's Game of Thrones mask that won the Stanley Cup because that I think the biggest and I tried really hard on that one when I was trying to show off the team, but still have little hints of Game of Thrones in there and have the brick on there and all that kind of stuff. So, but then once you started to climb in the playoffs, you start going, okay, maybe this this mask might have more weight than I think because it's gonna be uh featured so much more in this playoffs. And then I guess I always thought of this as a painter, and I was always hoping one day one of our masks could win the Stanley Cup, like the goalie could be wearing it. So just seeing I remember me and Tash washing it, like counting down, and then he throws the mask in the air, and I I always it always kind of irks you, but it's like that's the time that they're wow. They could they could whip it across the I don't even really care because it's like that mask has done its job and now you can now you can release it. You know what I mean? Yeah, so it's it's almost like uh just seeing that mask get tossed in the air was like, oh, but they actually did it, you know what I mean? So wow that that would be definitely uh what one high up there. Other than that, uh let's say a third, you know, there's one a couple years ago uh that I did for Logan, it was uh kind of a Kippersov skulls on either side. Uh Todd Miska's Kippersoft design was probably one of the most iconic, coolest designs ever. Then Logan grew up in Calgary, so he he's been kind of bugging me to do that design for a while, and we just couldn't kind of find a way to do it. And then finally he was like, Maybe this retro design, his pads were actually the same. They were different color for Washington, but they were the same kind of design on his Bauer pads. Okay, and he's like, I'm I need to get the the Kipper. So for one, it's just a badass design. So I was like, I'm a tattooer, skulls, flames, like, yeah, let's do it. And then you get to kind of take a nod at uh Todd Miska's paint job, Kersaw's paint job, and then you can just tell how proud Logan was um that he could kind of wear his childhood uh hero's mask. And again, I changed it enough. I didn't want it to be just like Todd's, I wanted it to kind of have a little bit of my kind of edgy style to it. So uh that one definitely was pretty special. And you know, I talk with Logan a lot, and he's just like, we might bring that one around again. So I'm like, okay, we may maybe we'll do it one more time or a couple more times. So that those are off the top of my head, yeah. And and like Tash said, Jari's masks, uh that they're almost all of them are really special. And those are the ones me and Tash work together the most on because they have so much story that you were like, okay, well, how can I create another story?

SPEAKER_03 43:02

So yeah, I needed a lot of help coming up with and think there are always there's lots going on though on those masks, but they're always a fun story that you remember, and yeah, just telling what Tom and Jerry are up to.

SPEAKER_00 43:13

And yeah, well, the best the best one was uh the farming one. And Tash gave me the tractor idea of her him driving a tractor, and then the track, and again, this is what I talk about. The critic you know, I dip the tractor and I design it and I showed it. She's like, That still looks too boring, something's wrong with it. And I'm like, Tash, what do you want me to do here? It's a tractor, and then you should make a monster's face on the tractor, so the tractor's a monster, so it looks more evil and dark. And that to me, that was the finishing touch on the mask. And I was like, Oh, that's killer.

SPEAKER_03 43:42

Yeah, those are always those masks fun to design.

SPEAKER_02 43:45

Yeah, they're awesome.

SPEAKER_00 43:46

So there's too many.

SPEAKER_02 43:48

I don't think I even could pick a top three, so that was impressive that you narrowed it down a lot. I was scrambling. I didn't have a list planned actually. Yeah, yeah. Awesome. Um, just out of curiosity, what mask is The background there.

SPEAKER_00 44:01

Oh, that's uh for the Iowa Wild, uh, the Minnesota uh organization. He's a new prospect. Uh Chase.

unknown 44:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:10

Cool cool, cool. Yeah. So he's he's kind of the new uh new prospect. And yeah, so that will be pretty cool. I don't know if it'll be in the NHL this year, but it it'd probably be in the AHL, possibly the ECHL. In their first year pro, they uh you never know where they're gonna land. But uh because the organization is owned, all three of the organizations are owned by the Minnesota Wild, so the goalie actually gets a full-on Minnesota Wild mask. So um, which the goalie always was because I've I've painted AHL masks that just have the HL logo and it's awesome. But when you get to do you know an NHL mask for those guys, because they they hold on to it going, well, if I if I make it to the if a couple of people get hurt and all of a sudden my name gets called, I've got my mask ready to go, right? So um, yeah, pretty pre these guys, and you could tell that the Ace Guy for his first year pro. It's yeah, it's gonna be gonna be a pretty exciting year for him.

SPEAKER_02 45:03

Nice. Yeah, I was just wondering because I was like, Oh, I don't think I've seen that one yet.

SPEAKER_00 45:07

So no, that was probably a couple weeks away from showing it off. Usually we like to get the uh the goalie to have it in hand before we're showing it off because you don't want to pre-maturely show it off, and they haven't even received the mask yet.

SPEAKER_02 45:19

So they're like, wait.

SPEAKER_00 45:21

Yeah, we do little sneak peeks of uh showing it, but we we never show the full thing off, usually in time, but it's always nice for them to have the first you know look at it and yeah, I don't think you'll mind.

SPEAKER_02 45:32

Hopefully, we'll wait a little bit post this in Drew, so it'll be fine. Kind of going into our last little bit of questions. What would be your dream master design for any goalie past or present? And what are some ideas that you might have for that mask design?

SPEAKER_00 45:52

Okay, so as much as I like to kind of innovate and try to do new and kind of crazy stuff on masks, I do really respect the old school kind of era, the style. Probably my two biggest heroes are Greg Harrison and uh Frank Zippra. They're probably the most famous, most legendary school and mask painters on earth. I I think they're the best. And their era of masks, how much they've inspired all of us is top of the class. So to get to work in that era with those guys would be amazing. So, like the masks that don't even have the cage yet, just have the full face mask to get to one of those, like get to do like uh Greg Harrison did uh the lion's face on Gillies. I think his name was Gillies or something like that. On the Ranger's mask, something more on that terms would be cool, like doing a monster on, you know. I think Greg, Greg tapped into that kind of fierce look and maybe didn't run with it uh as much as guys do now. So to do like a mean monster or uh something like that on one of those style masks in that era, in that clean simple style, that would be amazing. And then you'd be in legendary status for the rest of your life. I like that. What would you love? Or what what would be something you would future love to work on, or I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 47:08

That's always the hardest question.

SPEAKER_00 47:10

We've gotten pretty lucky and we've got to check off a lot of things on our uh we've got to paint for.

SPEAKER_03 47:15

And I think the like being versatile and being able to paint, you know, cartoons and graphic style and realistic. And some of the people come to you with the all these cool ideas too. So it's always, yeah, I don't know if I if I could nail one down, elaborate on yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:31

I know it's tough.

SPEAKER_03 47:32

It is tough.

SPEAKER_00 47:33

And I I don't pre-think. So this question is like it's kind of uh dreaming. To be honest, I try not to anything, I try to keep my mind blank because you got to be like sharp because you don't know what people are coming at.

SPEAKER_03 47:44

And you you don't know what goalies what goalies are gonna be coming, or if someone wants to, you know, uh get you to paint for them, you we have no idea. So it's like always a blank plate starting, and you're always like, I wonder what goalies we'll get to paint with here. And we're always just so fortunate to to paint for for um for a handful, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:02

So it's these pro goalies. Yeah, so yeah, I try to not to overthink it because you never know what idea they're gonna drop on you, or it's it it always depends on where they're at or what team they're on. So it's like you get too excited about an idea, but then you're painting for someone in the east coast and they wants to represent that area, then you gotta pivot and think of something more uh fishermen or more. Do you know what I mean? So um, yeah, it's really you really gotta kind of wait and kind of see what what it is, and then and then boom, you you hit the ground running and go, okay, now now we got our our our guidelines. Let's let's see what we can come up with.

SPEAKER_02 48:38

So for sure. Yeah, just live in the moment, which is the best advice I feel like.

SPEAKER_04 48:43

Yeah, try to.

SPEAKER_00 48:45

Well, I got also the saying I got behind me, and it's I don't have a saying thing. This is the only saying I have in the whole shop, but it says keep going, relax, be cool, and enjoy them over. Uh nice.

SPEAKER_03 48:57

Dave Dave isn't a saying, guys. No, I I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 49:00

Well, to be honest, the relax and be cool is from Tash. So whenever you get too hyper and excited, she's just like, you've never done anything when you're like hyper and excited. You only do things when you calm down, just be cool, be confident. You got this. Do you know what I mean? So that's more of Tash. And then uh keep going is just, you know, you don't know what's coming. Just keep your head down, just keep keep trying to do what what we're trying to do, and then enjoy the moment's a good one because that's you know, sometimes the best goalie in the world at your booth and you're stressed out and there's deadlines, and all of a sudden you gotta sit back and go, like, this is a pretty cool job.

SPEAKER_03 49:36

You have to enjoy it. Yeah, it's hard. Sometimes you're so busy and you forget, you're like, oh, I should enjoy this moment and like you know, work so hard to get here, and you you just forget, you know. So I think that's a really important thing is like try to enjoy that moment when you're like, wow, this is so cool, you know.

SPEAKER_00 49:53

Yeah, and we you know we're probably not gonna be painting at this level forever. You you know, you you you you might change or you might pivot, the industry might change. So it's like you don't know what we don't know what the future is. So just try to just have a smile on your face and enjoy the time right now. And so that that's what that is kind of all about.

SPEAKER_02 50:11

Yeah, I love that. That kind of actually dives into the last question, which is what advice um you would like to give for any like aspiring artists or goaltenders, or even just for anyone listening. Is there anything else you want to add to kind of that message there?

SPEAKER_00 50:26

Yeah, that would be in the same vein for sure.

SPEAKER_02 50:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:29

I think the reason I got into this had nothing to do with money, it had nothing to do with like uh status or fame or anything like that. It was seriously the most nerdy hobby that I, you know what I mean? It's just something that I loved. And I remember even when I got into it, you could even tell Tash. Tash wasn't crazy into hockey. She liked Hogby, she was just like, Yeah, that's cool. You know what I mean? That's something that people do, and I'll watch it sometimes. But just seeing the passion um uh that I had with it, she started going, okay, I see where this is going. Because if you get into something with like passion and you love it truly, you could do it for free almost. We probably will do if you start it for a long time. You could find something that you just really love. It doesn't even have to be goalie masks, it can just be uh anything you love. My world is art, so any kind of art you love, just just do it for you, don't do it for anybody else, and then don't give up, keep going, is that kind of saying in the back. Um, you're not gonna you're not gonna swing it out of the park right off the bat. You're gonna have a lot of failures. Failures are sometimes one of the best things that can ever happen to anybody. Uh, I didn't get a lot of people to teach me how to paint. So and the internet, I've been painting for like over 15 years. So the internet didn't have the as much tools to find things when I first started. So it was just constant mistakes, peeling paint, runs, primer problems, clear coat problems. It was just problems.

SPEAKER_03 51:54

And unfortunately, it's a lot of a lot of things just take time. So, like, yeah, that's the biggest thing. Like, I don't want people to get discouraged. Like, they're like, I'm doing everything right, I'm putting in the time, I'm you know, I'm doing this and I'm doing that. Things take a long time.

SPEAKER_00 52:10

Like it's probably gonna take way longer than you think. To be honest, any anytime you need to get somewhere as an artist, it it's it sounds sad for young people, but it's probably gonna take 10 years. Do you know what I mean? And you've got to you just gotta work and put your time in and love it. Because if you if you don't love it, you can't put those 10 years in. If that makes sense, discouraged. But yeah, that I rambled a bit, but that's my yeah, no, I'm just gonna what would be your your thing for young people?

SPEAKER_03 52:35

The same thing, just keep going, just keep going. Love it and you're passionate about it, and you're you're putting out good work and you're just like, why isn't you know everything lining up? It's like unfortunately, I I hate to be the bearer of bad news. Some things just take time and you just have to keep going with it if that's your passion and you really, really love it.

SPEAKER_04 52:54

Yeah, totally.

SPEAKER_02 52:56

Yeah, that's amazing advice. I I love all of that. So that wraps up all our questions for today. So, do you guys want to plug where people can follow you to keep up with your work? Sure.

SPEAKER_03 53:07

Yeah, yeah, that'd be awesome.

SPEAKER_00 53:08

Yeah, Tash does most of the social media.

SPEAKER_03 53:10

So yeah, a good one to follow. Uh, Dave, especially for painting, is on his Instagram. It's just Dave underscore freed. We also have our business Instagram, it's free designs. Um, you can also we're I try to get on most social medias, so I I'm not gonna say I'm the best at TikTok, but you can even find us there, Twitter, and uh, we also have YouTube and yes, you people don't know about YouTube because this hasn't really taken off because it that's a pretty hard platform to kind of launch.

SPEAKER_00 53:39

But just so everyone knows, I've got three years of painting NHL masks on YouTube, and I probably each year I probably do about three or five NHL masks so you can see them being made, and I'm talking about the design and the process. So if people are listening to this, I know they're probably more kind of the niche, kind of nerdy goalie lovers, you know what I mean? Definitely. So if you want to delve into more nerdy content on this uh stuff, yeah, go to the YouTube. Uh it's just pre-designs on YouTube, and you can see videos of uh you know Aiden Hill, Logan Thompson. I got Team Canada's uh masks uh working on there, seeing the process.

SPEAKER_02 54:19

Yeah, amazing. Well, thank you guys so much for being on the podcast today. I really appreciate it. Thank you. And make sure to go follow.

SPEAKER_00 54:26

Yeah, we really appreciate you reaching out for this uh interview, and your page is awesome. We've been following it right from the start, and you you got you got a really good eye for uh a lot of different styles.

SPEAKER_03 54:39

And I really like that you showcase a lot of different artists, you don't necessarily stick with one, you're you're you're jumping all over and you're showing you're showcasing new artists, you're showcasing people that have been around for a while, and it's always different.

SPEAKER_00 54:53

All realms, yeah. You've got beginners to pros, and yeah, that that's this thing. We're we're all in the same kind of uh industry, and it it's yeah, it's all value, valuable art to see uh in this realm of goalie mask art, and it's it's taken off. I think you can tell it's people are starting to notice it more and more, and it's it's starting to get uh I think appreciated a lot more. People realizing like this is the you know a custom thing once that a person wears. It's it's a really special piece.

SPEAKER_02 55:22

I'm I'm not biased, but we're all biased in this room, but for good reason, I think. Thank you so much. Yeah, I love seeing how I feel like when I started about 10 years ago now, I've seen the growth is just incredible. Like even seeing how many artists are out there now, it's really cool.

SPEAKER_03 55:40

Yeah, yeah, it's probably really really changed since you started to now. You you probably can see it a lot as well.

SPEAKER_00 55:46

Yeah, we we've noticed it a lot. We've been in, you know, 15 plus years, and yeah, it's the industry's changing and it's it's exciting, and it's yeah, it's really cool.

SPEAKER_01 56:00

Thank you so much for joining Dave, Tasha, and I with our conversation about Golemass today. We had so many laughs and such a great conversation that I hope you enjoyed listening to. To see video clips of this interview, please visit our Instagram page at GoalieMass101. For now, that's all we have for you today. If you have any questions, ideas for future episodes, or want more goalie mask content, go follow us on Instagram at GoalieMass101. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider following us wherever you listen to podcasts and share with your fellow hockey fan friends. Your participation in this goalie mask community means the world to us. Thank you so much for listening and for being a part of the Goalie Mask 101, and every mask has a story community. See you next time.