If you have visited Molson Canadian Hockey House during the Olympics, you’ll see some giant “elephant masks” with Hockey Canada and IIHF themes there. They are dramatic to say the least – and are the creation of Gerald McLaughlin of VOODOOAIR Airbrushing.
Gerald produced a video to detail the creation of these giant masks – it’s realy interesting and gives you an idea of how artists work on actual goal masks – all be it on a very different scale. The film is professionally done and well worth a look.
Members of the Canadian men’s and gold medal winning women’s teams have been signing the masks – and they’ll be auctioned off for charity. Check out this EBay Auction to see how you can get your hands on one – I can’t imagine a better addition to your man-cave at home, your local arena, or as I imagined – as a head board for my goalie-obsessed 3-yr old son.
You’ll see Gerald’s work elsewhere in the Olympic Games – on Canadian Skeleton racers Melissa Hollingsworth and Jeff Pain’s helmets. Pain’s in particular has become a real trademark - the sight of the raging Canadian Beaver flying down the track is well known in sliding circles. It’s nice to see the individual styles we have come to love on goaltenders over the years beginning to take hold in other sports as well.
In fact, Gerald is the only artist licensed to paint catcher’s masks for Major League Baseball. They want much tighter control over the designs used and their image than is currently possible in the wide open NHL (think Ray Emery / Mike Tyson mask!).
Check out VOODOO AIRBRUSHING to learn more about Gerald and his sports work – and to see more about his other fine art he also operates SMOKINART.COM.
All images courtesy of VOODOO AIRBRUSHING.
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