GOODBYE BLOGSPOT!

Sink or Swim Kicks is Now on Tumblr!

http://www.sinkorswimkicks.tumblr.com/

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ATTN!

Hey everyone!

It has been quite sometime since I've updated this bad boy! It seems that the wide array of social networking this world provides us with has captivated more of my attention then dear ole' blogspot. Well...this is the end of the road for Blogspot but the blogging will go on! Sink or Swim will now be actively posting on TUMBLR.

Since I last updated Sink or Swim has been on the rise thanks to all of you lovely people. For now I'll leave you with the link to the Facebook fan page (become a fan if you haven't already please!) so you can catch up on any shoes you haven't viewed yet. There you can also find any other information you may need. After this I'll be sure to post all new shoes, news, and narratives on the tumblr. Thank you so much for your support!

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Sink-or-Swim-Custom-Kicks/112684640966?ref=ts

Disney Princesses and their respective Villains

Batman, Joker/Harley Quinn

Good News!

Paramore recently visited Dreamworld, a theme park in Australia on their tour. When I checked out the pictures I noticed Hayley was wearing the shoes I made her! Definitely very exciting which also, in turn, means she's wearing them on tour which is amazing! Knowing that thousands of people are seeing my artwork is an indescribable feeling and more than I've ever expected. Also now I want to go to Australia and go to this place because anywhere that allows me to hang out with wild animals I'm all about!

You can see the shoes better in this pic at paramore.net

Nice shoes ehh!? :)

In Other News:

Last Thursday, the 18th, Chad of New Found Glory was nice enough to guest list me for their NYC show and we finally got to meet. He thanked me for his shoes and how he's always afraid he's going to mess them up. I assured him that they are tour-proof haha. We also talked about his solo project and how he wants me to do a large scale horror themed painting. It was an amazing experience and he is an awesome person. Everyone should check out his solo music at whatseatinggilbert.com . We also both have Little Mermaid tattoos which we captured here:

My life rules.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer meets Dr. Seuss' Oh the Places You'll Go...interesting combo?

Custom Vintage Barber Shop: Personalized "Barber Joe"

Hit the Lights Album "Skip School, Start Fights"

Left: Portrait of Hayley Williams, Right: Custom based off of Paramore's Brick by Boring Brick Video

360 View of Above Pair: "Paramore", "She lives in a fairytale, somewhere too far for us to find"

LOST SALE!

Sorry for the Delay!

Memorial Pair for a customer's lost friend Rachel (Custom)

"I carry your heart with me, I carry it in my heart" -E.E. Cummings

Edward Scissorhands:

The Exorcist (my favorite pair yet!):

Paramore's Brand New Eyes Album Art, lyric from Brick by Boring Brick:

"Keep your feet on the ground when your head's in the clouds"

Paramore lyrics "Where the Lines Overlap", black and white drawing of Paramore's bass player Jeremy Davis and personalized heartBacks of above pair:

Custom Art based on Paramore's "Brick by Boring Brick"

(Front:)

(Back:)

The Mighty Boosh:

The Mighty Boosh "Come with us on a Journey Through Time and Space"

Kiss The Girl scene from The Little Mermaid

"Kiss the Girl"Dark Knight Joker, Personalized

Marilyn Monroe

"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." -Marilyn Monroe

2009...that's a wrap!

Hey everyone! I haven't taken the time to write in here too much but right now I'd like to take the time to send out a huge thank you! Thank you to everyone for making Sink or Swim Custom Kicks first official year as a business a success. I started Sink or Swim this year as an opportunity to do what I love and expose my artwork to anyone who was willing to take the time to look. My expectations were blown out of the water with the amount of response and support from all of you. I'd first like to thank my parents for being so helpful and supportive and not killing me for all of the paint stains I've gotten all over the house :). My studio is my bedroom and a box of paint markers and fabric paint. Everything I've done with this company from start to finish with the shoes I do on my own and have learned each step through trial and error (trust me I've made a lot of mistakes).

Another thank you to the rest of my family. To my friends, thank you for all of your support and orders. To John Ryan specifically, without your promotional efforts, constantly wearing the shoes I've made you and spreading the word about Sink or Swim, this company wouldn't have been half of what it is. I am forever grateful. To the support of wonderful bands and friends such as The Swellers, A Loss for Words, The World We Knew, Shai Hulud, Madball, and of course Paramore and New Found Glory. To Hayley Williams and Chad Gilbert especially for taking the time out of your hectic lives to recognize what I do and support me to the fullest extent. Thank you Vans Girls for the recognition, that was amazing! And finally to all of the customers I didn't know and have gotten to know throughout the year...thank you, you are what makes this all worth it. I feel like I'm accepting an Oscar or something and this is my awards speech haha. I'm probably making myself sound way more important than I am but I want to make sure everyone knows how thankful I am for the support. I don't do any of this for the money, I would be painting everyday regardless. I love this and wouldn't want to be doing anything else. So thank you everyone for a really successful 2009 and that was only the first year. I foresee a lot of great things in 2010 for Sink or Swim and its customers. We've only just begun! Thank you so much again everyone!

"I'll realize how fast time could go
Thanks for everything
You know how much this means
What can I say
That can explain
All this time
I'm loving life" -The Starting Line

Shoe Avalanche!

2010 has started off with a bang! Thanks everyone!

Wizard of Oz:

Wizard of Oz (360 View): Cupcake and Skateboard added by request of the customer

The Mongoloids (band): "Mongo Stomp"

Mongoloids (back): "Is Anybody Feeling Me?"

A Clockwork Orange:

Toy Story vs. Jurassic Park (+the shark from Toy Story who takes Woody's hat)

"I don't like Confrontations!"

Custom: Hanson logo, plus artwork based on the song Fire on the Mountain by Hanson