art blender
jay croft
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kron, Ohio’s Jay Croft has made skateboarding a fundamental part of his life since 1986, and over time his art has graced many skateboards, stickers and wheels. From an early age he was encouraged to pursue creativity by his grandfather, and Jay did so by relying on his own will to learn rather than through formal schooling. In fact, his education came from running his own shop, making ‘zines, websites, screen printing, and by figuring out the essential modern tools that are Illustrator and Photoshop. “If I had maybe gone to school, I would’ve learned that stuff a different way,” he mentions. “But I guess that’s just the way it goes. I’m one of the lucky ones.” Jay lived in Chicago for six years, but has since returned to his hometown of Akron. As a visual merchandiser for Vans he gets to travel around the Midwest, including his old Chi-Town stomping grounds, to visit shops and meet local skateboarders. Back at home he splits family time with skateboarding and creative time, which has led to collaborations with companies such as Alien Workshop, Element, Vans, Lowcard and independent skateshops. The style of art Jay creates is simple and bold. It’s infused with humour and garnished with truths about living a life of skateboarding. His characters tend to be beaten and bruised, but with a continuous positive outlook. “Smile, you’re riding a skateboard” is his motto, and it shows through his life and passions. —Randy Laybourne streetcanoe.com
“Jay’s art, skateboard energy and great outlook on life make people feel good. Kind of like how it’s hard to capture the rad of a Grant Taylor or Omar Salazar on film, it’s hard to put into words what a ripping human Jay is. Make an effort to meet him. You’ll be better for it.” —Russ Pope
left to right from top: Alien Workshop “Still Friends” deck Uprise skateshop “How High” deck Credo skateshop “Skate To Bleed” deck “Wheel Fell Off” art “Skateboard 4 Ever” art Alien Workshop “Sars Bear” tee Locard “Jay Croft” tee Street Canoe “Smile” sticker Vans “A-Skate” Era Pro laceless shoe
“Push 13” by Jay Croft. Created exclusively for Concrete Skateboarding. 18
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