Gabe’s imaginative and boldly colorful style has made him a favorite among athletes looking for unique and unforgettable portraits and murals.

As a child growing up in Missouri, he spent hour after hour filling notebooks with cartoons and sketches of the people around him. He also loved to create detailed portraits of his favorite athletes including the local Kansas City Royals. His surreal yet realistic style had already taken shape by the time he attended college and received his first formal training in painting. In his youth, Gabe was also a passionate athlete, eventually playing football at the collegiate level, which provides him with an insider’s knowledge that greatly informs his work to this day.

Since his first painting for DeAngelo Hall in 2006, Gabe has continued to make a name for himself as a painter for the pros. He works closely with each athlete, turning their ideas and requests into one-of-a-kind portraits that capture their personality, as well as athletic prowess.

Gabe has been creating detailed portraits for many celebrated sports professionals, celebrities, and corporations involved in the sports industry for almost 10 years now.

You have been in and around sports your entire life, did you ever see yourself painting athletes for a living?
When I was young I actually thought I would eventually be drawing cartoons for greeting cards or doing t shirt art/graphics for a living.

Your exhibit delves into the visual mindset of a professional athlete prior to a game – What’s your visual mindset before starting a new painting – Any similarities etc
For these paintings I have been listening to a lot of bands like Mastadon and Slayer to get into to the brutal imagery. I try to lock in on the painting and forget about everything else going on. Distractions kill me. So I need the studio to be clean, chores done (even helps if the yard is mowed), and make sure that I have at least a 2-3 hour block clear to work. It’s hard to paint in short bursts, I’d rather have a good stretch of time in front of me. My dog, Bones, comes in and out of the studio during the day. Also my daughter, Elle, will come in most days after school to do homework while I paint. I take a break with the family for dinner and then I usually hit it again for one more night session.

What have you learned about the pressures/fears/excitement/etc of players while working on this exhibit you didn’t realize previously?
It’s impressive to see how these guys are able to play such a violent game in today’s society. These guys are able to navigate this crazy politically correct environment while taking their minds to the same place warriors go, on a daily basis.

What is more important – Content or technique?
To me technique equals ’style’. This matters most as a portrait artist. Translating the image in a unique way is the goal. Concept comes a close second for me.

How many hours do your pieces generally take to complete?
Usually pieces take 1-2 weeks to complete depending on size and amount to detail. The pieces in this show each took about a week to complete.
What are some of the responses you hear in regards to your work?
People usually comment on the color palettes I use. They are also surprised by the amount of detail.

What is currently influencing you that might surprise people?
Living near Oakland I get to see art on walls from guys like NYCHOS and Tristan Eaton and tattoo art from guys like Freddie Corbin, Tim Lehi and Grime. Artists like Skinner and Alex Pardee work here. Musicians like E40 and Jason Newsted live nearby. To see all these artists push themselves to create at the level they have achieved inspires me big time.

Describe your work environment – Music, TV, Movies, things you drink/smoke, time of day etc
In the AM I start with podcasts like Adam Carolla and Howard Stern and then I get into music as the day goes on. Ranges from the Grateful Dead to Slayer. Studio usually smells like Girl Scout Cookies.

If you could choose only one, would you rather be thought of as a great artist or a nice person?
I try to be a good guy to everyone but I can’t worry about what people think about me. Everyone thinks great artists are crazy anyway so I’ll go with ‘great artist’.