Originally Published in
The View December
30th, 2000
By TIFFANNIE BOND
VIEW STAFF WRITER
Henderson artist Shawn Ealy admits he has no concept of time.
It's fitting he engulfs himself in painting -- a timeless art form -- while maintaining a prolific arsenal of material. Since he opened Shawn Ealy Designs more than five years ago, he has left his airbrushed creations on vehicles, helmets, T-shirts, school walls and canvases citywide.
Ealy hasn't worked for anyone since his teen-age years and has accomplished the three major goals he set for himself following his 1988 graduation from Basic High School: his art has been featured in a magazine, he opened a shop by age 21 and he purchased his own home by age 22.
Since then, the 30-year-old Ealy has painted sets for Siegfried and Roy, costumes for Disneyland and helmets for U.S. skier Kristina Koznick and former Las Vegas Thunder hockey goaltender Parris Duffus, who now plays for the European Hockey League.
Having achieved success in the visual arts, Ealy is set on sewing his creative oats in poetry and music, which have also been constants in his life since childhood. Ealy believes "creative thought spawns more creative thought," which also lends him to incorporate a number of creative forces into his artwork.
"Art's all in the eye of the beholder, so the words help direct that path," Ealy said. "Artwork is powerful. Words are powerful, and music is the most powerful of all."
To escape an abusive early childhood, Ealy focused on art and has maintained that focus throughout his life. Making the world a better place is a theme Ealy carries and shares with those who are influenced by his work.
A poem by Ealy appears on a plaque near a mural he completed for Hinman Elementary School this spring. In part, the poem reads : "No matter what it seems on the outside, there are no boundaries within, no prejudice, no religion, no race or color of skin. We all make a difference by how we live and the things we do, so when dreaming of who can change this world please remember it is you."
"Somebody's always reading that thing," said Phil Barra, Hinman principal. "I think what that poem does is give kids some direction from a non-judgmental perspective. I think the overall message is you have the ability to change your life if you choose to. ... It's not a lecture. it's just a nice little statement."
Ealy's creations have given the man who has no concept of time a personal history. If his paintings, poems and songs are placed in chronological order, he can point out times of sorrow, grief, enlightenment and contentment, although he can't remember the year specific events took place.
"You can see the things I've gone through, the things I relived," said Ealy, pointing to "Confined," a dark piece painted during his divorce.
With ideas swirling around in his head, Ealy has trouble keeping up with them all. To help keep track, he jots down lines of inspiration and stuffs them into his pocket to save for a future painting, poem or song.
"I want to do so much. I constantly feel like I can do more," Ealy said. "If I think people should hear more about it, I'll try to work it in."
Many inspirations come from people he meets. In fact, most of his visual, literal and musical works reflect Ealy's social mentality.
"People; it all goes back to people," Ealy said. "I'm truly inspired by people."
Although music and poetry are important, conveying ideas to those who see his artwork is his primary goal. Music and poetry are supporting players communicating his messages and waiting in the wings for his time.
"I'll always do music on the side, whether I ever do anything public with it," said Ealy, who once fronted a band and has since recorded four songs on his own.
Meanwhile, Ealy is using his time to inspire others and help them maximize their potential. Speaking to elementary and middle school students, Ealy makes sure to let them know art lies in each of them.
"It's amazing how (art is) your first instinct. It's how you paint your life," Ealy said. "As people grow up, they're taught different things. I just never quit."
His design utilized Deltron Green Blue, Glacier White, Lust Red, Corel Red, and Wintermint Green. The final result is a coral truck with a blue graphic stripe and it appears that the front end and doors are being torn into shreds by the wind, leaving it Glacier White. Upon further inspection, the Fastback tonneau cover has been treated to coral paint as well, however it is being shred by a different means; a black panther is ripping its way through.
It was now finally time to throw down a bitchin' interior. Interior enchancements were made by Automotive Accents of Las Vegas, Nevada. Todd's stock seats were covered in gray velour. The door panels are mostly covered in gray velour but they have a hard look graphic embossed into the veleour and a stripe in the green vinyl that emulates the exterior lines of the vehicle. The dash has been treated to the same paint color as the external graphic stripe, giving it a Euro-look. A 10-inch Formuling steering wheel in white vinyl keeps this mini going straight.
