Island Spray
I grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, and when I was in junior high I got into airbrush painting. I had a high school job spraying t-shirts at Camp Snoopy in the Mall of America, and I painted custom shirts on the side for classmates and other local characters.
In college I drifted away from airbrush to focus more on graphic design, and my career steered me further down that path. Then in 2017 I moved to Martha’s Vineyard, an island off Cape Cod in Massachusetts, and I decided it would be a good time to dust off the spray guns and get back into it.
Eight years later, Island Spray is Martha’s Vineyard’s premier (and only) custom airbrush business. The summer calendar is packed with events: street fairs, flea markets, block parties and private gatherings are happening non-stop. It’s the perfect vacation-land platform for Island Spray to turn islanders’ t-shirt and headwear dreams into reality.
One of the very first events I did with Island Spray was the 2018 Harbor Fest in Oak Bluffs. I’ve been back every year since; here are a few photos from the 2024 party on the harbor.
Another great spot for the Island Spray is Nomans in Oak Bluffs. The family-friendly restaurant has a huge lawn, which plays host to outdoor games, a mobile raw bar and a beer garden. It’s the perfect setting for my pop-up airbrush biz, and it’s been a summer-time favorite for Island Spray for the past few years.
First Friday Vineyard Haven takes place in Owen Park every month from May through October. It’s a great community event with music, local artisans, vendors and food trucks.
I paint lots of one-off designs for friends and family whenever they need new custom gear. Brian aka ‘The Cheesy Chef’ ordered this one after a skate trip to Thailand:
Here’s a glimpse at how a one-off order might come in via text message …
My friend Sammi B is one of my most loyal airbrush customers on the island! She’s always bringing wild ideas to the table .. this one was meant to symbolize her friendship with a Buffalo Bills fan. Patti Patriot riding the bison !
These next ones are from an Oak Bluffs rager called Darty Off Circuit (Darty = Day Party)
Every year in August, the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Annual Fair marks the beginning of the end of the high season on the island. 2024 was my fifth year doing the Ag Fair; four days straight of non-stop airbrushing from 9am to 11pm, with the summer crowd at its peak. It’s a labor of love! Exhausting to say the least .. but when it’s all said and done, I always come away having made some of my best work of the summer. And the feeling of community connection at the fair is the best; if someone knows me on the island, it’s usually as ‘the airbrush guy at the Fair.’
Island Spray is my true creative pride and joy! Nothing is more challenging or more rewarding than taking an airbrush customer’s idea and flipping it into a design on the spot. It’s helped me grow as an artist and as a designer, and I like to think it brings happiness to islanders and visitors to Martha’s Vineyard.