Few items of sporting tools are as iconic because the goalie masks — a glance that has developed from its easiest kind to literal artistic endeavors over time.
Representing your nation is a particular honor, one which deserves a becoming look, and Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman has been working with famend Swedish goalie masks painter David Gunnarsson for the previous few years.
“It is rather thrilling and enjoyable to work with Jeremy,” Gunnarsson instructed NESN.com. “He at all times has such cool concepts. I’ve painted Staff USA masks for him earlier than.”
Swayman unveiled Gunnarsson’s newest creation for his Staff USA 4 Nations Face-Off masks. The masks featured a number of distinctive sketches, together with a formation of six fighter jets and the head picture of six United States Marines elevating the U.S. flag atop Mount Suribachi through the Battle of Iwo Jima, crafted by the Småland, Sweden native.
“Jeremy despatched me all his cool concepts,” Gunnarsson mentioned. “I brainstormed (the pictures) and made a sketch based mostly on his concepts. Jeremy needed the formation on the jets, so it was based mostly on his needs.”
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Gunnarsson began his personal airbrushing firm on the age of 16 in his household’s barn and has been working solely with skilled goalies for greater than 20 years.
“Subsequent 12 months, I rejoice 30 years as a full-time masks artist,” Gunnarsson mentioned. “It’s a very inventive and enjoyable job.”
Though Gunnarsson makes use of an airbrush for many of the portray, he usually has to make use of brushes and pencils for a number of the particulars.
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Gunnarsson was not too long ago extraordinarily busy. He painted a handful of goalie masks for the 4 Nations Face-Off, together with Jordan Bennington, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Jake Oettinger, Samuel Ersson, Juuse Saros and Linus Ullmark.
“Typically, if (the masks is required in a rush), it’s achieved inside a few days,” he mentioned.
Gunnarsson additionally painted Swayman’s on a regular basis Bruins masks during the last couple of seasons, in addition to final season’s historic centennial masks and the 2023 Winter Basic recreation masks.
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The 26-year-old Alaskan native just isn’t the one goaltender within the Bruins group that he’s labored with. Gunnarsson painted Windfall goaltenders Brandon Bussi and Michael DiPietro’s masks.
