About
Except for his wife and children, nothing is more personal to a goaltender than his mask. It saves him from countless scars and the scrutiny of fans when he makes a mistake, but while the mask hides a goaltender's face, the design on it is often an extension of his personality.
When minor league legend Kevin St. Pierre was playing for Bakersfield of the West Coast Hockey League in 2002, the team's equipment manager introduced him to BradyLambert, a season-ticket holder and former motorcycle racer who was trying to break into helmet painting. St. Pierre became his first customer and also a friend.
"I dropped the first one off, and I didn't know him that well," Lambert said. "I got kind of a weird reaction because I didn't know if he liked it or not."
St. Pierre liked it, and Lambert has painted 10 masks for St. Pierre. "Before I met him, I didn't care what was on my helmet," St. Pierre said. "The biggest thing for us is every year we try and outdo the last one we did. Most of the time, I don't even tell him what I want, I let him come up with it. Everything he's come up with has been great." Lambert, 30, said he paints as many masks or motor sports helmets per year as he can, costing from $350 and up, depending on the level of detail. The teams usually pay for the hockey masks, which last about two years, St. Pierre said, depending on how beat up they get. The helmet fits tightly until the foam inside gets broken down.
It takes 10 to 40 hours to complete a mask, Lambert said. He takes a white mask, sands it down, cleans it and then paints on primer. After sanding it again, Lambert sprays on a black base. All the while, he's drawing images until he finds the right touch. The hardest work comes from using masking tape to separate the sections he uses to paint the drawings.
"I've painted everything from a toilet seat to a mailbox to golf clubs," Lambert said. "I do a lot of it at night because I can't sleep and I get more creative then. Once my mind starts going, it doesn't slow down until I accomplish what I'm doing or work toward that goal and my brain gets worn out." His path to artistry is a unique one. Lambert grew up racing motocross, training with pros Eric Kehoe, Shane Trittler and Bobby Moore, traveling the nation for all the bigger amateur events . He quit racing and found he enjoyed a new thing called Freeriding and played a part in the movie ``Vidiots.''
In January, 2002, he started his paint business concentrating at first on hockey masks and some of his friends from the motocross industry, past and present clients including Colin ``Scummy'' Morrison, Shane Trittler, Garrett Ahlf, Myles Richmond, Lance Coury and Jeff Griffin. He also recently branched into the wakeboard industry paiting for Ricky Gonzalez.
A huge hockey fan, Lambert has produced masks for players throughout minor league hockey and has even had some of his work showcased overseas.
My future plans are to help as many athletes as I can reach their dreams and look good doing it,'' Lambert said.I want to get involved in doing charity events with my painting and athletes who like visiting kids in need. Someday I hope we can sponsor our own golf tournament."
Lambert has already raised thousands of dollars for Juvenile Research Diabetes Fund though auctions of hockey masks. My paint business is more than just painting,'' he said.It goes way beyond that. We like to build lifelong relationships with our clients and many to this day are considered best friends. I stay in touch even after our job has ended."
Here are what some of our clients have to say about their time dealing with Shifty Illusions...
"I was super pumped on my Shifty illusions paint job for my helmet. I'm a person with high expectations, and it was nothing short of that, but exceeded them. I was very happy to see step by step pictures of the process, so that I was not left in the dark with surprises. My paint job was different than others. I wanted more of a tattoo/art style, and Brady nailed it. He's a great all around paint artist. The turn around time was great. There was a lot of tedious work to be done that would have took some of the best artists in the world longer than what it took with Shifty illusions. I was very happy with the whole process and outcome. With a Shifty illusions paint job you can expect, quality work, more bang for your buck, and an overall awesome step by step experience to see how it's done... It was a pleasure to work with Brady, can't wait for the next one.". -Jeff Griffin: Pro Fmx Rider
"I Ride Hard And Go Big Always Doing Crazy Stunts But Still Gotta Look Fresh With My Sick Lid All Done Up With All My Sponsors And Dope Graphics Done By The Homie Brady With ShiftyPaint. Make Sure You Get Your Work Done With Him And No One Else." -Ricky Gonzalez: Pro Wakeboarder Team Rockstar/Hart & Huntington
"If you asked which of my masks was my favorite, it would be a tie among the nine or ten masks that Brady Lambert with Shifty created for me. The best part about these masks is not the attention to detail, or the countless hours spent planning to ensure perfection. It's also not the personal time Brady spends with his clients so that they are guaranteed exactly what they want. Brady's masks represent the very best in craftsmanship, style, and creativity. They are unbelievable. They are the best." -Kevin St. Pierre: Pro Hockey Goalie
"If you want to ride good, You have to look good! And Brady Lambert does that for me. When I put his helmets on I just want to go and huck it big!" - Garrett Ahlf, Pro Fmx Rider
Feel free to call or email anytime!
ShiftyPaint@gmail.com
661.205.9445