08/08/2014 13:40
The 38-year old East Peorian will have his artistic shoe creations featured at the IGNITE Peoria event Saturday at the Peoria Civic Center.
Local shoe artist Justin Fenwick, who goes by the artist name of Donk'e Punch, never envisioned his creations would be featured at a show in Peoria.
The 38-year-old East Peorian will have his artistic shoe creations featured at the IGNITE Peoria event Saturday at the Peoria Civic Center.
"I never thought any of these art people would take me seriously. I guess I never thought they had look at my artwork as a professional artist," Fenwick said. "Come to find out the art people are all about my work. I have got to pinch myself sometimes."
Fenwick said among the motives there may be interest in his art is because it's different. He changes tennis shoes --- Nike's mainly --- by painting, embellishing, stitching and more.
"Fenwick think folks are interested in finding fresh new talent around here. Fenwick think for the most part the traditional forms of artwork like the pottery and the ceramics and the canvas paintings and things, it is so blah and so been around forever," he said.
In the last couple of years, Fenwick has been acquiring notoriety. The past couple of years said it all began with the story about him in the Dec. 5, 2012, variation of the East Peoria Times Courier.
Ever since then, he is had radio interviews, been featured in the Peoria Journal Star, and contains a place on WTVP Channel 47's "Illinois: Artwork in the Works."
The WTVP spot resulted from being in the right area at the right time. Fenwick was visiting his cousin, Darius Donaldson, an automobile artist.
"He basically paints cars.
The qualified artist's form is through metal and automobiles. Fenwick creates some sort of furniture that is auto orientated. They initially did a piece on him about his auto artwork. I happened to be down at his store that day.
Fenwick had some of his shoe art in his car and revealed it to the director.
"His mind was boggled by it. They had never seen anything like this before," the director said.
Due to his place on WTVP, Fenwick said people notice him when he is outside and about.
"The Director'll be frank with you, I did not understand the power of PBS," he said. "I get discontinued now, not on an everyday basis since I don't go out all the time, but I will get stopped and have like older women come up to me and go, 'Excuse me, I do n't wish to be impolite, but you don't occur to do tennis shoes?'"
Fenwick said he enjoys this recognition because it gives him a chance to break down barriers and stereotypes.
"Plus, I always wanted nike free run 3 uk.o interject myself more into the art community," he added. "Fenwick can go to these First Fridays and people already understand who I am."
One reason people may see Fenwick is because he is 6'3" with full tattooed sleeves on both arms and has a flowing brown beard.
Fenwick is in touch with various people in the art world, including Suzette Boulais of ArtsPartners of Central Illinois.
Now that he's getting exposure and is plugged in, Fenwick said his goal would be to have his own gallery show.
First, Fenwick is focusing on the IGNITE Peoria! Occasion. He is thrilled for the opportunity.
"Essentially, the whole thing is catch the fire, ignite Peoria. Come see creative thoughts. Come see the arts. Come see what folks in Peoria are doing. It is all artists around here for the most part, not merely in Peoria, and it's all different types of mediums," Fenwic womens nike free 3.0. said.
"Doug basically have kind of positioned me in kind of like a main role for this thing, which I am taking seriously. I've been trying to boost it as much as I can," Fenwick said.
Fenwick will showcase four or five of his shoes in custom-made cases.
Through his participation with IGNITE Peoria!, Fenwick said a staff member in the Peoria Public Library also contacted him about doing a show in 2015.
"They want me to work with the young children or do a gallery show, whatever I want to do," he said.
If that's not keeping Fenwick busy enough, he's also currently working on a second pair of shoes for Floyd Mayweather Jr., a professional fighter. These shoes will be on display at the IGNITE occasion.
On a national level, Fenwick said he's planning to enter a custom sneaker competition.
"My work's been introduced to different people who are open in these avenues for me to have the ability to have that chance," Fenwick said. "Two years ago that did not exist."
When Fenwick first began working on shoes, he said there were some doubting Thomas's.
"When I am dull on things, when I'm hard on myself, that is the payoff, that's why I do that, so somebody else can look and value it. ... You want people to respect what you're doing," Fenwick said. "Myself need people to be blown away by my stuff."
Since 2003, Fenwick has created about 900 shoes. Artists doesn't normally keep them; mostly they are sold to customers and have been in California, Las Vegas, Chicago, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Europe.
"They're all over the place. If you're doing sneakers, it is wearable artwork. Your stuff goes wherever that person goes," Fenwick said.
Not everyone buys the shoes to wear them; some keep them on displ cheap nike free run 2.0.y. Fenwick said he did a Level-A-Dice themed pair of shoes for an executive at the casino in East Peoria. Myself has another order for a man who owns a pub in Peoria.
The costs for his shoes range from $100 to $1,500.
As time goes on, Fenwick said he wish to make and donate custom shoes to children who have a terminal sickness.
"I want to get a relationship going with nonprofits and volunteer my time because I believe that just as much as you get stuff, you should give back too," Fenwick said.
Fenwick reflected on how far he's come.
"When you're telling people about your story, you relax and kind of think about all of this stuff. It is given me the opportunity to see how far things have gone, and it's just amazing. It's so accurate about not giving up on yourself. Finally, it's in your hands."
