Watch Him as He Goes - Taylor Hawkins/Foo Fighters

I wish I had gotten around to painting Taylor earlier, prior to his untimely passing. Being a huge fan of him as a musician, but more importantly as a person and as an ambassador to music, I struggle with how long to wait after a tragedy to pay tribute. After the two huge memorial concerts in his honor, I knew I couldn’t wait any longer - it was time. I went back and forth on what vibe I wanted, but ultimately decided on an upbeat celebration of his life. I can’t think of anyone in the industry who loved music more than Taylor, and he made such a significant contribution to it. He had a childlike enthusiasm whenever he talked about live shows or some of his favorite influences growing up.

My first concept had him playing the drums as one might expect, but when I ran across some references showing him adoring the crowd as they adored him right back, I knew this was the most fitting tribute to Taylor. This concept also allowed me to portray him in his killer Van Halen tights as a nod to the love for his musical influences and peers.

 -Stickman