Artist / Designer Lance Headlee
Lance Headlee was raised in Colorado Springs and has had an interest in
the arts since watching his father draw cowboys as a small child.
Headlee has been applying paint to canvas for over 30 years. Lance
taught himself how to paint by studying art styles and techniques for a
hobby. "For me it was a learning experience my own way of schooling
myself, by giving myself assignments. I remember one of my assignments
was studying realism. I took photographs of the 1st Street Lifeguard
Station in Manhattan Beach, then I brought them home and spent a few
weeks painting what I saw. The object was to make the paintings look
exactly like the photographs, I loved it! I was hooked. Styles like
realism, impressionism, abstracts, landscapes, portraits, modern and
imaginative were important for me to learn and understand. I don’t want
to be an artist that only has one style, that would be like a prison
sentence. The beauty of painting for me is there are no limitations and
no rules to the game. You can always think inside the circle, but
thinking outside the circle is where the adventure begins. I can let my
imagination run free just like the colors that flow off the end of my
brush, they are an expression of freedom and have no boundaries. Some of my collectors enjoy the style of my contemporary cowboy and cowgirl paintings and
some clients like my sculptures and abstracts. It doesn't matter to me, I
just enjoy the entire creative process of bringing imagination to life.
My mind is always in search of new ideas - Creating something different
that eyeballs have never seen before . . . that’s the goal anyway."
SPECIAL THANKS!!
"Thank You to my entire Family, Friends, Clients, Collectors, Art
Lovers and all the people that have supported my creativity over the
years - it is and always will be greatly appreciated. I wish each and
every one of you Love, Health and Happiness Always." ; )
Currently Lance is working on a NEW Collection of paintings that he will unveil to the public sometime November 2011.
Early Years - After graduating from high school Lance began
studying art full time. Headlee enrolled at Colorado Institute of Art
where he studied Advertising Design and Layout. Then Lance moved to
Scottsdale, Arizona, where he began studying Fashion Design and
Merchandising. In 1984, Headlee moved to Manhattan Beach, California.
Soon after, he introduced his concept of hand painted swimwear and
cover-ups to Cole Of California and Catalina Swimwear. In 1985 his
collection of hand painted swimwear and cover-ups sold in hundreds of
stores nationwide. Next Lance developed, “Kidart” a novelty item that
allowed children to color their own T-shirts and wear them instantly.
Marketed under the name ‚ “Art To Wear” - Kidart was distributed
nationally in 1987. Beginning in 1988, he entered the imprinted
sportswear market. Eyecatcher sportswear / Icantoo Sport printed and
marketed his resortwear designs on everything from coffee cups to beach
towels and from T-shirts to swimwear. To the present day, Icantoo Sport
has sold over 2 million units bearing the Headlee signature. For the 2001 and 2002 season Headlee was
contracted to design, merchandise and market basketball apparel for BCI
(Basketball Congress International).
Although Lance has been involved in
the fashion industry for over 30 years he has never stopped painting.
He has always had a passion for painting. His sportswear designs and
paintings are like night and day. Lance has managed to create apparel
designs that have mass market appeal and fine art paintings that are
truly one of a kind works of art.
Since the age of five Headlee has always been involved with Sports, Fashion and Fine Art. Today you can find Lance either in his studio working on his new collection of paintings or busy marketing and managing his SKILZ brand of athletic apparel.
In 1999
Lance founded, designed and trademarked “SKILZ” a line of Advanced
Sportswear and Athletic Apparel for all sports. Currently the SKILZ brand is sold and marketed at Youth Sports Tournaments.
SKILZSTORE.COM will go
live sometime 2011.
