Dallas Artist’s New Show Features Pieces Inspired by His Life as a Father, Skateboarder

During the day, Nic Mathis can be found on a scissor lift 20 feet off the ground, clad in a hard hat and safety vest, a sketchbook and pen tucked in his back pocket.At night, Mathis retires to a garage studio, turning his sketches into ink drawings and mixed media paintings for Erin Cluley Gallery, one of Dallas' most sought-after contemporary art spaces.A self-taught artist with a journeyman's license, Mathis has been drawing his entire life, citing his father and grandfather -- both hobbyists -- as early influences.As a young adult, he began habitually carrying a sketchbook, finding inspiration in the everyday: his family, his career as an electrician and especially his love of skateboarding and street culture. Mathis has been skating since 1986, and it serves as the backbone of his work.  Continue reading...