Geary Taylor, who goes by “Rasta”, held a $200 Nike Air Jordan basketball shoe in his hand and smiled as he smeared black paint across the leather.
“I think it’s special to be unique and stand out,” he said, flicking black paint from a toothbrush to create a speckled pattern on the white shoe. “Paint where it ain’t.”
That motto has become a life mantra for the guy who first started sketching and selling drawings of neighbor’s houses when he was 6 years old. His business, 1-of-1 Customs, is located near downtown St. Petersburg and features Rasta’s creative vision on almost every inch of the property.
From the giant self-portrait to the characters of "The Cosby Show" on his fence, Rasta’s art passion is on full display.
“Be unique and stand out,” he said. “Go ahead and break some necks. This is called wearable art.”
The Jordan shoes are a birthday gift to his son. He set them down to dry and began adding a yellow bumblebee pattern to a $700 Louis Vuitton handbag for a woman in Colorado.
Customers learn about his skills through social media and send him items to customize. Rasta spent time working on shoes for professional athletes during last football season, including Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Peyton Barber.
Rasta started doing custom shoes 14 years ago and has eclipsed 2,500 pairs. He’s done 35 Louis Vuitton bags in eight years.
“This is the same thing a celebrity might have, and now you’re the star of the show,” he said, when asked how he hopes customers feel when they see his finished art. “None before it, none to come.”
His childhood bedroom was one of his first canvases. He painted the walls with all sorts of characters and designs, including caricatures of one of his favorite artists, Prince. When his mother passed away, a distant cousin came up to Rasta at her funeral and told him that he was the one tasked with painting over all of Rasta’s colorful creations.
“That was an amazing room,” he said.
The St. Pete art scene is inspired by much of Rasta’s work. He began doing murals downtown years ago.
He still does murals, only now they’re worn on feet.
“I’ll take whatever time it takes to make me happy, and the customer,” he said.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10 News app now.
Have a news tip? Email tips@wtsp.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
