Frank Simmons carefully aimed his white spray paint at a drywall scraper and mashed the can nozzle. He only intended for a small spritz of paint to ricochet off the scraper onto his starry background. A glob ended up on the paper.
“Sometimes I run into mistakes that people love,” he said with a chuckle.
Since the beginning of the Tampa Bay Lightning playoff run, which has the team in the Eastern Conference Finals after defeating the Boston Bruins on Sunday, Simmons has been using everyday items to create custom combinations of his two favorite things.
“I was listening on the radio out here last night and I was like, ‘Go Lightning!’” he said.
He learned art skills from his mother and combined it with his own passion for hockey. Six months ago, he began tinkering around with spray paint and everyday items like lids to pots, drywall scrapers, and plastic bags. He uses each of them to create a different technique in his artwork. The results are Lightning-themed pieces of art with a unique look.
“People love them,” said Simmons. “This one lady bought four. She put one in every room and they were all different. She said, ‘My dad loves the Lightning’. I’m like, wow.”
He sells the art for $10 per piece and takes custom orders. His hope is to see someone on TV holding one of his signs at a Lightning playoff game. He’s thrilled every time someone pays for his creations.
“It’s the greatest feeling in the world,” he said. “It’s like finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.”
Frank takes custom orders along with his original designs. To order his art, you can contact him at (727) 269-1741.
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