A conversation with Maz Adams

Maz Adams has been drawing for as long as he can remember. His artistic progression has taken him from drawing Teenage Ninja Turtles in preschool to doing commissioned pieces of his childhood heroes.

He currently works at a hospital but spends as much time as possible on his side hustle; creating art. I recently had a chance to talk to him about his work.

On inspiration

I truly believe an artist’s best work encompasses subject matter they truly love. Growing up in New York, it was easy to fall in love with baseball.

I spent my earlier years in Brooklyn in a household that had Yankee games on TV on what seemed like a daily basis. I have such a love for not only the Yankees, but the history of the game in general that it’s easy to channel that in my work.

A lot of what I draw is commission work but when it comes to choosing my own subject matter I go for the athletes I admire. Or, I might find a really cool pose or take a picture at a Yankees game that I think might make for a good piece.

I actually prefer hand drawing digitally a lot of the time because it just makes sense. I have every medium possible at my disposable without the worry of spilling ink or paint. When I’m doing a commissioned piece to be made into a print I can pretty much choose the size and clarity and send it straight to the printer.

On incorporating non-sports icons into his work

Every one of my pieces tells some sort of emotional story or has some kind of progression. Whether its from looking at facial expressions, body language or the added elements like fried chicken for Wade Boggs or popcorn for Don Mattingly, I want every piece to have a different personality (just like the players they represent).

With some players its easier to think of little things that evoke their personality or their career. I chose popcorn for Mattingly because when I think of him I think of that classic catch in foul territory where he took that young fan’s popcorn.

With Trout it was pretty self-explanatory. For me, my very last option is adding a jersey number or a logo. I feel cheap doing it but whatever element I normally choose has a responsibility to be recognizable and justifiable to the viewer.

On meeting the subjects of his work

I never go in expecting to blow athletes away with my work, especially the veteran guys. I figure they have been immortalized a million times over that they are probably numb to the whole thing by now.

That being said you get two polar opposite reactions. Some guys genuinely appreciate your work and like to ask questions. Meeting Jim Palmer was a great experience for me personally. He really took his time to admire the piece I did of himself and Eddie Murray and asked me a lot of questions about my process.

Outside of baseball, I met Charles Haley who really loved the piece I did of him and requested extra copies. His agent gave me his card and we were able to work out a deal to get him more.

Currently I’m working on piece for Isaac Bruce’s Gridiron Gala Charity benefit to be signed by him and given out to every attendee. I had done a piece for a charity auction for him before and he loved it so much that he wanted me to do this year’s give away. I’ve also met a ton of WWE superstars who have appreciated my work. It never stops being absolutely amazing and unbelievable.

On texture

As an artist, you are always growing. The day you think you have nothing else to learn or improve is the day you should quit. Every piece I do is a learning experience and I want my pieces to have a textile quality to them even though they are on a flat plane.

Drawing is not like sculpting, and an artist who draws or paints only has the brain and eyes to go on.  It can be tricky sometimes to try to work in different textures, but baseball is a very tactile sport.

Whether the rubbery feel of a base, or the sticky quality of pine tar, the leathery, chalky hide of a baseball or the heavy, wooden grain of a bat, texture surrounds the game. Successful pieces of art should involve multiple senses and engage much more than your eyes.

About Maz:

Maz Adams can be found online at the following locations:

Twitter: MazAdamsArt
Instagram: MazAdamsArt
Facebook: “The Art of Maz Adams”

My prices are more reasonable than you might think. As an art collector and a fan one of the biggest bummers is loving someone’s work but them not having a price point where you can afford even a quick sketch or lesser involved piece.