Crayone discovered his passion for spray-can art during his youth, a path that led to fame early in his career. When Hip-Hop culture exploded onto the Bay Area scene with documentaries like Style Wars and Wild Style, Crayone was hooked. At first, he was a breakdancer who went by the name “SpaceGhost; after a short time in sports, he switched to street art.
As his name, “Crayone,” gained recognition, he expanded his reach beyond San Francisco, forming the iconic TWS (Together With Style) crew—the first Bay Area spray-can art collective. This progressive company of artists incorporated fine art, illustration, graphic design, and the San Francisco style with European affinities. Together, they evolved and advanced spray-can art to a higher form that defied imagination.
Unlike traditional academic art, TWS championed innovation, exclusively welcoming those who mastered the spray can. Their innovative methods and distinctive color concepts revolutionized the idea of street art painting and introduced gallery-quality artwork to city surfaces. During the period when other artists were painting two-dimensional animated characters, Crayone and TWS rose to the challenge and developed dynamic patterns and designs that were different from the rest.
Before the internet era, Crayone and his crew's innovative style was widely emulated and set the standard for spray-can art. Merging imagination, vision, and ability paved the way for future generations and proved the limitless possibilities of the spray can as a valid artistic medium.
Today, Crayone remains an influential artist who paved the way for spray-can art, proving that a dream and determination can make a difference.
TWS produced high-quality murals, and the innovation and unique style were quickly noticed. Most of the artists stopped at graffiti names and painted according to New York trends. Crayone made graffiti lettering into art, and made it as abstract and as creative as possible. He viewed graffiti as an art form, not a fashion statement that would fade in a couple of years, but rather the future of art.
In 1988, his commitment to the medium got him featured in SprayCan Art, showing San Francisco and the Bay Area on an international platform. This recognition was a turning point in his career, bringing him widespread acknowledgement and opening up new opportunities; at 19, Crayone began receiving commissions for murals and building a portfolio showcasing his innovative techniques and dynamic vision.
Crayone was not only famous as a graffiti artist but he was also a visionary. He was the first West Coast graffiti artist to be given a solo show in an established gallery in Palo Alto, CA, and was shown subsequently at such institutions as the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, the Museum of Modern Art in Los Angeles, and the Oakland Museum of California.
His influence extended beyond galleries. Some books containing information about Crayone’s work and history include The History of American Graffiti, Freight Train Graffiti, Graffito and SprayCan Art. He has also been published in newspapers, on TV news and in more than 50 hours of videos, proving his impact on the art.
Crayone has been in the business for more than 30 years, and even to this day, he still sticks to the spray can. A boy who used to paint on the walls of San Francisco and a famous contemporary artist today, his life story proves that graffiti is art. Until now, Crayone is still capable of contributing the most professional and enthusiastic efforts in every project in the form of commissions and exhibitions to create awareness that graffiti is not merely art; it is a revolution.
While Crayone’s passion for painting never waned, his artistic journey also included ventures that broadened his skills and perspectives. Between 1989 and 1991, he furthered his studies in graphic design at the Al Collins School of Design in Tempe, Arizona. Later, he did his fine arts at CCAC, California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland, California. These educational touchstones have placed Crayone in a better position to promote and sustain his work over these years.
In 1992, he moved to Southeast Alaska and spent his summer working at fish canneries processing salmon – an episode that also helped him build his character and work values. Crayone had fully embraced the digital generation by 1995, designing websites for
firms like hip-hop.com, hip-hop-network.com, and his web page, crayone.com. Between 1999 and 2011, Crayone balanced his work as a graphic designer and art director with commissioned mural projects, a dual path that provided him with a steady income while allowing him to keep his vision alive through large-scale public art.
One of his recent notable works is the "Dharma House" mural at Mission and 22nd Street in San Francisco. This commission celebrates global icons of peace, equality, and goodwill, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, Mother Teresa, and Mahatma Gandhi. The mural resonates with Crayone’s mission of embracing the unity, compassion, and healing of all creatures and the environment.
Crayone’s versatility and effectiveness in different media and works are testament to his continuous contributions to the art sphere and his local community. At the heart of every endeavor he undertakes is a core desire to leave behind a positive, inspirational legacy.
Crayone worked as a freelance muralist and graphic designer from 2011 to 2016. The next step in his career path was being a San Francisco firefighter. But the process for that started years earlier. In 1989 and again in 1993, Crayone took the firefighter exam; he did not pass either. His will never lessened with those disappointments.
In 2006, Crayone reignited his dream. He returned to school to obtain course credits in Fire Science, graduated from the local community college fire academy, and dived headfirst into volunteer work with various charity organizations to give back to the needy communities. He also received his EMT or Emergency Medical Technician certification while balancing these efforts with his ongoing art career. Through the PrecitaEyes Mural Center, he mentored young taggers in their desire to create positive, community-beautifying murals—a role that best exemplifies his dedication to mentorship and public service.
For Crayone, painting and creating art in general has never been just a way to make a living. Even though he is a professional muralist, he finds most of his satisfaction in using his talent to inform, inspire, and empower the voiceless. He addresses matters concerning youth, culture, community, and safety through bright colors in his murals, with an agenda for every piece he creates.
Crayone is living the dream as an artist and a firefighter in today’s world. He has served the city he was raised in, San Francisco, in both a capacity that preserves life and property and a capacity that makes public spaces into living art installations. These dual roles have placed him in a place where he is valued for the contributions he makes through his artistic vision and commitment to service. Crayone represents a fine example of how a single person can add color, meaning, and change for the good to the world.