Impala Blog 01 November 2024 2 min read

Impala’s Artist Spotlight 🎨 Meet Keely!

Introducing Keely “Poi” Majewski: Fresh from collabs with global names like Melanie Martinez and Ice Spice, this Florida-based digital artist turned our Latis Cruiser Board into a statement piece, celebrating the ups and downs of skating with her Impala inspired skater, Bailey Bonez. We interviewed Keely to find out what drives her creativity…

Hey Keely! We’re STOKED to have you on board for this collab! Can you please tell us the story behind your artistic journey and how you got started?

Hi hi! Thank you so much for having me! Ever since I was a kid I was always sketching and writing my ideas down on paper. Fast forward to 2020, I finally sat down and taught myself how to sculpt digital 3d pieces, merging my love of sculpting and 2d illustration, it just felt right to me.

How did you come up with the design concept for the Bailey Bonez cruiser? Any fun inspirations or stories behind it?

The Bailey Bonez character was inspired by overcoming the fear of falling when learning how to skate! Always getting back on the board and fully committing! Which is also something I try to apply to other areas of my life every day.

What’s your go-to source of inspiration when you’re working on a new piece? Any specific rituals or routines that get your creative juices flowing?

Music is a big part of my creative process! I also love to set up my work space so it has a cozy ambiance. Those two elements combined help me focus and stay on track with the current pieces I’m working on. I also look for inspiration everywhere, I constantly find myself jotting down notes in my phone or sketchbook, ideas and little doodles. Most of them never see the light of day, but the process of documenting everything helps me sort through all the noise to find those hidden gem ideas that become my favorite.

We can see you’ve worked with some pretty impressive clients, what’s been the biggest or most exciting project for you? (apart from our collab, of course 🫣)

Ahh! Thank you! Of course besides this collab, I honestly would have a hard time choosing a favorite. The larger projects I’ve been able to work on have really all been highlights of my career and life. Every single one has taught me something that I bring to the next and for that I’m extremely grateful.

The important question… can you skateboard? Or do you think you’ll learn on our Bailey Bonez board 💁‍♀️

I have before yes! …Can I skate well? That’s an entirely different question haha. I think this board will definitely give me the motivation to hone my skills!

For any newbie artist reading this right now, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve received or live by?

The most important things that come to mind are consistency, learning, and focus. Consistently honing your craft helps build up your skills within the fastest amount of time, allowing you to get your ideas out there. Secondly, never getting comfortable and pushing yourself to learn and discover keeps things fresh and helps me personally combat art block. Lastly, focus helps me keep my mind on my work alone, allowing me to be kinder to my artistic process instead of comparing myself to others. These three concepts have helped me be the best I can be.