There’s something special about the art of J. Marshall Ballantyne, aka Mr. Mars. He’s managed to take a skill of street art and bring it into the fine art world with intricate sculptures, delicately airbrushed with vibrant colors. How he got to this point is as unique as his artwork: when a collector asked for Ballantyne to repurpose a broken Buzz Lightyear toy into art, he managed to make something so cool that other collectors took notice thus launching his new avenue. We sat down with the Colorado artist to talk about his process, “Krush The Kan” mascot and his favorite flavor of ice cream.

Let’s get down to business. Your artwork is badass—no other way to put it. How would you describe your style?

Very kind of you. I like to think of my style as NEW SCHOOL GRAFFITI.

What got you to this point of taking graffiti and almost turning it into fine-art, pop culture sculptures?

I have worked for many companies throughout the years airbrushing for Harley, painting for Playtime and working in a custom airbrush shop and have always loved graffiti. I always had a ton of empty cans left over from spray painting and was customizing designer toys at the same time, starting with the Kidrobot Munnys. One day I had a collector ask for a commission to turn one of his young son’s broken Buzz Lightyear toy into art, as it was his favorite character and his son was devastated. So he wanted to turn it into something cool his son would enjoy. I created my first character theme with that piece and it turned into a whole new avenue that my collectors loved.

Walk us through the process of how you’re able to turn your designs into tangible statues?

I try my best to use broken figures and upcycle them into art with a twist of melting and empty spray cans. I sculpt, 3D print, and find other accessories to use as well to create a cohesive theme within the piece. I primarily paint with an airbrush and kandy colors for my pieces and proceed to paint with acrylics for the final touches, eyes, etc. Then I use an automotive clear coat so everything is nice and durable with high gloss and even waterproof!

How long does a sculpture normally take? 

My first creations were about a week for each piece as the drying time is about 24 hours between colors and clear coat, but I have since learned to create them a bit faster as I work on multiples at once so I don’t have to watch paint dry.

The Bomber Collection has cartoon characters from everyone’s childhood, do you work on these for studios or are they your own project?

I have worked for a few studios before and most have been super helpful in sending me projects or themes to work with but for the most part these are my own projects. I am searching down paths to get licensed by some companies at the moment, but I do enjoy the freedom of creating what I want and using the themes I loved growing up with as a kid. 

What are some of the challenges that come along with creating such detailed artwork?

Finding an original idea to create was probably the most difficult. Working for Harley Davidson painting motorcycles, guns, ambulances etc. has given me some detailed knowledge and tricks to create some detailed effects. So I LOVE getting to paint the small details within each piece. The melting I create for full effect is a bit tricky as I can’t always control the full outcome, so every piece is different and one of a kind. 

How do you see your art evolving?

I have started to create larger pieces, my latest one was a 12” spray can with more characters involved than just one. I also create a “mitosis” effect on some pieces where I split them down the middle and expose melted paint inside with bright colors. 3D printing has come so far and I have started to create my own resin figures of my “KRUSH THE KAN” mascot and just created my first collection of paintable DIY vinyl toys of him with help from Tenacious Toys. That was a goal of mine for a long time. Now I am seeking artists across the spectrum to customize and create larger art shows featuring KRUSH to help push the character into new spaces as well as help the community.

  

What’s the next project you’re looking forward to?

I have my eyes set on a new character to create a figure I would like to expose next. I am working on a licensed project for a company that should be really fun to create as well as some celebrities so that’s a big plus. I have a big list of commissions I am always working on and those are a blast to work on. I have mural projects planned, events, as well as some international galleries who want to display my work so I’m thankful and excited to see what the future holds.

Is there anything coming up where readers can see more of your artwork? 

I have my work in many local shops around Denver, CO such as Abstract Gallery, Vapeloft, and the Gnarly Toybox, and am continuing to grow those. I always have tattoos and toy show events. I am constantly traveling to expose the work more with those, and have a Kustom “Krush the Kan” coming soon to NYCC displaying other artists’ paint styles on top of my character. Looking into a full studio at the moment with gallery space so my collectors can come in and see things in person. 

RAPID FIRE

Hometown: Houston, TX

Favorite ice cream flavor: Cheesecake

Advice to live by: Stay humble

Strangest thing in your fridge right now: Duck eggs

Every artists should have: Hustle

Favorite bear: Polar bear

Sushi or burrito: Sushi!

Last book your read: Kitchen Confidential

Guilty pleasure: Pokémon