With the Dirty Heads’ headlining the Orlando Vacation 2021 show just around the corner, R•VIBE was lucky enough to catch up with bass player/artist David Foral for an exclusive interview via email. Foral allowed us to pick his brain about his artistic process across a variety of mediums, his motivations behind creating the gig print for Orlando Vacation, and also touched on his recent foray into the pin community.

Make sure you check out Medusa’s Marketplace, the official Dirty Heads Merchandise Facebook group, TODAY for the reveal of David Foral’s poster for Orlando Vacation, and all other official reveals throughout the High and Mighty Tour.

The saying “Jack of all trades, master of none” does not apply to David Foral. In the reggae and art communities, he comes across as more of a master of all trades – a creative chameleon, if you will.

Foral’s journey initially started in a T-shirt shop before he pivoted to running a graphic design studio. From there, he was able to blaze his own path forward and highlight his unique ability to create quality art across a wide swath of mediums.

“Before I put ink to paper I close my eyes and brainstorm. I focus on what I’m trying to communicate to the world and how to do that most efficiently,” Foral said. “I think of images, shapes, themes, message, and colors. I’ll jot down ideas that stem from this and then start sketching.”

Already an established poster artist, Foral recently got into making pins. Within the last 6 weeks he’s released limited edition versions of the Pyschonaut Space Monkey, Mushroom Pizza, and Summertime soft enamel pins, and each sold out within a matter of minutes. Foral admitted that while those pieces were not directly influenced by Dirty Heads’ lyrics, there is of course a connection with the band’s work. That’s all just part of being a human amalgamation of art.

“I’m always doodling. Some doodles get turned into pins and some pins come from other art projects that I’m collaborating on,” Foral said. “Usually I try to imitate the original colors of the art as much as possible when making pins. Sometimes I’ll have to alter the artwork slightly for it to translate well into a pin.”

Perhaps that ability to know what will and won’t translate across mediums stems from the unique space he occupies within the art world. Transitioning from a full-time artist and part-time musician to a full-time musician and part-time artist provided an opportunity to immerse himself in different facets of art simultaneously. But whether it’s posters, pins, music, or even NFTs, Foral said his creative process generally doesn’t change. The main challenge for him is not transitioning from different physical artistic mediums, but switching gears from art creation to music production.

And as the musical aspect of Foral’s professional life begins to take center stage again, his balancing act continues. He created the gig poster for the Orlando Vacation show, so this weekend his artistic arsenal will be a multifaceted showcase. Foral’s ability to meld outside influences with his internal motivations, and then successfully translate that for mass consumption truly is a sight (and sound) to behold.

“For this poster I wanted to go with a really bright color scheme,” Foral said. “…I wanted to draw something that was fun and fit the vibe of a central Florida outdoor hotel pool party.

“I like incorporating animals into my drawings but didn’t want to do the typical alligator image. Snapping turtles are pretty bad ass and good at skateboarding. Who knew?” Foral added. “… I’d like to think I have a quirky sense of humor. I enjoy folding that into the art whenever I can. I hope people enjoy that aspect of my work.”