Fine art for your footsies

The bedroom wall was once their canvas.

Later, they graduated to painting buildings and simple sheets of notebook paper.

But now artists Geary Taylor of Dunedin and Jesse Kiebzak of Clearwater display their talents on a different medium: shoes.

"It's challenging but I love it," said Kiebzak, 27, a fifth-grade teacher at Largo's Belleair Elementary. "With sneakers, the surface has ridges and curves and you have to work with those challenges. But when you're done, it's beautiful art."

Taylor, 38, a professional artist, agreed.

"The canvas isn't flat and it's uniquely different than a white sheet," said Taylor. "I get more compliments when the shoe is the canvas than I do from doing art on a wall."

For about two years, Taylor and Kiebzak have taken their acrylic paints and their brushes to the side of Nikes, Converses and high-heeled boots.

There is no limit to the art they can paint on a shoe, from sports memorabilia to the Tampa skyline to a princess. And it's all done free hand. The starting price is $100 and the sneakers and pumps can be worn without cracking the art.

"It's like your style meets our creativity," Kiebzak said. "If you want something on your shoe, we can create it."