In the high-stakes world of hockey, players rarely get the chance to express their individual personalities; everything is usually dictated by team colours and logos. The goalie mask is the exception — it’s the one place where you can truly tell a story. So, let me introduce myself to you car folks. My name is Jordon Bourgeault, and I paint goalie masks.

Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to partner with Ford of Canada on its "Ready Set Ford" brand campaign. This project was a dream for an artist: designing a custom goalie mask for Carey Price, inspired by his life, the ruggedness and detail of the Ford F-150 Tremor, and supporting Canada’s unique entry into Ford’s first new global campaign in over 15 years.

The design process started at my studio in Calgary, Alberta, where I spent a lot of time "riffing" on how to translate the F-150 Tremor’s DNA onto a helmet. This truck is an off-road beast, and I wanted the mask to reflect that. I drew inspiration from Tremor’s signature orange accents found in the grille and interior stitching, incorporating those colours directly into the cage and the fine-line edges.

For the artwork, I painted all-terrain tires ripping up snow on one side and kicking up dirt on the other, framed by landscapes of the Canadian Rockies and the Hoodoos in Drumheller. On the back of the mask, the tailgate is left open featuring the Built Ford Tough shield and a CP0031 licence plate. I even tucked in some "Easter eggs" for the biggest Price fans, from a tribute to his time doing rodeo, to the place he grew up — Anahim Lake — the launching point of seven-hour round trips in his dad’s Ford Ranger to play hockey.

Getting to the end result is a process, and mine is a blend of high-tech and old-school grit. I start digitally on a tablet, which has become a game-changer for visualizing how 2D art wraps around a 3D surface. I’ve even developed custom digital brushes, like a bark brush I used when designing a mask for another professional goaltender.

Whether I’m shaping tree branches or the F-150 Tremor’s grille, the digital stage allows me to render every detail before I ever pick up an airbrush. That said, the physical painting is where the real labour happens. The “Ready Set Ford” mask was particularly time intensive — I put about 150 hours into it over the course of a single month!

It’s a meticulous cycle of taping off areas, cutting out shapes like the tires or the grille, and applying a mix of matte and glossy finishes to create depth. Some things, like the fur on a bear or the fine texture of a Canadian landscape, simply can’t be rushed. It’s one stroke at a time, a lot of continuous hours, and probably less sleep than I care to admit.

But at the end of the day, I’m an artist and creating beautiful goalie masks is my passion — I wouldn’t trade this career for anything else. Seeing my masks hit the ice, blow up in the media — or, ideally both — is an amazing experience.

Knowing I put my heart into a design that represents both a legendary Canadian goalie and a brand with more than a century in Canada makes the long hours worth it. And I hope that whoever ends up with this piece of my art is the envy of everyone else on the ice, whether its in an arena or in a game of shinny on a backyard rink.

Jordon Bourgeault is a world-renowned airbrush artist specializing in high-detail and complex designs.