Letters

Mike Lavallee: 1960-2020

Mike Lavallee, pinstriper, airbrush artist and sign painter, died on April 14, 2020. Mike was the highly respected creator of the True Fire airbrush technique, which produced a flames effect with the look of real fire.

Mike graduated from Boston’s Butera School of Art in 1979 as a sign painter. He worked in sign shops, then opened his own shop before being captivated by pinstriping and airbrush work. He soon began pinstriping on the motorcycle circuit across the country, often doing 15 bikes in a day at major rallies. He was first featured in SignCraft in our March/April 1998 issue.