Staff photo by Gage Cureton Ryan Cook, of Lucid Paints based out of Rochester, uses the flames of a lit spray paint can to set a protective coating he put on a canvas painting he created in his mobile studio on Minnesota Street during Crazy Days Saturday.

NEW ULM — Don’t all the great stories start from the garage floor up?

That’s what Ryan Cook, who launched a Rochester-based speed-spray painting studio called Lucid Paints, said as he sat in his mobile studio parked on Minnesota Street for Crazy Days Saturday.

Using spray paint and simple tools such as hand-cut stencils to create colorful canvas paintings, Cook said he found his talent only a year and a half ago after he suffered an injury while working.

“I used to build houses,” Cook said. “I did that for 25 years and had my own company. Then I did a little log sculpting and chainsaw art.”

Cook said he had to rethink the way he earned his living after he was injured, and he began to think creatively.

“I hurt my back in construction and I had to work smarter, not harder,” he said. “I picked up log sculpting because it’s one of my passions and that ended up being hard on my back too.”

Cook said he remembers when he discovered the art of speed spray painting when he was at home surfing the internet.

“I was watching YouTube one day, I’m bored and my back hurts, and I’m just sitting there,” Cook said. “I saw a spray paint and I thought to myself ‘ah, that’s cool.’ So I watched a couple videos and I was convinced I could do that.”

At the time, Cook said he spent the last $50 to his name to purchase spray paint and other materials.

“I came back and made a painting, put it on FaceBook and that painting sold,” he said. “I went out and bought more material and almost every single painting has sold thus far.”

Cook said he’s made close to 2,000 paintings since he began and about 1,900 have sold. He said he likes to keep the prices low on his creations.

“Everything sells because my prices are affordable,” he said. “My prices are so affordable because I don’t want to put a big price on the stuff and let it sit around for a long time waiting for that special moment or person.”

Cook said he’s able to evolve his artistic abilities and continually change his style to remain fresh and generate new ideas.

“I’m always advancing in my technique,” he said. “As long as all this stuff stays around I’m stuck in the old techniques. When they’re gone I’m forced to make new techniques.”

Cook said he keeps a positive outlook on life and enjoys visiting community markets because it “allows people to open up in their own community.”

“I work hard for my family and I work hard for my passions and life literally gives me everything I want,” he said. “I’m just so satisfied and so grate ful.”

Gage Cureton can be emailed at gcureton@nujournal.com.