Different realm

  Sometimes you find yourself in certain places that don't seem to be of this world. This picture of sunset is one of those for me. The water was almost glass, misty fog rolling in. Seemed to be a place far away, calm and serene. An abyss of color and light. Moments like this almost always seem to bring internal reflections. Then just as soon as it came, it's gone. The noises that you somehow didn't notice around you slip back slowly. A boat cutting the water, a barking sea lion, a distant car radio. Your piece of mind distracted once again by things. But how great it is to be able to experience moments like these! Just looking at this picture I can feel my lungs fill deeper with air....

Zen and Color. 

Sketches

Few sketches for an up coming painting. Surfer Girl....

Black and white

Color testing....

Left to enlightenment.

New 8x10 acrylic on gesso board. Cruising through a left
barrel with Buddha looking on from behind
the clouds. 

Paintings for sale

 Got a good response to the artwork on my handplanes I've been shaping. So I've decided paint waves on some gesso boards. These are all acrylic on a very smooth gesso. Details about them are below in the photos. I should have pay pal up and running very soon. Until then if you would like one, leave a comment here and I will get in touch with you. Or find me on Facebook.

Blue lip - 5x7 inches on flat gesso board. Ready to frame. SOLD! 

Sunset set - 5x7 inches on flat gesso board. Ready to frame. SOLD! 

Tube vision - 6x6 inches on mounted 3/4 thick gesso board. SOLD!

Detail of 3/4 wood frame.

Hand Planes for sale!

 Some may have seen in recent posts, I've been hard at work making a fresh batch of hand planes. Each one is hand shaped and hand painted by me. Start to finish. Made from poplar wood, and completed with a strong  polycrylic finish. They're available for sale through my gracious friends at Stoke Harvester on their site. If you like what you've seen, head over there and pick one up!(Heck even if you don't body surf these would look great on the wall and I hate saying that but it's true) Thanks in advance for the support if you choose to grab one, and also thanks for all the words of kindness and support. I hope you're as stoked on them as I am!

Green means go

Another hand plane painted. A big green lip.

Green is good.

Detail

Looking down the line.

Finished!

Finished painting. 

Painting Planes.

Running through some new hand planes. I'll have a more thorough description of how these are made, and the steps that go into them soon. For now here are a few pics of the beginning of the painting process. Starting with pencil sketching an outline, then moving into the paint. Final pics of these will be up later. 

Pencil Lip pitching

Pencil outline of a wave. 

Going left. 

Think the pencil will make the section? 

Start of painting

Color. 

Tropical Dreams

 Just returned from Hawaii. Here are a few pictures (more on the way)of some of the things seen and done. All I can say is I love that place. Friends, waves, surf and sun. This morning it seemed like some kind of lucid long dream than a reality that had happened. So much so that I found most of my thoughts today to be ending about still being there with my wife, on the beach, with the warm breeze,just the sound of waves,palm trees and the taste of salt on the lips.

The real locals.

 I was sitting around one day thinking about grumpy locals you see near the ocean. Every surf spot has at least one. The guy who just can't be happy even though they live near the ocean and surf all the time. They always seem to be swearing and wearing a frown. Hating on anyone that would dare smile and have fun with the same thing they do. It got me thinking...do the animals of the ocean act this way too? I doubt it, but wouldn't it be funny. So I thought of the loudest most obnoxious sea creatures I could in the local waters here. The kind that are always making some kinda fuss. And that's what follows...The real locals. Prints will be coming up if anyone is interested.

The stinging jelly.

The squawking gull.

The barking sea lion. 

Paddle to Port Orchard

One of the reasons I haven't been updating this as much is the warmer weather. I won't go as far to say it's been great but it's improving. Hopefully if it keeps up we should see summer by August. Last year I had been eyeing a route that I wanted to paddle. Shilshole to Port Orchard. Seemed easy enough, just long. My first attempt at this went not as planned at all. Winds that day didn't want to cooperate in any way, blowing from the south. I was basically paddling into a 15-20 knt head wind the whole time, and fighting a little current. I made it about half way and couldn't continue. Exhausted and frustrated I had to stop. This year I wanted to try it again. So I got my  friend Sam to pilot a boat, grabbed everyone that wanted to go on the boat, and tried it once more. This time things went as planned with no winds on the way there and sunny skies. Dolphins swam by in the shipping lane, seals everywhere, friends and my wife encouraging me to hold pace, it was great. Held a 4.5 average pace. Hit around 5.5 in some spots. Got to PO in about 3hrs 15 min(give or take a few). On the way back the winds picked up and we were able to drop sails and cut the engine. Couldn't have asked for a better day. Thanks to everyone who came along! I hope you all had as much fun as I did. Big thanks to Sam for getting the boat. Thanks to Taryn for taking the pics. And special thanks to my wife for all the support and belief in all of my paddling adventures.

Flying along with Seattle in the background. 

Sweeping glass

Finish and done. 

Aliens like the water.  

Happy crew! 

Smiles and the finish. Love you wife! 

My route. 

Leroy Grannis

 Found out the other day that Leroy Grannis died. It's always a little sad to think that someone who inspired you has passed. Found this photo of his, it's one of my all time surf favorites. The color, mood, body language. Everything about this picture makes me want to go surf. I think that's what makes a good surf photo.  If after looking at it for a few seconds you want to run out the door and jump in the ocean, it's done correctly. Thanks Leroy for all the great images and inspiration.

Pictures of the day