Check out a few samples of Mario’s work below or vist the blog at mareopinheiro.blogspot.com

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The most excellent Korduroy TV has been around for ages now but it’s only recently that i had a good trawl through the videos on there. I was looking for some advice on making a handplane and stumbled upon this other video about hand-printing a greetings card.

I haven’t done any lino-cutting and printing since scraping a ‘C’ at A-Level art so thought I’d give it a go for the first time in 15 years.

I looked around a couple of stationery shops for the right equipment but with the Korean pronunciation of ‘L’ and ‘R’ being somewhat interchangeable and in-between, I ended up asking, bizarrely, for “Rhino-Cutting” tools. As expected, something got lost in translation but I ended up with a sheet of rubber and some crude woodcarving tools that do the job and didn’t get arrested for animal cruelty, which was a bonus.

The resulting cut  is a bit raw and sketchy thanks to the dodgy tools (you know what a bad workman always blames) and it being mostly freehand and improvised, not to mention created under the influence of cider. All in all, I’m pretty pleased with it for a first go – it’s striking and has a nice textured look.

As you can see, although it looks good inked up, my first few prints haven’t been too successful as I’ve not found any proper printing ink here yet. I tried acrylic paint (as mentioned in the Korduroy video) watered-down acrylic, calligraphic ink, stamping ink, paint mixed with vegetable oil, paint mixed with glue, weird polystyrene paint and all of the above mixed together.

But… I couldn’t seem to get a clear even print that didn’t stick to the paper and pull it up. All this depite my hi-tech printing press that delivers between 55-60kg of pressure (depending on what i’ve eaten that day.)

I will keep you posted on progress and  if/when i finally get a good one I may put a few up for sale on my Droog 79 Sells Out blog to help fund my autumnal van meander along the coastlines of Europe….. All in a good cause.

The show is called Black Wave Red Sun and is a benefit art show for Surfrider Japan, featuring artwork by Bwana Spoons, Ed Fladung, Jeremy Fish, Corey Arnold, Luke Ramsey, Scrappers, Maddie Joyce, and many more still to come.

The artists are donating 100% of the funds raised from sales to Surfrider Japan. Grass Hut Gallery is only charging shipping fees for sold artwork. This is a web-exclusive show that runs from this Friday, March 18 to Friday April 1st. For more information please go on over to Grass Hut Gallery

Help a worthy cause, buy some great art and beef up your collection if you’re an art lover.

From May 7 to 17 at the Halle d’Iraty in Biarritz. 2500 square meters with some very interesting surf art pieces for sale. All the info HERE and HERE.

Niegà

In his own words, Assaf loves “water, rice, corvettes, WW2 fighters, and 6’3″ surfboards.” His work is polarised between intensely detailed studies and blurred, use-your-own-imagination renderings that could be paintings or polaroids. Look closely and you’ll notice little twists here and there, cunning titles, and unexpected hand-wrought flourishes. Sometimes it feels like you’re looking at Assaf’s pictures from underwater, at other times through a microscope.

Check out more of his portfolio here.

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Pacific playboy

“My paintings are all about light and colour,” says Steve, whose style is influenced by the work of California impressionist artists like Kevin Short, Ken Auster and John Comer, and the classic surf art of John Severson.

“Looking at good art will always influence and help your painting, but in the end your own style will always take over – I think the same can also be said of surfing.”

Born and bred in Devon, Steve grew up in Weston-Super-Mare, where his interest in painting was sparked at a young age: “Drawing and painting is something I have always done, it’s just in me. As a teenager I used to sell chalk drawings on the promenade in Weston,” Steve explained. His father first introduced him to surfing when Steve was a teenager, and Woolacombe and other North Devon beaches were their haunts of choice.

After studying graphic design and animation at Leicester Art College, Steve moved to London and worked with the famous animator Bob Godfrey, whose creations include the cult classics of many an 80s child’s formative years, ‘Rhubarb and Custard’ and ‘Henry’s Cat’. After working in London on classics like ‘Count Duckula’ and ‘Danger Mouse’, Steve also spent stints in Manchester and Athens working as a freelance animator. “While I was living away from the coast, I took every opportunity I could to go surfing – weekend (or longer) trips to Ireland, Scotland, NZ, Fiji, Hawaii, California and France. One time, I even bodysurfed perfect, head-high waves on the Greek coast,” says Steve.

By the mid nineties, the lure of easy living and more sliding opportunities brought Steve back to his Devon roots. He made Croyde his home after taking up the offer to run one of the local surf schools. “I continued to paint and sell the paintings in my spare time until I started to make more money from my art than the surf instructing. Since then I have worked full-time as an artist and based myself in Woolacombe,” Steve explains. “Saunton and Croyde are so crowded these days, but you can still find your own space at Woolacombe and there’s a really strong family-orientated community here, so the town doesn’t die in the winter. The light, colours and changing seasons inspire my work, and a good day here reminds me so much of California.”

“I love stylish surfers like Phil Edwards,” says Steve, who, when he isn’t painting, can be found gliding around Woolacombe’s beach break peaks on his 11-foot Skip Frye longboard. He’s even featured in Rich Gregory’s forthcoming film ONEDAY.

You can check out more of Steve’s work on his website and blog, or at The JC Gallery in Braunton. This summer there will be an exhibition of his work at the Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe (5 July to 5 September).

(…) where he worked for several shapers while showing his paintings in a few art galleries. On his return to France he moved south to Biarritz, where he has been busy making art and glassing beautiful boards for some very renowned shapers. In a few weeks he is opening his own glassing business in Anglet (Creamy Glassing) and I decided it was a good moment to finally meet him and find out more about this very young (21) artist:

(Tristan) I became very interested in surfing from a very young age, like 8 or 9, at the same time as I started skateboarding. But I obviously didn’t have any money for a board so I could only surf in summer on borrowed boards… or skate. When I was 15 I started an apprenticeship in carpentry. With my first salary I finally managed to buy my very first board board, an old “Hawaiian Juice” and since then I’ve been surfing every week, basically at Ile de Ré and Ile d’Oléron.

Where do you surf normally these days? And what type of board?

These days I surf in the Anglet/Biarritz/Bidart area. I love it! I normally ride retro boards; I’m a big fan of them. I love beautiful boards and odd boards that are made to glide… just as long as they have good glass jobs.

What’s your current job?

I’m a freelance glasser and I work wherever I’m offered a job. Currently I split my time between two places. I work with Daniel’s Longboards – he’s a good friend of mine and, like myself, a fan of all things retro. I also work with Fabrice Morous at Blend Glassing, from whom I’ve learnt a lot (thanks Fab!). And now I’m about to open my own little glassing business in Anglet that will specialize in glassing, tints and polishes.

You have a blog devoted to mini-simmons boards. That is actually how I found out about you first. Where does your interest in these boards come from? Have you surfed any?

About three years ago I found photos of mini-simmons on different blogs. They were the very first that were being shaped, by Joe Bauguess and McCallum. I fell in love with the design, the concept, the shape. Not long after a friend of mine from UWL and myself wanted to have one shaped, so with Renaud Cardinal we started researching the fins (that I made) and we shaped the very first one that we both fell in love with. Since then that’s is the only board I ride except when I use a log. As far as I am concerned the mini-simmons are far better than the fishes.

As a European glasser who has worked for different Australian shapers, what are your thoughts regarding the way they approach their art? Is the average shaping level very different between Europe and Australia?

From my experience in Australia I’ve learned a lot, both personally and professionally. That has motivated me a lot and pushed me to open my own little business. Australia was definitely a very important experience for me. Clearly you’ve got many more board makers in Australia than in France, everywhere I worked they demanded the very highest level possible, sometimes they were extremely touchy about this. But they are very good and they make a very good job. Having said that I think you can find some very good boardmakers in France too, and they are producing a superb job. The potential is awesome.

What shapers have you glassed for?

Renaud Cardinal (UWL, T&C hawaii, Sharp Eye, Classic Malibu, Bob Cooper…); Rhino Laminating (Channel Islands, Steve O’donell, Campbell Brothers, Mike Psillakis); Sean Wilde, Aido (Rusty), Michael Cundith (George Greenough), North Coast Surfboards (Bear Surfboards, Donald Takayma, Rooster, Dick Brewer, Dick Van Straalen…), Peter White (Classic Malibu), Axel Lorentz, Daniel’s Longboards, Blend Glassing (Channel Islands, Billabong, Zaka, Chris Christenson, Josh Hall…)…

Who has impressed you the most and why?

Renaud Cardinal (UWL) without a doubt. He is an excellent shaper, a lovely guy, very passionate about his job, from whom I’ve learnt a lot and he’s a role model for me.

When looking at your art one is surprised that it’s got nothing to do with what we could call “classic surf art”… but you are showing your paintings in real surf meccas and some of it on surfboards. Do people from these places accept it easily or they are rather reluctant to move away from traditional surf art?

You are right, my paintings have very little “classic surf art” in it… if any at all. It’s more my “skate and rock’n roll” side that comes out. But I think that it’s been quite well accepted. On the other hand, when I’m making a board for myself I’d rather do a nice resin tint than one of my paintings.

Art influences? Graffiti?

Sure, 100% street art and graffiti. There are plenty of artists that I love dearly and that inspire me such as Dulk, Morning Breath, Koa, Thomas Campbell, Alexone…

Finally: where can we see your paintings?

At the UWL gallery. Also at Spacejunk in Bayonne and the Retrospect Galleries in Byron Bay (Australia). And also on some decks from Rekiem Skateboards.

From February 15 until March 28 at the Bar Lepanto (C/ Pedro Eguillor Emparantza 2, Bilbao). Check Ion’s website HERE to get a glimpse of his art.

Niegà

If you’re interested in purchasing anything, drop me a line or visit Droog Sells Out for this and more of my work. And check out work in progress and general musings on Droog79. Get ‘em while they’re hot, before Saatchi snaps up the lot…

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Perfect Day (code: 008PD). One-off drawing; black ink on recycled paper – £80. Paper size: 31.5 x 24.3cm (12.5 x 9.5"). Approx image size: 14.5cm (5.75").

A Brazilian art director and passionate surfer, Tom’s recent work really reminds me of a mash-up of those iconic London Underground posters commissioned by Frank Pick and modernist travel posters from the 1920s and 30s. However you reference it, they’re refreshingly bold take on surf art. Take a look at the full series on Tom’s website.

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