WALK THE PLANK

Art Exhibition at The Plank Shop, Yamba

Didn't have much time to settle after Bali and West Aus and set off down in cruise mode from the Goldy to Yamba loaded to the gunnels with paintings of all sorts. Dean and Karen at The Plank Shop had cleared the walls of their funky establishment (check it out when you are down that way) and made space for my art amongst their eclectic collection of surf goodies.

Arriving back several hours after unloading I discovered the shop had been transformed into a great little gallery with my art hung very professionally, great job guys. The girls all chipped in preparing the nibblies and the bar.

Friday night started with great music from Billy February, and the wine and beer flowed, everyone enjoying the art and atmosphere. The crowd spilled out onto the street for some breathing space and the music rocked on til late. Saturday morning and more crowds flocked through, until the warm offshore wind decided for us that it was time to pack up and enjoy the beach. Thanks everyone who helped in putting on the exhibition and I am looking forward to the next time I'm down with some new work.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

After Bali I headed to Western Australia, also many years since I had been there.

My sensational host Richard who is opening a Surfing Museum in Yallingup gave me the incredible guided tour of the coast from north of Perth to Augusta.

The pristine beauty and isolation of the south coast of WA, even in the shivering cold (especially after Bali) and howling wind is awe inspiring and I have sketched some scenes for a series of paintings from the area.

As part of R & D, and as the wind was too strong to get the boards off the car, we headed to the wineries and boutique breweries of Margaret River. Life is tough but someone has to do it.

Back in Perth we headed over to Garden Island for a lunch on his cruiser. Didn't go ashore as the island is full of tiger snakes. The wind that howled while I was in the west finally caught up again in giant dust storms in Sydney. Delayed and cancelled flights made for a long trip back, but as they say "There is no place like home."

BALI TRIP SEPT 2009

After 35 years, I have just returned from a nostalgia trip to Bali and Western Australia. Scored the swell of the season at Padang, double overhead on one day, The locals rip it to pieces and control the water. Weather was sensational and apart from the obscene crowds in Kuta, Bali still had that same magical spirit. Also ran into a few of the old boys while staying at Padang. The down side was unfortunately in Australia and hassles with Jetstar over length of boards. They had a room full of oversized boards that they wouldn't load. Even though I was told they would take the longer boards my boards stayed in Australia.

New Life for an old Classic

It must have been at least six months ago when a board came into my possession that was a total wreck.

At first glance the board looked like it was only worth throwing on the junk heap.

After closer examination it was discovered to be a 7'4" vee bottom stubbie shaped by Hohensee around 1967 and was numbered 18.

The vee bottom stubbie was the transitional board between the long old heavy malibu and the modern board of today.

An interested collector asked if I could restore it. Realizing it would take me several months to do, whenever I had a gap in my board building and art, I started.

Sanding the layers of paint of the bottom took hours, but revealed a clean and relatively undamage surface. The major de-lamination on the deck which was badly water stained was painstakingly filled and the lines of the deck restored.

The broken fin was removed and a new panel made to the the original colour. The base of the existing broken fin was matched to a template in a photo which of Nat Young carrying a vee bottom stubbie in Hawaii in 1967. The match was perfect.

The board was sanded filler coated and the rails coloured as the original had been.

When deciding how to cover the filled section of the nose, several methods were tried, when none of these complemented the board, the new owner, a lover of classic objects and art asked if I could paint a mural on the deck loosely based on a surf movie poster from the 60's.

So now the board has been finished and will have pride of place in a home in the next few days.

Herold's new Alaia

One of the visitors to the Wooden Surfboard day was Herold who decided he wanted me to shape him an 8' Alaia.

Joining me in the shaping bay we finished the board in around 4 hours which included the addition of small twin keels which can be sanded off when he gets the knack of riding it.

The natural oiled finish gives the paulownia a lovely golden glow and accentuated the grain lines

He is taking it back to Japan, at the end of the week, as well as another timber board he built at the Eco Village with Paul Jensen.

Wooden Surfboard Day at Currumbin

The Wooden Surfboard Day at Currumbin was an amazing experience.

Board shapers from both the wood working end and the surfboard shapers end joined to make a day that was a learning experience for every one.

Several of the boards that impressed me and there were many to choose from were the Brewer 11' gun and the boards from Paul and Sage Joske at Valla.

Pics above are a few of my boards, balsa, Alaia, handboards, lying on the lawn. My balsa 7' single fin with the big daddy of them all a Dick Brewer gun and a collection of Alaia from Paul & Sage. The centre board is a hot curl, with a soft roll vee made from solid paulownia.

Jason's new red single fin

The Glide, one of summer's new models, this single fin has triple stringers with classic sparkling red tint. "This board has made my day" was Jason's only comment, as he collected his birthday present, he was lost for words.