The State of Free

I once lived on the East Coast in South Africa. In a small town just on the northern edge of Durban called Umhlanga Rocks. It is where this Canadian learned what only surfing can teach. The days I spent sitting on my board, waiting for the next good set, chatting with my chinas were some of the best in my life. The sun, surf, wind and freedom of picking and riding those waves were all priceless to me at the time even though I was as much grom as the lighties.

I painted this in a couple days, the water is more abstract than real looking and that was intended, the surfer is based of a photo I saw taken by a former classmate of mine at Beachwood of his son in Huntington Beach...

It was done in acrylics, some airbrush in the background and much drybrush. At times I felt I wanted to paint him exact and then the next second I was drybrushing over my drawing lines and not caring. I really like this one even though it might not seem as my best work. Some texture, some colour mixing, drybrush and airbrush all combined to help me remember how awesome it was sitting out there watching the Vaalies playing in the foamies.