Fay Jones

Fay Jones is a fine art painter from Seattle, WA, who was trained at the Rhode Island School of Design, and whose work is exhibited in numerous locations around the Pacific Northwest, including a mural at Westlake Station and a painting in Seattle's opera house, McCaw Hall. She also just so happens to be Richard Garfield's aunt... Back in 1993, while her nephew was finishing his doctorate in combinatorial mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania, he was also developing a new strategy game called Magic: The Gathering. As his game evolved from simple playtest cards to full-color cardboard, Garfield commissioned his aunt to create a piece of art for a card called Stasis. It was the only artwork that Richard Garfield would commission for the game he'd created, and the only piece that Jones would ever do. For many, it represents a simpler time in the game's history. Jones' work is unlike anything else used in the early iteration of the game. It feels inspired by Gauguin or perhaps Picasso, and yet uniquely her own. This short documentary (featured below) highlights her career and the body of work she's created. You can also see more of her painting here.

Putin

I just drove a Toyota Prius from LA to Detroit.

Met this lil' lady along the way.

So I sent the photo to my man, Tim...

"Looks like Putin in a dress throwing up gang signs."

The Shape of Speed

I've got a thing for Art Deco - or anything made between the wars. A style that felt forward thinking, futuristic, and yet tied to the time and space in which it existed. My interest in this era, this style, is so great that I stopped in Tulsa, OK just to eyeball the architecture for a few days. And so, when the Portland Art Museum proclaimed the introduction of their latest exhibit, 'The Shape of Speed,' which showcases streamlimed automobiles and motorcycles built between 1930 and 1942, I purchased tickets and packed a camera, no questions asked.

The exhibit will be on display from whenever you're reading this, until September 16th of 2018.

You should go.

Asher Emerson

"In a dimly lit corner of an automotive restoration shop in Tempe, Arizona, there’s a giant dragon. It looms overhead, long and twisting and yellow, with flames thrown from a mouth adorned by a mustache. I look up from below, admiring its form, its size, then pull a few paper towels from the roll, dry my hands and exit the little bathroom in the back of Asher’s studio. On the walls there are tracing paper sketches of the human form with could-be tattoo designs covering their butt and backs. Traditional Irezumi art is everywhere. There’s a small drafting desk, a padded massage table and a big bendy light, which looks a little bit like that character from The Brave Little Toaster. Asher is standing in front of his computer, which casts a blueish glow over his upper half. He’s looking at something that he’s scanned, the outline of a design which he’ll soon paint onto the back of my leather motorcycle jacket."

I wrote about my friend Asher for Wayward. Hit this link and check out the piece I put together.

Double Shot

A post shared by Justin W. Coffey (@justinwcoffey) on Jan 26, 2018 at 3:04pm PST

Inspired by the WWII bomber jackets on display at the Pima Air Museum in Tucson, AZ, I asked my friend @thr_asher to throw a custom paint job onto the back of my old ICON 1000 jacket. This is the result.

How Stanley Ficklefog Turned Into a Surf Troll

This is the story of Stanley Ficklefog. A once outgoing, somewhat sociable soul, Stanley (Stan to his friends and family) lived in a small city, just a few hours from the ocean. He'd always been interested in surfboarding waterhills. He’d seen it on the ol' television, and even tried it once or twice when the weather was nice. But it was not an important part of his life. Not then. Stan spent his time at house parties, in movie theaters, and at all sorts of sporting events. He also liked the ladies, and spent a great deal of his time in their company. Preoccupied, Stan was. And at that time surfboarding was just an activity for Mr. Ficklefog, not a passionate pursuit.

Then one day something happened. Something Stan never imagined. Visiting with friends in a faraway land, Stan had what some would call an epiphany. No longer did Stan feel burdened by his belongings or his relationships with both friends and family. Stan felt free for the first time. Now, I'm sure you're wondering how the hell this happened. What caused Stan to feel so free all of a sudden? Well, let me tell you a little bit more about our friend Mr.Ficklefog.

Sunray Kelley

There's plenty of weird people in the Pacific Northwest. There's the wonderfully weird, the extremely strange and the 'it's kinda hard to tell' type. So when I stumbled across this Shwood Eyewear video highlighting Sunray Kelley, an architect and builder who draws his inspiration from the woods that surround him, I was not at all surprised. Honestly, a few of the homes he's built look a lot like the one my mother's friend Jeanne lives in. But if weird is the word, then fantastic is the feeling his buildings broadcast. Organic architecture built with wood bought at "God's Hardware Store," SunRay's stuff is really quite incredible. Follow the link to see the short film.

Iolo Edger

The internet can be incredible. Enabling the otherwise impossible, it can, and often will, bring people together who share similar interests and ideals. People who might otherwise feel outcast or alone. Someone that surfs as an example. Or an artist. And it was the internet that connected Iolo (Yol-Owe) Edger and I. Settled some four miles from the coast of Southern Wales, where "a castle sits by the river mouth, and the rock formations have been featured in various studies for being great at illustrating the formation of the planet," Iolo's art is influenced by his surroundings and his love of sound - with over exaggerated facial features and a color palette that is bright, but often brown. He draws and paints a lot of portraits, as well as landscapes that capture the color and architecture of his area. A surfer? I'm not sure. But he tells me "the waves aren't consistent but we've many a legend patrolling the waters."

Wave Series

Join us this Friday, August 2nd, at the Pel'Meni Dumpling Tzar in Fremont for the opening of an art exhibition featuring our friend, Kyle Wilson. To be honest, I don't know the details (aside from what's on this here flyer), but I do know Kyle is cool and his art is awesome. Sold? You should be!

Coast Modern

If you've taken a look at my Tumblr, you know I'm interested in modern architecture. Perhaps it's the utilization of natural light - wide glass walls and open air spaces - incorporating a structure into its surroundings. Or perhaps it's the use of raw materials. Wood, stone and even cement. A lot of the architecture I like is asymmetrical, and yet there's a certain symmetry - rooms seamlessly connected to one another. I like other styles of architecture, but for whatever reason, the west coast modern movement really appeals to my aesthetic. So when I saw this trailer for Coast Modern, a new documentary that showcases modernist architecture from Los Angeles to Vancouver, highlighting homes that exemplify the style I am so fond of, I immediately added it to my iTunes account. Click here to learn more about the movie.

The Waterman's Corner

I've got an assortment of excuses as to why we went to Westport this weekend. There was nothing but wind out west. The swell looks kinda shitty. We wanted to eat in Olympia. Etc. One of our excuses was that we wanted to take a look at Todd Fischer's new art gallery, located on the corner of Cove Ave., just across the street from the Half Moon Bay Bar & Grill. The building is beautiful. With big, wide windows, drift wood decorations and lots of light. A perfect place to display some paintings.

I've seen a lot of Todd's art over the years - signs on surf shops, paintings, posters, surf contest shirts, etc. I even own an original. And I have Todd to thank for the Peanut Butter Coast crest, as well as my wedding invitation art, among other things. But this was the first time I'd seen so much of his stuff in one place, well lit, with drift wood frames and little tags with titles and prices on each piece. It was inspiring. And I am excited to share some images from the time we spent gawking in his gallery.

Below the Boat

According to their website, Below the Boat is the result of an unabashed love for an often under-appreciated world that lies just beneath the surface. Made in Bellingham, WA by Robbie and Kara Johnson, these bathymetric charts (the underwater equivalent of a topographic map) are laser-cut into sheets of Baltic Birch, hand-colored and then glued together to give them depth. Each chart is then wrapped in a custom wood frame and protected by a sheet of Plexiglas. They're current inventory includes both the Salish Sea and the Puget Sound, as well as a number of other aquatic areas in and around the Pacific Northwest. I've already added one to my #wishlist.

WAX Magazine

Aeriel Brown, along with two other like minded surfer (slash) city dwellers, are preparing to launch a bi-annual magazine for urban surfers. The publication, entitled WAX, will explore the intersection of art, culture and surfing in and around New York City. According to Brown, "the idea (more or less) is to make a magazine for the surf set found in the city. At our local breaks, we find the people we meet are artists, architects, writers — and often the leaders in their fields — and we wanted a publication that spoke directly to them." Their first issue will feature interviews with filmmaker Mikey DeTemple, artists Garth Weiser, Danny Gordon, Ann Pibal and Ann Woo and writer Michael Scott Moore, among others. Brown and her constituents have launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund their project and have already raised roughly half of their goal. Additional information is available here.

Handmade Hand Planes

My friend and fellow waterman, Renick Woods, has spent the last few months shaping, sanding and painting these little things. Hand Planes they're called. Something to facilitate all this 'sliding sans surfboard' business. Rumor has it, hand planing(?) has become rather popular. An organic connection with the ocean I'm told. Something simple. Done a bit of bodysurfing myself. Never with anything attached to my appendages, though. Down to do it. And these damn things look delicious. Shawn from Stoke Harvester interviewed Renick regarding his recent work. You can read the Q&A here. Oh, and if you're interested in owning one of these bodysurfing hand board things, click here.

Gauguin @ SAM

Paul Gauguin was a French Post-Impressionist and an important figure in the Symbolist movement. Gauguin worked as a painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramist and writer. In 1891, Gauguin sailed to Tahiti to escape European civilization and "everything that is artificial and conventional." He returned to Paris in 1893 and published a book about his experiences titled Noa Noa. After suffering from severe depression, Gauguin returned to Tahiti in 1895. He never returned to Paris.

Todd Fischer

Our friends from NW Surf & Snow recently visited Todd Fischer at his home on the Olympic Peninsula. A celebrated surf artist who finds inspiration in the water, Todd talks about his first few waves, what inspires him to paint and why he loves the Pacific Northwest. Additional info is available here.

Merry Christmas!

For Christmas, my girlfriend's mother bought me a subscription to The Surfer's Journal. A first. Not sure why I've never subscribed. My father used to buy them off the newsstand when I was a kid. Had a collection that went well into the 90's. When Cheka-Looka relocated to Fremont, I donated my father's collection to the shop. Not sure where they went. Suppose they're somewhere in Jeff's garage ;)

In this particular issue, Nathan Meyers highlights Deus Ex Machina and their 'Temple of Enthusiasm' on the island of Bali (a most inspiring piece of property) while Kimball Taylor retraces Bob Simmons' Oahu bike tour, searching for the origins of Pipe surfing in the process. A must read.

You should subscribe.

Summer Blues

A few weeks ago I asked Todd Fischer if he'd like to donate a painting to the 'Back in the Water' fundraiser we were putting together. He graciously obliged, donating not one, but two pieces. I bid on one of them. Didn't win. But seeing his work in person inspired me to pursue purchasing my own original piece.

On our way back from surfing on Saturday, Karissa and I stopped by Todd's home near Port Ludlow to pick up a painting I had purchased a few days earlier. Todd works in watercolor. He captures both the beauty of the northwest and the serenity of surfing. Browsing the paintings he had available on Daily Surf Art, I came across something that spoke to me, a piece titled Summer Blues.

I like sad stories. Not because I'm dysphoric, but because I find that when faced with the cold, dark reality of life, one can find solace in the simplest things. Surfing for instance. So when I saw Summer Blues, it reminded me that even the best of times don't last long. Like standing on the nose.

The painting measures 7" x 9.5" and is framed in drift wood. According to Todd, he painted Summer Blues while "listening to old records (vinyl that is), with a nice hot fire burning in the wood stove."

Click here to see more of Todd's work.

Tom's Boat

This evening, while walking home from the Colman Pool, I ran into Tom. An aviation mechanic that works for Ameriflight, Tom found a rather sizable piece of drift wood last winter and decided to build himself a boat.

Three months, and countless hours later, Tom now has a functional vessel. Powered by a 1958 Evinrude outboard motor (that he rebuilt over the course of last winter) Tom's boat is fully functional, however he plans to add another hull, and maybe even a sail.

Certainly one of the most interesting people I've met.