PHOTOS Studio M
This month Healing Waves are presenting their first artistic venture, The Art of Surfing, featuring exclusive artwork by artists; Abi Overland, Amy Dorey, Gabriella Street, Mark Barrett, Tom Rolls, Travis Cracknell & Will Bertram. Selecting media that reflects the cause, the artists have created one-off artworks using up-cycled surfboards as their canvas. Check them out over the coming pages. The boards are set to be formally unveiled at Fort Regent Art Gallery on Friday the 8th of February 2019 and will be displayed there until the 28th. The boards will all be placed into a silent auction to raise money for Healing Waves – Ocean Therapy and we invite all to place a bids. This unique exhibition not only celebrates talented artists, but supports Healing Waves and the work they do for the community. Get up to Fort Regent this month, check out work and make your bid!
The Art of Surfing, Fort Regent Art Gallery, 8th-28th February.
‘Guardians after Hokusai’
Will Bertram
27 and 1/3.
Contemplating the sea, I decided to repurpose my board to create a 3D homage to the famous wood-block print ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ by Hokusai. Using vinyl stickers from Captured Dreams, I wanted to make a stylised illustration that contrasted the ominous tide from the original print, with one that provides space, shelter and nourishment for its inhabitants. Using the Orca’s as the seas guardians, I was hoping to remind us of the importance of the sea and it’s healing properties, whilst subtly alluding to the damage our lack of respect is doing to our oceans and the creatures within it.
‘Freedom’
Gabriella Street
24
When planning the design of my surfboard, I knew I wanted to celebrate the amazing work that ‘Healing Waves’ does, so I focused my design on how the charity affects many individuals experience with ocean therapy. There are so many beneficial properties that come from fully immersing yourself in nature, and when it comes to the sea it can feel amazing. I wanted to channel the sensation of freedom that I personally feel when I am in the water into my design, and with the use of bold lines and bright colours give it energy and power.
‘The Amazing Story Board’
Mark Barrett
43
For me surfing has always been about really great stories. When I think of Healing Waves I also think of a really great story filled with lots of other stories of people who have been inspired by their encounter with the ocean. So I’ve called my surfboard ‘The Amazing Story Board’. The energy, heat and flow is generated from the tail of the board and then bubbles up towards it’s heart, creating the power of the wave. This culminates in the truth that if a story is really inspiring – then it has to be a story shared.
‘Marbled Panther’
Abi Overland
29
I wanted to use this opportunity to have fun with pushing the boundaries of what I can do using new techniques without losing my signature style and wanted to create a piece that would be complimentary to my existing artwork without necessarily being the same. I liked the idea of turning a surfboard – something used to being rough and ready – into something rather fancy and selfishly something that I’d like to have on display in my own house!
‘Face Your Fears’
Tom Rolls
For this project, I thought it would be appropriate to name the board “Face Your Fears”. First, I encourage you to view the board from afar, and then up close because your interpretation of it will change from different perspectives; let’s see how many hidden faces and themes you can spot.In my artwork, I enjoy depicting figures, facial portraits and the human form, and in this case my intention was to explore mental and physical wellbeing. Beyond the surreal and dreamlike imagery lies a deeper theme relating to the importance of supporting those around us, and ensuring they live a full and prosperous life.“Face Your Fears” was not a planned piece; It was a splurge of spontaneous states of mind that combine to form a bigger picture, visible only to those who wish to see it.
‘Untitled’
Amy CD
22
When I get given something to work with I tend to know straight away what kind of design I want to have. Proportion and colour wise, I had an idea the moment Healing Waves mentioned the project. A lot of my work consists of concepts that are on my mind, this one I kind of freestyled and didn’t want to make it too conceptual or about me specifically, as it’s for Healing Waves. It was a pleasant process, I wanted to make it fun, bold and something that sits nicely with the charity, I just worked with vibes I got from the guys. It doesn’t have a name, I will give the new owner the chance to name it.
‘She is the Sea’
Travis Cracknell
22
My thoughts are scattered, I’ve examined you for the hundredth time, overwhelmed with admiration for your power, beauty and scale. The untold mystery of the Ocean captivates us all. What words can I use to describe you? My dilemma, I find few words to accurately communicate you truly. The solution is though the use of visual communication. Who is she? Amphitrite; Goddess of the sea, wife of Poseidon and daughter of Oceanus. She is the embodiment of the third element. She is the sea. A representation of the wondrous and mysterious creatures, both real and mythological, that inhabit our oceans.
