Day 17

Landscape
Sand at Santa Mo's

Day 16

Happy Memorial Day!

The Mix-Up
Acrylic on Grocery Bag

 

Day 15

Here's some goodness from the south swell, and from a recent trip to Baja.

 

 The Huge Jesus

Day ?

I was feeling rather uninspired yesterday, and couldn't find a disk of some photos that I had taken a while ago. So here is a quick sketch, and a photo of Big Sur I took a few months ago on my drive south to hit Joshua Tree for some climbing. This photo was taken while a big NW swell was pounding the central coast. I slept in my car at Sand Dollar Beach, started my drive super early, and when I crested a random hill, all I saw was spray flying 20 feet in the air. This picture was taken from about 200 ft up a cliff (if that puts things in perspective at all).

A-frame
Pen on Paper

Big Sur

Day 14 - It continues

I have a few pieces in the works, but have not been able to totally concentrate on them. I equate this to the "powder rule." When it dumps in the winter, you drop everything and head to the mountains in order to get your turns in on the slopes. Well, living at the beach, we have no snow. Ergo, when the surf picks up, little else gets done. And the swell being so good, I have not focused on creating anything since I've been frothing at the mouth to jump in the water and get a few turns off the lip.

So, in the meantime, here is a woodblock that I did in college. I haven't printed it in a few years, but I should be getting some out soon. If you think the block looks good, wait till you seen the real print. 

 
"untitled"
Woodblock
circa 2007

Day 13 - The South Swell

From the script of Big Wednesday:

"The sea of the past was like a beautiful and unscrupulous woman--strong men, with childlike hearts were faithful to her, were content to live by her grace--to die by her will"

Joseph Conrad
An Outcast of the Islands

"In the old days I remember a wind that would blow down through the canyons before dawn. It was a hot wind and carried with it the smell of warm places. It blew strongest before dawn across the point. My friends and I would sleep in our cars. And the smell of the offshore wind often wake us and each day we knew that this would be a special day, a special morning. We were young then--and we didn't care. It was summer and the south swell, the summer swell, the summer swell was strong and the water was warm."

This is one of my favorite movies, of ALL TIME! Laugh if you want, but I have these goofy quotes running through my head at all times. Especially this morning when I woke up, made some coffee and ran down to the end of my street to check out the waves. The sound of the crashing surf, is my siren. It pulls me from a deep slumber, egging me to throw my wetsuit on, wax my board, and jump in the water.

Here is a video from my phone showing some of the local duders absolutely shredding the Rivermouth. Hopefully my coffee/surf stoke induced quivering didn't make the footage too shaky.

 Video from Phone
Standing on Lifeguard Tower 1
River Mouth S.C.

Day 12?

After a weekend filled with madness, aka Bay to Breakers up in San Fran, I bring you a wave I found in the back of the junk drawer in my kitchen. I had a good laugh when I made the discovery.

"Don't Surf It Sucks"
Matchbook w/ Sharpie

Normally I wouldn't post anything that deters people from surfing. To me, its one of the best things on the planet. This one is so outrageously amazing, I had to show the little guy is getting a huge stand up barrel! I mean, why wouldn't you want to surf if you got pitted like this!?

More to come.

Day 11

Happy Friday! And time for a little music to spruce your day and kick off the weekend.

And here is another one for good measure.

 
If you haven't heard of either of these bands, give their albums a listen. Good vibes for your soul.

And the wave of the day...

Neptune's Claw
Acrylic on Grocery Bag
12x14"
P.hill

Day 10

And now, for something completely different....

 

Untitled
Acrylic on Cardboard
10x12"
P.hill

I have to say that this is not the typical type of wave that goes peeling through my brain on a consistent basis, but I thought I'd try a new approach to to the thing. Its been years since I have busted out the paint, and it really helped with the creative process. I have to take a completely different approach to the woodblock and linoleum prints, and are quite a bit more labor intensive. Be on the lookout for more of these guys. I had fun letting this flow out onto the paper.

Day 9 - Our Lady of Clean Waves

Check out this next piece dubbed "The Surf Mom" by the guys at SurfySurfy. A few weeks ago, in broad daylight, a group of rogue guerrilla artists put this next piece up under the trestle down in Encinitas. Its a quite amazing rendition on Our Mother of Guadeloupe, and I have to say, quite possibly my favorite.

"Quick estimated the piece cost at least $1,000 in raw materials and 100 hours of labor." A pretty amazing feat for a lightning strike, blitzkrieg mosaicing, while wearing fake construction outfits to boot. Too bad this will eventually ripped down, despite how thoughtful and beautiful it is. Kudos to the guys who pulled this off. The only question I have, is why the booties? You guys have warm water down south!

The complete story by the San Deigo Tribune here.

Day 7

I am a firm believer that the small things make life worth living. For me its things like the first sip of coffee in the morning, a smile from a stranger, a beautiful girl in a sundress, or the sense of accomplishment from as something as pointless as sending a new climbing route or dropping in on a slab and stylishly hanging ten piggies over. Each creates an unfathomable giddy sensation, a hairy thrill, in the pit of your stomach that is incomprehensible to any other soul. One of these small things that I find all too enjoyable is stripping and re-waxing a board. First letting it bask in the sun rays, making the wax goop, becoming malleable  to every stroke of the wax comb. A naked board is what remains, showing you the true beauty of the vehicle and the craftsmanship of what the shaper created in their shaping room.

"Goop on a Fish"

created with goop on a fish

5/7/2011

Day 5, 6, and 7

First and foremost. I would like to wish all moms out there a very warm and happy Mothers Day! I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for my mom. Love, Patrick.

Here is a much deserved heart.

I've begun slacking already. I can't figure out if this is pure laziness, or if its just me being a bum. I have no idea. But I do know that I am the BIGGEST procrastinator. Ever. I promise that I will make sure you get your wave fix, and if you ever feel that you need more, just let me know. 

Here is something to get your heart pumping. And if this video doesn't do it, I don't know what will. All I can say, is that I had goosebumps after watching, and that I really wanted to go jump in the water. 







DARK SIDE OF THE LENS from Astray Films on Vimeo.

more to come. stay tuned...

Day 4

A wave, is a wave, is a wave?

 

 

Photo courtesy of Andrew Hill
Location: Baja

Day 3

Summertime has officially hit Santa Cruz. Lots of sunshine, warm weather, too many valley folk, and no swell...

Slabtastic
Charcoal on a grocery bag
1x2'
PH

Day 2

This print might be available as a t-shirt soon at the Verve! Get your fix and some stylee! 

"Swell Lines"
Linoleum Print
3x5"
Patrick Hill 



 *more prints available, contact for more info

Day 1 - Comencement of a Rigid Quest

This is the first of many waves to follow. The goal is to post a wave a day for the next 364 days. One whole year, waves in any medium. It's as much a daunting adventure as it is an experiment in ways that I can explore this phenomena. Every wave has shape, power, and personality. Every wave is alive. I will try my best to recreate that giddy little sensation I get in the pit of my stomach, whenever I surf, see, or play in the waves.

Untitled Wave
Crayola on an IPA Coaster
Patrick Hill circa 2008