Club of The Waves

Early on in my explorations I came across the Club Of The Waves website www.clubofthewaves.com. This virtual surf club is home to a seriously talented collection of surfers, surf artists and photographers from every corner of the world. There is a great list of profiled artists and photographers, the largest I have so far found on the internet. You can also read articles on the history of surfing, its pioneers and heroes and the culture associated with the sport.

The website profiles over 100 different artists and has some amazing images that I whiled away a few hours browsing. Artists on the site that caught my eye include Cornish artist Lamorna Penrose, American, David Bogart from New Jersey, Celine Chat from France and Calfornian painter Jeff Yeomans to name but a few. There are some articles written by artists such as Spencer Reynolds as well as interviews with Ron Croci and Wolfgang Bloch.

In addition to being a goldmine of info with links to various artist homepages it also has a forum section. The topic 'what is surf art' interested me most. Can non-surfers be good surf artists? Can people who don't surf have a true appreciation for surf art? Why are the majority of paintings depicted from the perspective of the observer on the shore rather than the surfer? It set me thinking. What makes good surf art? For me, it has to convey the emotion, whether that be joy, exhiliration, awe, anticipation or elated exhaustion. A picture that transports you into the moment, one that conjures up the smell of the saltwater and and feel of the sea breeze.

Here's to finding as much of it as I can.