Author: Drew

23 Jul

Posted at 06:14h in Behind the Scenes..., Painting Story by
17 Likes

Sublime-with-Rome-Album-Sirens-cd-cover-art-by-Drew-Brophy-2015Photo: Sublime with Rome Sirens Album Cover Art

In 1996 Sublime’s music was a big part of my life.  That was the year when my life  as an artist changed dramatically; I had just moved to California from Hawaii and was painting surfboards for Lost.  It’s also the year that I met Maria.

At that time, Bradley Nowell’s lyrics and music impacted all of us; at our parties Maria would play Sublime’s self titled CD over and over again.

That’s why we were so stoked when Maria got a call from Sublime with Rome’s record company in May.  They asked if I would want to create the art for their new album.   She said “Hell Yeah!”

I’ve always been a fan of Opie Ortiz, the artist who created art for Sublime’s albums, including his iconic burning sun for the 40 oz. to Freedom album.   That art will live on forever.

It felt good to know that my work has progressed enough to be in the same company and to be able to work with talented people like SWR’s Eric Wilson, Josh Freese and Rome Ramirez.

We had a super tight deadline, I had only 10 days to get it done.  Sometimes deadlines force you to do your best work.

Sublime with Rome Original Artwork for SIRENS album in Drew Brophy Art StudioI wanted the art to be authentic.   I spent a lot of time on the phone with Rome, feeling him out, picking up the vibe and listening.  One of the things I’m really good at is soaking up someone’s energy and then putting it into the art.   Rome’s whole spin-off was about sirens going off; the world’s a crazy place.  I had to put that into the art somehow.

I listened to the new album for inspiration.  It helped me come up with ideas for the art.  No doubt we’ll be listening to these songs for years to come, they are so good.  One fan of SWR said it best about Rome continuing the music that inspired so many – read that at the bottom of this post.

After gathering my ideas, I drew my first concept sketch and sent it to the band for feedback.  Rome e-mailed me back with “WTF! You’re killing it!”Sublime CD Album Art Sketch by Drew Brophy

We nailed it on the first sketch.  It’s cool when projects go down like that; it just kind of happens, no dragging on.  I started the painting right away.

I painted two 36” x 36” paintings on canvas; one with the art and one with the hand-drawn lettering.  That way I could use the artwork, without the lettering, for limited edition art prints.  The band agreed to sign 100 of the art prints for me, which is awesome.

THE ARTWORK:  (Click here to see in-progress photos of the work or watch the video of it being painted here)

There’s a lot of elements in the art and each piece has meaning to it.  Here’s just a few:

The little skeleton guy; I pictured the old WWII air raids when they had to crank the siren.

The mushroom is a spin-off of Opie’s mushroom from the original Sublime art.

The heart represents Rome singing his heart and soul out on the stage.

The depiction of Long Beach is the pile of rubble they’re sitting on.  It’s getting ready to be hammered by a giant wave.  There’s an off-ramp to the 710 freeway to LA, which is shaking as a big earthquake comes through.  The cop car in pieces is all that’s left of the cops.

The sexy siren is an omen, a ghostly premonition.

The psycho garibaldi fish is a throw-back to the Bad Fish lyrics.  I’ve been drawing this fish forever and wanted to include it.

There’s a tribute to Bradley in there, I’ll leave that up to the viewer to figure out what it is.  (Share in the comments what you think it is.)

This painting came together quick and easy, it just flowed.  I’m happy with how it turned out, I hope everyone else is, too.

The new album is called SIRENS, it released on July 17th.  You can buy it here.

Josh Freese Rome Ramirez siging Drew Brophy Art Prints Sublime with Rome Sirens artwork

Rome Ramirez and Josh Freese, signing 100 art prints

Also, there are limited edition prints of the artwork available; 100 of them are signed by the band members.  You can order them here while they last!

Life is Good,

Drew

Sublime with Rome and Drew Brophy photo by Jonie Millhouse July 2015

Sublime with Rome’s Rome Ramirez, Eric Wilson and Josh Freese Photo by Jonie Millhouse

 

 

 

 

Sublime and SWR fan Fan Manny Gonzales said it best (on a Facebook comment on Rome’s FB Page):

“Sublime is my all time favorite band. All the music that Brad created with Bud and Eric will forever be entwined with my soul. I know every word to every song that they made. If it wasn’t for Sublime, I would be lost in a dark abyss of depression self loathing.

Thanks to Brad I know what it’s like to be waiting for my ruca, I know that loving is what I got and for motherf**kers to remember that, and if I’m drunk by noon it’s ok, cuz I’ll be president someday. But sadly I was never able to see Brad perform live.  

And I never dreamed I would be able to hear his music come to life on stage. Until you (Rome) came along.

I have had the privilege of attending two of the Sublime with Rome concerts in El Paso. And they were both amazing!
Now I’m glad to say that thanks to you if been able to tell a girl to take it or leave it, I understand that lovers change like the seasons, and my world is a little bit safer. I can’t wait for the new album to drop, I already pre-ordered it. I just hope you know, Bradley would be proud. Keep up the good work man. Much love from the biggest Sublime fan I know.
P.S. I know every word to your songs too “

Video below shows the drawing and painting of the artwork:

Drew Brophy painting Sublime with Rome Album Cover May 2015

22 Apr

Posted at 09:45h in Shows & Events, Wheres Drew by
23 Likes
Welcome to my Studio!

Welcome to my Studio!

WELCOME TO MY STUDIO!

I’m inviting you to an Open House and Art Exhibit at my Studio this weekend.

I’m excited to EXHIBIT my mural titled A LIFE WELL LIVED.  It’s painted on 18′ of Canvas.  You can see pictures, but they don’t come close to doing it justice.  You have to see it in person.

It’s the first painting I’ve done that I can proudly call a masterpiece.  A lot of work went into it.  It incorporates Drew Brophy Sacred Geometry painting at Conscious Life Expo 2015 Artelements from Sacred Geometry and Unified Field Theory info that I’ve been studying and am passionate about.  The meaning goes deep, you can read about it here.

The mural is going to it’s new owner, Keen Footwear, on Monday.  Come see it before it goes!  (And, I’m giving FREE posters of the mural to everyone who attends.)

DATE/TIME:  Saturday and Sunday April 25 and 25, 2015  From 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

LOCATION:  208 Calle de Los Molinos Suite D, San Clemente, CA 92672  Phone 949-678-8133

What to expect at my Studio Open House:

1 – On Exhibit for the last time:  18′ A LIFE WELL LIVED Mural – it has to be seen in person to get the impact.

*A FREE poster of the mural will being given to each person who attends!

2 – For sale for the first time:  Illustration Art Pieces that have been in storage going back to my LOST Surfboard days.  This is your chance to get a piece of history!

3 – This weekend only – get special discounts on my original art.  (We are making room for some very big projects.  Whatever doesn’t sell is going to a gallery.  This is your chance to get originals at a deeply discounted price.)

4 – NEW Sacred Geometry and Surf Art paintings – As I’ve been studying Unified Field Theory and physics, my art has been changing to reflect what I’m learning.  I’ll have some of the new art on display, and available to buy.

5 – Great conversation and a “tour” of my studio.  I’ll be glad to get to know you.

While you’re here, ask me about about Sacred Geometry Art and how drawing it helps one to connect to the Universe and transform their minds.  I’ll be stoked to share some of the new information I’ve been soaking up in my studies at the Resonance Academy.

Joshua Paskowitz and his painting

Artist Joshua Paskowitz

ALSO: Visit my good friend and studio neighbor, Joshua Paskowitz.  He will be displaying his art at his studio next door.  He’s a great artist, surfer, and fascinating person to meet.

Please know that I appreciate your business – it’s our fans and friends that help keep us in business.  My family and I appreciate it.

Drew and Maria Brophy in Studio May 2014 PHoto by Larry Beard cute RSMaria and I look forward to seeing you!

Life is Good – Drew

01 Dec

Posted at 15:33h in Behind the Scenes..., Painting Story by
20 Likes

FLOWER OF LIFE by Drew Brophy 2014 Sacred Surfboard SeriesSACRED SURFBOARDS VINTAGE SURFBOARD RE-PURPOSE PROJECT – Re-purposed 1970’s Classic Surfboards, painted using old-school airbrush techniques; mint condition, collectible, limited edition pieces of art and craftsmanship.  (Email info@drewbrophy.com for pricing.)

One of my most fun projects this year was painting six vintage, re-purposed surfboards brought to me by collector Jeff Eilers.  (SEE PHOTO SLIDE SHOW AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST, OF ALL THE SURFBOARDS.)

Jeff and his business partner, Erwin Spitz, had the idea to breathe new life into vintage, worn-out-beyond-repair surfboards, creating up-cycled pieces of art.

Jeff and Erwin have a process where they skin the fiberglass from old boards, repair the dings in the foam, and gently clean up the original shape.  For some of the boards, they even enlisted the glassing expertise of master shaper, glasser and artist Roger Hinds of Seal, Beach, CA.

It is an extreme amount of work to repair them but in the end they came out so well that they wanted to do something extra special with them.  Jeff and Erwin had a vision for these boards to reflect the time period they originally came from, the glory days of surfing during the late sixties and early seventies.

In the 1970’s I was just a little kid introduced to surfing for the first time, so my art has been greatly influenced by artists of that era.

With my recent studies of sacred geometry, I was excited to get my hands on these boards and explore what I could do with these new concepts.

Many people do not know that I got my start as an artist painting production surfboards in factories for some of the best surfboard makers in the world.

In those early years I had to master the craft of spraying boards with air guns and airbrushes.  It is a more technical job than artistic and in some ways very limiting.  I wanted to express my art more fully, and so I found a better way to paint surfboards by developing techniques using water based paint pens on top of glassed surfboards.

I soon became known for bringing a new style of painting to the surfboard market which was painting on the glass by hand with Uni Posca paint pens.  It changed the way surfboards were painted forever.  These techniques allowed me more creativity and gave others the ability to paint their own surfboards as well.

All of these years later, with the knowledge of tens of thousands of boards painted in every way possible, I was excited to revisit and improve upon my own airbrushing style.

This surfboard project was the perfect catalyst to do something really special, up-cycle old surfboards and turn them into a true collectible piece of art.  Cool old surfboards grace the ceilings of surf shops and surfers’ garages all over, but what about the ones that are just too beat up and ugly to care about?

Using all of my years of experience, I committed myself to painting something authentic and over the top for this project.  I created hand-made stencils for every board, incorporating symbols that speak to me these days; such as sacred geometry, chakras, om, yin-yang and the flower of life.

The boards are now completely re-purposed, in mint condition.

All six of these Sacred Surfboards turned out amazing; they came out better then we even dreamed of.  Each one tells a story and is reborn as a unique example of craftsmanship and art that will live on.

The first 6 of the series are released for sale today; if you are interested in adding a Sacred Surfboard to your vintage surfboard collection, email info@drewbrophy.com for pricing, or call 949-678-8133.

Please, let me know what you think of the art in the comments below.

Life is Good – Drew

SEE ALL PHOTOS OF SURFBOARDS HERE:  Sacred Surfboard Art Surfboards

22 Oct

Posted at 14:12h in Behind the Scenes... by
11 Likes

Embellishing RADIOACTIVE art print by Drew Brophy and Black Core StudiosI rarely do collaborations, and I never sell limited edition art prints.

But when skull artist Paul Crabtree, out of U.K.’s Black Core Studios, asked me to collaborate on a skull art piece for a limited edition of 25, I said, “why not?”

And I’m stoked on how it turned out!

This art piece, titled RADIOACTIVE, elicits a huge response from everyone who sees it.

It’s printed on 30″ x 30″ gallery-wrapped canvas, and I’m hand-embellishing some of them.

Only 25 are being sold; this is the first limited edition I’ve done in many, many years.

(They are almost sold out)

To order yours before they are all gone, call 949-678-8133, or order online at RADIOACTIVE LIMITED EDITION ART CANVAS.

(Or get the Radioactive t-shirt, here)

Order by October 31st and get $50.00 off – use coupon code “halloween” at checkout!

16 Sep

Posted at 11:07h in Lectures or Workshops, Live Event Painting, Wheres Drew by
42 Likes

Collage of Drew Brophy SC Art Fredrix Canvas Event Photos by Jonie PhotoI’m always traveling and doing art projects in other parts of the world.  I wanted to do something cool with my local community in San Clemente, with the idea of inspiring kids (young and old) to get creative, paint, and have fun with it.

I teamed up with Fredrix Canvas, SC Art Supply and Uni Posca for a “Paint with Drew” day, last Friday.

Fredrix Canvas makes the best quality and variety of canvas out there. They have all types for artists to be creative.  Their large canvas panels are perfect for my move-able mural paintings.   I paint on them with paint pens and spray paint; they always come out great.

Last September I painted 20 paintings in 20 days; they were all painted on Fredrix Canvas.

This year, I wanted to see what people can do with Fredrix’s new, awesome “black canvas”.  The black canvas works great with the bright colors I like to paint with.

Fredrix donated a generous supply of black canvas for the event, SC Art Supply hosted the event, and Uni Posca donated paint pens.

We invited the public to come out and paint, and they showed up in droves.

Some kids came and wouldn’t leave; they were having too much fun painting.  It was so cool for me to see their enthusiasm for art.

One teenager showed up with a painting he did on canvas, inspired by my style.

Local professional artist Lauren Tannehill showed up with her family, we saw San Clemente business owners and surfers and skaters and everything in between.

It was an awesome day!

Here’s a short photo slide show from the event (All photos shot by Jonie Photo):

Paint with Drew at SC Art Supply

03 Sep

Posted at 11:42h in Shows & Events, Wheres Drew by
20 Likes

final_flyer_surfriderThree years ago my family and I swore off plastic water bottles. We only use refillable bottles and take them everywhere we go. In 3 years we prevented 5,000+ plastic bottles from going into the landfills. So when Surfrider asked me to include my art in the WASTE-LESS “Rise Above Plastics” Art Show, I said YES!

I have three (3) original paintings in the show, and one canvas art print.

Saturday, September 6th, at DAX Gallery in Costa Mesa, CA. Hope to see you there!

Gallery Info:  http://daxgallery.com/

 

If you’re looking for inspiration to quit the plastic water bottle habit, watch this:

30 May

Posted at 09:09h in Behind the Scenes..., Painting Story by
27 Likes

Scott SMallin photo of his Drew Brophy SATURN CUBES painting April 2014SATURN CUBES 36” x 24” mixed media on canvas.

This was painted for South Carolina photographer Scott Smallin.

We hire Scott to photograph my projects when we are in the South.  As a thank you for the excellent work he does, I offered to create an original painting for him.

Scott said that he wanted a robot destroying a city  I pondered this idea, of a robot destroying a city, with a mushroom cloud or transformers.  But that didn’t feel right to me.

So I asked myself “What is something that is real that is destroying the world?  What if there is an ideaology and a secret that is really destroying it?

I took this idea deeper.

The painting shows the battle between good and evil, with many symbols; the robot is a black cube, controlling all of the material world, spreading evil until it self-destructs into a mushroom cloud.

It’s the death of the material world, which ultimately has no effect on the spiritual world.  The spiritual world has infinite power for good.

The water represents good extinguishing evil. This painting is about the battle over information throughout time; it is about control over the information of who we really are.

The light beings show that we are pure energy. Our hearts are the engine that makes the electrical connection to everything.  It’s what holds us here in space and time. 

My passion is in ancient cultures.  I study that along with sacred geometry and the meaning behind ancient symbols and new theories in physics.

The reason I chose Saturn and the Cubes as evil, is because my research shows that this is something that people in the ancient worlds were worshipping.  They couldn’t even see Saturn; how did they know it was there?

The reason the symbol is a cube is because there is a cube shape on the Northern pole of Saturn.

Another ancient symbol is the ring of Saturn; some speculate that the “all seeing eye” is what Saturn looks like during an eclipse.  They said that Saturn is the timekeeper and that you’re trapped in a prison of time and space.

I view the world differently than most people.  Some don’t want to see it the way I do, because it’s scary.

We are born into a system that is controlled by power and greed and information.  The average person has a very hard time bucking the system.  Essentially, we are all born a slave.  Most people that are a part of the system don’t even realize that they are. 

Some people don’t know that they don’t have to do what they are doing.  They don’t have to live where they grew up; they can leave!  They don’t have to keep that job they hate; they can quit.  They don’t have to do anything that is toxic to them.

I believe that in ancient times we had it right; people knew how to live with joy and happiness.  At some point we lost that and the darkness came.

Now, things are changing again.  I see people waking up and rediscovering what’s really important and who they really are.

The world is experiencing a positive transformation right now.  I see it in myself, too.

Life is Good,

Drew

PS:  You can buy a print reproduction on canvas of this piece – go to http://store.drewbrophy.com/saturn-cubes-giclee-canvas-print-36-x-24/ to order.

11 May

Posted at 10:27h in Behind the Scenes..., Press by
35 Likes

Drew Brophy Surfing Todos Santos Photo by Lonnie Ryan Excerpt from interview:

“I started looking into art schools, but I couldn’t get the money together. With no other way out, I said, ‘that’s it, I’m going to go surf these waves’.

That set me on my path of a kind of stubbornness to spite the system that let me down.  I had no other alternative. I asked myself, ‘If I died today, what would I have been bummed to not have done? “

I feel honored to be interviewed by the well known “outdoors gear” guide, GearJunkie.com, this week.

 

The interview was focused on how I built a lifestyle around my art that allows me to travel and adventure around the word.

We talked about how surfing big waves at Puerto Escondido lead to my art career in the early days;

and how people think we’re rich when they see my family and I travel several months out of the year;

and a lot more.

Check out the article here:  BRIDGING ART & ADVENTURE 14 QUESTIONS WITH DREW BROPHY.

I hope you enjoy it.

Life is Good,

Drew

06 May

Posted at 10:15h in Behind the Scenes..., Press by
32 Likes

Drew Brophy and painted skateboard deck with posca paint pens photo by Scott Smallin 2014

“A long time ago I understood that I bear some responsibility for what I put out into the world. “

POSCA LIFE CUSTOM did an interview with me.

They referred to me as the “Godfather of Surf Art” – which is a huge compliment, but I don’t agree.  Many great artists in surf came before me; there’s a toss up between who could claim that title (Rick Griffin, Bill Ogden, etc.)

They asked very good questions, ones that I don’t usually get, like:

“I read somewhere that you weren’t into the Surf Industry Club…” and “Do you think surf culture needs more artists?” and “You have a lot of eyes on you…“.

Below are a few questions from the interview.  To read the entire thing, go to their webpage here:  Drew Brophy Posca Life Interview 

Posca Life:  * Do you remember your first drawings on surfboard?

I painted my first surfboard when I was 4 or 5 years old, with crayons. I wrote my name on it.* You are from South Carolina, is there a surf culture there?

* You are from South Carolina, is there a surf culture there?

Yes, there was a surf culture there. South Carolina was a great place to grow up. The water in the summer is 85 degrees (F) and the small waves were perfect for learning how to surf. I was lucky there were a lot of nice people surfing, and there were a few small surf shops.

* You are a surfer first, and you traveled a lot, it has been inspiration for your art?

I feel lucky being a surfer, because surfing has taken me to some of the most remote places in the world.  Not many people get to go to these places. The travel absolutely inspires my art. There is something great and beautiful about every place; they are all great.

* A lot of people got eyes on you…

I’m always amazed that people know who I am. I’m not sure if it’s the art or my lifestyle, or just being authentic. 

A long time ago I understood that I bear some responsibility for what I put out into the world. 

Everyone does. Knowing that I’m being watched makes me want to contribute in a positive way. I try to help people as much as I can, to encourage young people to know that they can create a good life for themselves.

* You are dedicated in your job and family, what could be your next achievement?

I just want to chase big waves around the world. I want to ride them. I want to tell stories about them and the people I rode them with. I want to spend time with the locals at each place and learn all about them. Ireland is the next place I want to go.

To read the rest of this interview, go to:  http://www.posca-life-custom.com/article/drew-brophy-interview