Adventure

07 May

Posted at 14:29h in Adventure, Behind the Scenes... by
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“Everything is dependent on everything else. We tend to forget that in our world.” Nassim Haramein
 

Howdy everyone.  This past year’s journey around the sun has been the most enlightening of my life. 

I’ve been wanting to share my recent experiences, things that have changed me.  But it’s been hard to put into words.

I believe that life experience is the true measure of a man. It is not enough to educate through books or watch endless videos on a subject, because nothing replaces an experience with your own senses and your own thoughts.  

My art is inspired by these experiences and they are the foundation of who I am.   In the past year and a half I found myself surrounded by extraordinary thinkers. 

Instead of surf adventures, I changed course and visited three different places:

1 – The mysterious Bosnian Pyramid (said to be the largest in the world)

2 – Teotihuacan, City of the Gods in Mexico, and

3 – The majestic land of Egypt.

I felt a calling to these ancient sites in hopes to understand something from our distant past.   This is linked to my lifelong interests in Meteorology, Solar dynamics, and Physics.

Most all of my surf paintings contain the sun and a wave, which is energy.

My newer paintings in mathematics and geometry celebrate a deeper understanding of the connection between the seen and the unseen. 

The unseen is space which is full of  energy and the seen which is the formations of matter caught within it.  

These ancient sites and the people who built them had a deeper  understanding of the flow of energy and our place within it.

I wanted to meet some of the experts who have dedicated their lives to their research.  I wanted to see and touch the sites so I could visualize how and why they built such unbelievable structures all over our planet.

I would have to write a book in order to tell you all the things I have seen and learned through these travels.  It’s an overwhelming amount of information.   

My hope is to inspire you to have your own curiosity and adventures. I want to inspire others to think much bigger and realize everything is much more interconnected than we can imagine.  

The Information Age has unleashed almost all the pieces of the puzzle for anyone to access.  I believe we have hit a tipping point where modern technology and the ancient past will explode into a whole new understanding of who we are and what we are capable of.

I am firmly convinced that the last gate-keepers of information will fall to the pressure of an ever expanding awakening of the people.  The whole history of the world will change overnight.

Here is a slideshow of photos from all 3 sites: SLIDESHOW.  In future posts I’ll go deeper into some of the things I discovered.

I also want to share a list of resources that you might want to look into, if you’re interested in ancient wisdom and how it ties into changes that are happening today. 

I do not profess that any one person has all the right answers, but I do think they are asking the right questions and I commend them on their dedication and curiosity to discover truth.

Below are my favorites:

Ben Davidson of SpaceWeatherNews.com and suspicious observers.com (I start every single day listening to Ben’s morning solar update)

Randall Carlson – SacredGeometryInternational.com

Nassim Haramein – founder of Resonance Science Foundation and the person behind the movie, The Connected Universe (He led our Egypt and Bosnian tours)

Foster and Kimberly Gamble – Producers of the movie, THRIVE  (They were in Egypt with us and are extraordinary people doing great things for humanity)

Dr. Sam Osmanagich Bosnian Pyramid (he guided us into the Bosnian Great Pyramid and is the leading expert on it)

Erik Rankin sonicgeometry.com – a personal friend and highly knowledgeable

Yousef and Patricia Awyan Khemitology.com – they were our main guides in Egypt and I was blown away by their teachings

Graham Hancock – expert on ancient cultures

There are so many more, but this is a great start.

 
Life is Good – Drew
Drew Brophy

Artist, illustrator, explorer

 
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09 May

Posted at 12:45h in Adventure, Behind the Scenes..., Painting Story by
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Drew Brophy and painted Riviera Paddleboards for KEEN photo by Larry Beard April 2013

“All of my paintings depict real life experiences that I have.  When I paint from my own memory, that’s when the art shows vibrant energy and life, because it’s real.”

I never travel without standup paddleboards, even when I fly overseas.  

They allow me access to get up close and personal to wildlife and water caves and nature. 

Standup Paddleboards have made my life, and my family’s experiences, so much richer.

Last year, my family and I took four Riviera Paddlesurf boards with us on a five month exploration across America.

We paddled lakes and rivers and hiked and camped in the vast back country of America.

Two of those paddleboards became one of the most fun painting projects I got to work on this year.

When David, at Keen Footwear, asked for something special for the entrance to their building in Portland Oregon, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

Keen is all about living the Hybrid Life and the great outdoors, and most everything in their building is made from recycled materials.

So I thought that it would be perfect to “upcycle” and paint on two of the paddleboards that we had so many adventures on.

Keen has been a long time supporter of my adventures, and I’m stoked to have been one of their very first ambassadors.  Keen water shoes, hiking boots and gorge boots go everywhere with us in our van, because, well, you never know when you’ll need them.

Lake Superior!

Lake Superior!

These paintings are on 12′ paddleboards, the biggest boards I can remember painting.  I used Uni Posca Paint Pens and sealed it with Krylon Spray.  It took me a few weeks from start to finish.

I loved painting my travel memories on these boards; it didn’t feel like work to me at all.

All of my paintings depict real life experiences that I have.  When I paint from my own memory, that’s when the art shows vibrant energy and life, because it’s real.

This project for Keen was no exception.

Each of these two paintings tells a story of adventures that we lived, and I think that’s what made painting them so enjoyable.

It was as though I was reliving those moments of adventure all over again.

PADDLEBOARD PAINTING #1:  THE GREAT NORTHWEST

This painting shows some of the wildlife my family and I saw on our five month trip across America last year.

The Trout:  In Redfish Lake, Idaho, I was catching trout off of the paddleboard.  It was funny; there were a few guys out there in a nice fishing boat, with all new equipment, and here I paddled out with my son’s fishing rod and a red bucket, and I was catching all the fish!

The Bear:  While in the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho, we saw a bear walking on the ridge not far from where we were parked.  The kids were excited to see a bear in the wild, and I was glad it was far enough away!

The River:  I took my inflatable Riviera Paddleboard down the Salmon River in Idaho for 11 miles.  Along the way, being the only human in the water, I saw elk and deer and eagles.  It was amazing.

Keen Paddleboards in their office

Exploring Lake Jocassee, Appalachian Mtns South Carolina

Exploring Lake Jocassee, Appalachian Mtns South Carolina

PADDLEBOARD PAINTING #2:  NELSCOTT REEF

This winter I finally got to surf giant waves at Nelscott Reef in Oregon.  This painting shows the giant kelp you see out there, the big fish and of course a small surfer in a huge wave!

I wrote a post all about the Nelscott Reef Adventure, you can read it here:  Mission to Surf Nelscott Reef – Big Waves in Oregon.

You can visit these paddleboard paintings in person – just go visit the Keen Garage in Portland Oregon.  (Click the link to see a short video of their really cool store.)

It’s a cool building and worth your visit.

You might want to pick up a few killer pairs of Keen’s new, lightweight CNX shoes while you’re there.

GET OUT THERE AND HAVE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE!

Everyone should plan an adventure.  Do it  this summer.  Don’t wait until you’re too old to enjoy the rivers and lakes and oceans and mountains and whatever else makes you happy.

I hope these paintings and sharing my experiences will inspire some people to go enjoy life, now.  Because now is really all we have.

Life is Good,

Drew

07 Feb

Posted at 23:39h in Adventure, Behind the Scenes... by
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Brophy Dream Machine Van at Nelscott Reef Oregon Big Wave Surf“Surfing big waves becomes a mission.  It takes money, time, effort, travel, and all at the last minute.”

A few years ago my family and I drove along the Oregon coast on our way to Seattle.  I brought surfboards hoping to surf some giant waves.

But, all I saw from the road was an unruly ocean, rugged cliffs and super giant waves smashing on rocks with not a surfer to be found anywhere.

The waves in Oregon are so big and dangerous it would be suicide to surf alone.  I just imagined my wife and son watching me disappear into the sea, never to be seen again. Big waves, strong currents, isolated as it gets, and oh yeah, big sharks!

But the lure of the giant surf along this rugged coastline was strong.  I had heard of a spot called Nelscott Reef, but I could not find it, and I had no one to ask.  So I promised myself that someday I would have to come back and surf this beautiful place.

Last week on Wednesday night I got the call; “Nelscott’s on” from my friend and big wave surfer Ian Wallace. He was on it, he had all the details, and all I needed to do was get there.

Nelscott Reef is a killer surf spot about a half a mile out.  It’s  in Lincoln City, Oregon. The Big Wave World Tour (BWWT), headed by Gary Linden, holds a contest at Nelscott when the swell and weather get just right.

Contest promoter Jon Forse thought it was a good idea to add a Standup Paddle Surf Challenge to the contest.  This was an ideal way for us to surf any big wave spot; with good friends, a support of bad-ass waterman on safety skis, and a lot of extra eyes watching out for you.

If I could be there by Saturday morning,  I could stand up paddle surf in the contest.

I was excited.  This was my chance to surf the Oregon coast, in big giant waves.  The drive from San Clemente to Lincoln City Oregon is 18 hours straight.  I needed equipment, time and money.

My wife laid out the facts.  “We need money for expenses, a tune up to the Dream Machine, a new board and a safety vest.  There’s no way I want you out in those waves without it.”

Lotta gear to surf these waves!

Need a lot of gear to surf these waves!

Surfing big waves becomes a mission.  It takes money, time, effort, travel, and all at the last minute.  But I had been asking to surf these waves.  Now was the opportunity to do it with friends, skis, and good waves.  If not now, then when?  We went to bed Wednesday night unsure.

Thursday morning, Maria and I decided that if the Universe wants us to go, then it will come together.

We put the word out to our business partners and friends to ask for help.

I should have already been on the road making the 18 hour drive, but I had to be in Los Angeles for my client, Escape Camper Vans.  I paint vans for them, and I do an entire van in one day.  I told Rob Mewton at Escape about the contest. As a fellow surfer, he was stoked. They decided to help me with a major tune-up for the van and got it road-ready for the journey.  That was one thing off the list!

Then Maria texted me saying that Mike Muir from  Riviera Paddle Surf was on board, they would cover the entry fee and bring me some gear and a new 10’6” Ron House gun.    Later, we got word that another sponsor, Keen Footwear out of Portland Oregon, offered to cover our gas expenses and we promised to stop in at their new headquarters.  And of course my super organized friend Ian had an extra safety vest and custom-made big wave SUP leashes for me.

Maria and Dylan at Keen Footwear Offices in Portland ORegon Feb 2013

At the cool offices of Keen Footwear

It almost all came together too easy!  The universe obviously wanted me to go.

My list of goals for January was to explore and get some big waves up North.  I surfed Mavericks and Ocean Beach two weeks ago.  Now Nelscott!

With the support of my wife, sponsors, and friends, our adventure began.

Friday we headed up the freeway at 4:00 a.m.  Being a seasoned traveler, Dylan went right into travel mode.  We drove 18 hours straight to Lincoln City, Oregon.  We arrived just in time to meet fellow paddlers, Ian and Haley, at Mo’s for dinner.

Saturday morning was the first time I ever saw ice on my boards!  But, surf conditions were perfect.  No wind, sunny skies and a long period swell filling in.

The paddle boarders were to be the first ones out in the lineup; the guinea pigs, so to speak.  With the three of us out there, the judges hoped to see the scale and quality of the waves.

Nelscott is a crazy place; the reef lies about a half of a mile out.  You can barely see surfers dropping in from the beach.

To get out to the break, you have to battle through a treacherous shore break and a series of sand bars that are breaking like Puerto Escondido in cold water.

There were jet skis to pull us out to the reef.   I was ready with my 10’6” Ron House Riviera Gun, Kialoa paddle, hooded Patagonia wetsuit, boots, gloves, a Dakine safety vest and Ian’s custom-made double waist leash which worked great.

Bruce Topp photo of Oregon SkiIf you think getting pulled out by a jet ski is easy, think again.  The worst beating I got all day was on that ride out through the surf.

I cannot imagine trying to paddle out. Haley was impatient and paddled out alone, he is a madman.  It took him a long time and I worried for him. Our friend Wade missed his ride and tried to paddle out also, he was almost out when a set detonated on him breaking his board. Good reason to take the ski.

Once out there on the reef, it was beautiful and clear.  We sat so far out that you could see the great Oregon coastline with green forested mountains climbing in the distance.  There was giant bull kelp everywhere, making you wonder what creatures was swimming down there!

The first sets were small, 15’ – 20’ faces with not a drop out of place.  The right was long, allowing you two sections to enjoy with an easy exit to the channel.  The left was shorter but great.

We started to have a few bigger sets roll through, one catching me in the pit.  I had to dive and swim through it.  I don’t know how big it was, but a lot bigger than the others that I surfed.

All of my equipment worked well.  My vest popped me right to the surface and my double-waist leash pulled me up instead of ripping my leg off.

I was amazed at how lucky I was to be surfing with friends for 2 hours in perfect conditions at a gnarly spot like Nelscott.

Ian Wallace Photo by Stefan Czarnecki

Ian Wallace
Photo by Stefan Czarnecki

We rode wave after wave showing the judges and competitors that the swell had arrived and it was really good.

The lineup was soon filled with the best big wave surfers in the world; Guys like Greg and Rusty Long, Jaimie Sterling and Peter Mel.

Some of them said that we were crazy to be out there navigating the lineup on standup paddleboards.

One difference between surfing big waves on a paddleboard is that you can see the sets coming and you can jockey into the right spot by hunting the wave down.

Standup paddling does have you more at risk, though, once committed to catching the wave you can be too far in front of it with no escape.

Haley Fiske, madman

Haley Fiske, madman

Ian, Haley and I definitely earned some respect from our fellow surfers.  Even though standup paddling has advantages to regular surfing, in big waves it is ultimately a lot more difficult and scary.

We watched from the channel as our friends competed with hoots and whistles after every ride.

We surfed the South Reef for a while also; it was bigger and harder to catch.  After a few hours out there, we were all exhausted.  We realized that trying to catch giant waves with no energy was a bad idea.  I will return with a bigger board one day and charge that left I promise!

It took 45 minutes to paddle back in after the contest was over, once on the sandbar.  I decided to charge a huge closeout and barely made the drop; it had multiple double ups and it was everything I could do to avoid the lip, which was double overhead.  It sped up and mowed me down beating me 150 yards all the way to the beach.

Everyone got the same beating going in and everyone was stoked to get to shore after an entire day on the water.

Maria and Dylan were happy to see me safe, on land.  Their smiling faces ran down to greet me on the sand.

The beach was buzzing with jet skis, spectators and camera crews.  Surfers were standing around telling stories of their epic rides.  We passed out beers and enjoyed the moment.

Winner Jamie Sterling

Winner Jamie Sterling

That night, we all went to the Nelscott Reef Awards ceremony.  My friend Jamie Sterling won the contest, I had watched his rides from the channel and knew he had he had done well.  Everyone had a great time at the event.

In my mind we all won, we all made the effort to be there, and we all got to surf Nelscott.

The right place at the right time with the right people.   It had been a great day, one I will never forget.

Life is Good – Drew

Thank You to all that made this Possible for me, I am just a guy who loves to surf

HERE’S A VIDEO of one of my NELSCOTT REEF WAVES:  (Thanks to Bruce Topp of NorCalSurfPhotos.com!)

 

23 Jan

Posted at 22:17h in Adventure, Behind the Scenes..., SURF SUP and Paint Tour by
49 Likes

Drew Brophy Photo Ocean Beach NorCal SUP Every time a big swell is on its way, I begin to plan on where to go and try to get all my work done.

Even though I have organized my life to be free, sometimes I feel guilty leaving my wife and son for the pursuit of surfing big waves.  This past week was one of those times.

The swell was coming and I needed to be at the right place at the right time, but I was not sure where to go.  It was already Saturday afternoon and I was determined not to miss another great swell.

I usually head South to Blacks or Mexico, because I know my way around, but the swell would not arrive there until a full day later and it would be a lot smaller.  It was going to be hitting up north in the morning and the weather was going to be beautiful, sunny skies, 70 degree temps, and off shore winds.

What to do?

A couple years ago I met new friends surfing in Puerto Escondido, Ian and Haley.  They live in NorCal, they love big waves, and most of all they love Mavericks. They are normal guys like me, not pros and not burned-out old surfers with bad attitudes, but guys with their shit together, who CHARGE.  I decided to reach out and send Ian a message, asking him what was up and where was he was surfing the swell.

Ian and Haley Norcal Ocean Beach SUP

Haley and Ian, Ocean Beach

He sent a short reply: “START DRIVING NOW!”

Ian lives in Ocean Beach, San Francisco, and it is an 7 hour drive for me.

Believe it or not I do not connect with too many people, I often do everything alone. My wife is awesome; she pushes me to reach out to friends and not do so many things on my own.  She encouraged me to go and helped me to get ready.  While she was packing water and food for me, I was busy loading up the essentials on the roof of my van:

  • A 10’6″ Ron House Gun
  • A 10’6″ Riviera Paddleboard – Ron House board
  • An 8’0″ Gerry Lopez Pipe Gun
  • My 5’10” Ron House twin-fin fish, just in case all the models were wrong and it was flat!
  • and most importantly, my Patagonia wetsuit.  (I never got cold thanks to that suit)

I was loaded up and on the road an hour after getting Ian’s message.

It was about 10 p.m. when I arrived in San Francisco, after driving straight through, I pulled up to Ian’s oceanfront home with him waving from the window.  I had not seen him in two years, but he is like me, he loves to surf.

Paddle boarders take Charge! Mavericks

Ian and Haley take Charge! Mavericks

The plan was to meet Haley at Mavericks before dawn. They were having the Maverick’s Invitational big wave contest with all the pros and the circus; we wanted to be there before they started, so we could get some waves.

We awoke at 4:30,  got on the road and were in the parking lot 5:15.  The police were already shutting down the streets, I guess they were expecting a big crowd.

We suited up in the dark and began the long paddle out.  The air was still and quiet, with a zillion stars in the sky, and due to the long period swell the ocean was unusually calm. I could barely see my friends as they guided me around the huge rocks, I was so focused on just getting there and getting out, I never really thought about what it would be like to be in the lineup of one the scariest waves in the world in total blackness.  I wish I could properly describe how cool that experience was but it is impossible.

I must say once there it was down right spiritual, it was a moment when all the effort pays off.

I was in my element. We gazed at the stars with giant swells rolling beneath us, waiting for the dawn so we could surf. As soon as the tiniest bit of light filled the air the waves exploded into view. My friends paddled right into the lineup and began to ride the giant waves.  I was in heaven, three guys surfing alone at one of the biggest best breaks in the world.

I caught one huge left and achieved two of my goals for the year:

  1. Surf Mavericks; and
  2. Spend more time with friends.

A half hour later  noise and diesel fumes destroyed the calm, an army of jet skis first, and then a flotilla of boats converging on the reef, then two giant coast guard ships, and news helicopters.

The Circus! Mavericks

The Circus! Mavericks

Our Mavs session was instantly over, forty guys crawled into the line up and the circus began. so we sat in the channel and watched our pro surfer friends ride waves.

Something was missing, contests have become everything surfing is not.  We paddled in to refuel and go surf Ocean Beach, we knew it was firing.  In fact it was the best it had been in years.  But, Ian was down after hurting his arm on his last wave at Mavs. I surfed by myself in front of his house all afternoon.

It was huge and empty, just me and the sea, a far contrast from the circus we left. Hands down  the best surf session I ever had on my paddle board.  I was at the perfect place at the perfect time, We watched the sunset while drinking beer from the sand dunes. Our bodies were buzzing from the days waves totally stoked and exhausted.

The next morning the swell was smaller but more groomed and still great. Ian feed me coffee and  motivated me to charge into the sea once more. Haley met us in the water. Great rides were had by all and another epic session went into the history books.

This is what surfing and life is all about, being with the right people, in the right place, at the right time. Make the effort, reach out, and create new adventures.

Thanks guys for an fantastic 48 hours.

Life is Good Drew

PS:  Thanks to Bruce Topps of NorCal Surf Photos for the shots of me surfing Ocean Beach!

 

26 Jul

Posted at 11:16h in Adventure, Behind the Scenes..., SURF SUP and Paint Tour by
55 Likes

On our Surf, SUP and Paint Tour across America, I was really looking forward to seeing the Great Lakes for the first time.   Here’s a rundown of our first couple days.

Pictured Rocks Cave

Pictured Rocks Cave on Lake Superior

LAKE SUPERIOR SURFING:

I had heard stories and seen videos of dedicated surfers outside of Deluth, Michigan, riding waves on the Lake, and I wanted to see it for myself.  There’s even a Lake Superior Surf Club!

Lake Superior is the biggest, deepest and coldest of the Great Lakes and it was our first stop.

We started at Stony Point, a surf spot that is rumored to get good waves.  It’s about thirty miles North of Deluth.  We drove down a gravel road in a heavily wooded area to reach it.

I was hoping for waves, but Stony Point was flat.  However, it was picturesque and clear as the Caribbean, perfect for the paddleboard.

The water was unusually warm, almost 70 degrees.  Maria and the kids had a blast climbing on the rocks and exploring the coastline.  We just got Dylan a pair of Keen water sandals which came in handy as the bottom of the lake here was all rocks.

I took out the Rivera inflatable; it was on top of the van and quick to grab.  The inflatable is my recon board – I can just easily throw it in the water to check things out!   (more…)

17 Jul

Posted at 04:29h in Adventure, Behind the Scenes..., SURF SUP and Paint Tour by
42 Likes

Salmon River Run on a SUP!

I had heard a lot about the Salmon River from some of the crew that I paddled the Colorado River with last year.

So about a week into our three month Surf, SUP and Paint Tour, I planned a day to SUP the Salmon River.

Maria and the kids and I had been exploring Idaho for about four days before we got to Riggins, a town that calls itself “the Whitewater Capital of Idaho”.

Right next to Riggins is Lucile, where we set up camp for a few days. Lucile is a one street town where there’s no cell service but plenty of deer, bears and elk.  Our friend John is building a house there along the Salmon River and said we could camp on his property, though he was out of town traveling as well.

I had everything I needed to standup paddle the river except for one thing:  a life jacket. On the drive to Lucile I was telling Maria that we needed to find a place to buy one.  Then, a few minutes later, on a desolate road nestled between 10,000 foot peaks, I saw something lying in the middle of the road.  It was a brand new lifejacket! I turned the van around and picked it up.  Now, I had what I needed to SUP the Salmon:

  • A lifejacket and WRSI Whitewater helmet (‘cause if you fall and hit your head on the rocks, the party is over)
  • Riviera Paddle Surf inflatable paddleboard (brand new prototype)
  • Kialoa Paddle
  • Ocean & Earth’s “world’s strongest” Leash (if you lose your board on the river, it keeps going!)
  • Patagonia 2 mil full suit (realized later that I didn’t really need this – the water wasn’t as cold as I thought and I didn’t fall as much either)
  • Keen Gorge boots (this allowed me to jump off the board onto rocks without destroying my feet – this was the most important piece of safety equipment in my opinion)
  • Go Pro camera (make sure you know how to use it – I put it on the wrong setting and it didn’t get any pictures!)
  • Good attitude and a cool wife to take photos as you SUP on by!

I put into the river at Shorts Bar.  It’s a killer sandy beach where we spent the day trying out our new paddleboards in the river.  There’s a nice little eddy there that the kids could paddle around in.

Maria tracked me from the road in the Dream Machine and took pictures from the bank.  There are great lookouts at each rapid, so it was easy for her to pull over and get some photos as she watched me surf the rapids.

This time of year the river is running low and the rapids are minor, but enough to give you a good thrill.   The Riviera Inflatable Standup Paddle board was perfect for this river, since the water was low and there were a lot of sharp rocks that other boards would be damaged by.

The biggest rapid is called Time Zone – it’s right before the bridge at the far north end of Riggins. Time Zone is a long, snaking rapid with a ledge running down the right side.  The current zig zags back and forth, all the way down to the bridge. I stuck that rapid, swinging left to avoid the ledge.  I was pretty stoked – it’s been a year since I’ve run a rapid.

After Time Zone, there were about a dozen smaller rapids with a lot of space in between to rest.

This is big country out here!

Along the way I saw big horned sheep, deer and beautiful landscapes.  It was really peaceful being on the river alone.

It took me two hours to go 11 miles.  I ended at the boat ramp on John’s property in Lucile.  Dylan ran down and handed me a beer when I got out!

I wanted to do it again, but it was getting dark and the kids were hungry.  We were headed to Montana at 5 a.m. the next morning.  I’ll have to come back another time, but in the spring when the water is higher and the rapids are gnarlier!

I think any surfer or standup paddle enthusiast could do this run safely during the summer at this water level.  Spring would be more challenging.  If you were spending a few days up there, you could do the run a couple times a day and then drive further up river and do a longer run, where there are bigger rapids and killer standing waves.  I can’t wait to come back!

Life is good – Drew

See the Video, below:

16 Jun

Posted at 12:41h in Adventure, SURF SUP and Paint Tour, Wheres Drew by
28 Likes

Drew Brophy and Dylan Galveston Beach Texas with Dream MachineWe are going on another Brophy family adventure in the Dream Machine!

Three Four  Five Months, 26  28 states and two countries.  (We started this trip as a 3-month trek, but it grew to 5 months!)

A Surf, SUP and Paint tour across the U.S. and a short stint into Canada.

We leave  left the first week of July 2012, head north through Utah, then East across the northern states, into Canada, then New England and then South along the East Coast of America.

Got our surfboards and our Riviera Paddlesurf boards packed, along with camping and hiking gear!

July 6, 2012 – 6:30 p.m. – Drew will be interviewed on 1280 THE ZONE 97.5 Radio Station in Salt Lake City, Utah.

*Radio show host Bob Grove will be giving away one pair of the Aerial 7 Drew Brophy “DIY” Headphones to a caller.  Headphones retail for $100!

If you miss the interview, don’t fret – you can listen to it anytime online here:  Bob Grove Trail Mix Radio Show.

July 9, 2012 Backcountry.com Headquarters in Park City, Utah.  Drew will give a painting workshop, showing how you can customize your DIY Aerial 7 Headphones.

August 2012  Myrtle Beach South Carolina.  Drew will paint a sixty foot mural on the side of Lulu’s Cafe.

September 8, 2012  STANDUP PADDLE RACES in Myrtle Beach  on September 8th – details to follow.

October 2012 FURMAN UNIVERSITY, GREENVILLE SC:  Drew and Maria will be giving a Business of Art Lecture and a 4 day Painting Workshop.

November 10-11, 2012:  ART MUNDO, Fort Pierce, FL:   Drew will be giving a two-day Paint Pen Techniques Workshop from 3-6 p.m. each day.

 

In between stops to be announced.  We have lakes and rivers to paddle, waves to surf and trails to hike.

MEDIA – Some of the adventure will be featured on:

97.5 The Zone – Bob Grove’s Radio Show called “The Outdoors”, and

The Digitel Myrtle Beach –  Will be covering the painting of the Lulu’s Cafe Mural.

Look for the blog posts!

Sponsors of this great adventure include:  Guayaki Yerba Mate, Hoven, Riviera Paddle Surf, Patagonia, Ocean and Earth, Aerial 7. 

27 May

Posted at 18:15h in Adventure, Behind the Scenes..., Murals by
21 Likes

As an artist, I am always looking for inspiration.

I often get asked “how do you make a living as an artist?”

In the last few years the economy was difficult and the old ways of doing business didn’t work anymore.  I see a new way of doing business going forward.

Big companies are cutting back, many people are losing their jobs and I can’t rely on corporations to keep me afloat with commissions anymore.

The people who have kept us in business during the lean years are the entrepreneurs, the do-it-yourselfers, the people who are creating their own opportunities, and in effect, ours too.

I’m inspired by individuals who refuse to give up on their dreams and who make things happen, instead of looking for a handout from someone else.

In our business I see people like this who inspire me every day.  Davon Julius’ Pipeline Catering project is a perfect example of American ingenuity and grass-roots entrepreneurship.

Davon had a bold idea:  He saw an opportunity to create a mobile restaurant that caters to pipeline workers in a rural area of Utah.  He envisioned transforming an 18 wheeler into a kitchen and café where he could set up in remote areas where workers needed to be fed.

This is where I came in.  Davon wanted to make his café stand out on the side of the road.  He came up with the idea to hire me to paint flaming pigs on the side of his trailer.

(You can watch the painting of it in a short video titled Drew Brophy Paints a 53′ Flaming Pig Mural on a Tractor Trailer)

At the bottom of this post, there’s a “narrated” slideshow detailing the painting with captions explaining the steps.

I first met Davon a year ago when I standup paddled 225 miles of the Colorado River.  He was one of the rafters going down the river with my group.  A chef by trade, he took charge of our meals for the 16 days of camping alongside the rivers of the Grand Canyon.  We ate well!

Painting a 53 foot mural is a huge project, and I had to travel to Utah to do it.  Davon saw the value that a mural would bring to his business, and so he didn’t flinch at the cost.  We made a family trip of it, and off to Utah we went.

I feel so blessed that through my work and lifestyle, I am able to reconnect with these great people I met while paddling the Colorado River last year, and that I’m able to take my family to meet them.

This is what I envisioned my life to be so many years ago:  my work, family and travel life all together as one big adventure.

We arrived in Salt Lake City and Davon had parked the trailer in a dusty, plowed field behind his home.  He was working hard building the kitchen and he expressed that friends were concerned about what the hell he was doing.  They didn’t get his vision.

Often, people with big ideas find themselves alone until after all the hard work is done, then everyone else can see the beauty in it.

I told Davon “Don’t worry, after today, people are going to get it.  This is going to transform instantly, as soon as I start painting.”

Initially, my goal was to have it started and completed in five days.  Below is the breakdown of the process of the mural painting:

Materials Needed:  200 cans of Mtn 94 Spray paint – Iwata airbrush and paints – scaffolding – blue tape – Aerial 7 headphones for music – sandpaper – razorblades – rulers –

DAY 1:  My goal on Day 1 was to map out the sketch and have base colors on the entire surface of the trailer.

Davon had pre-scuffed the surface, taped off the edges and was busy preparing last minute dents and holes.

Dylan and I began chalk-lining gridlines so that I could transpose the sketch onto the huge surface as Maria unloaded the 200 cans of Mtn 94 spray paint that was going to make all of this possible.

It was hot, but I dressed in a hoody, with a respirator, headphones and gloves.  I put on the astro-fat caps that allow me to put down massive amounts of paint quickly.

For the rest of the day I blasted music along with paint.  Davon was amazed that by the end of Day 1, all the color was on!

Day 2:  This was an easy day.  The weather was hot and sunny. It was record highs for Utah in April.  Day 1 all the base colors were mid-tone, and on Day 2 I added the lights and darks.

This day went remarkably well, and I was thinking that I might get this finished in three days instead of five.  That was before I knew the weather that was about to hit us.

Day 3:  This day started out beautiful with sunny skies.  A storm was coming, but I was hopeful that we may miss the weather and still get this done on Day 3.

Dylan kept busy by playing with the chickens and wild roosters in the field.  All day long those roosters were crowing.

I broke out the Iwata airbrush and started adding detail to the funny characters; the buzzard, the pigs and the rattlesnake.  This was the fun part!

Then, about noon, the sky turned black.  Davon, always prepared, had huge tarps ready to go on the roof of the trailer.  We got ready for the rain by throwing down the tarps.  Just then, the wind picked up at 40-50 miles per hour, throwing Davon and I around like rag-dolls across the field.  It was gnarly!

It took us the rest of the day just to secure and protect the mural from the extreme weather.  We were exhausted.  There went my plan to finish early!

Day 4:  Was a bummer.  Water was leaking all over the mural.  It was a constant battle of man vs. rain.  The wind was so violent that it threw cinder blocks off of the roof of the trailer, almost killing us.  The temperature dropped so much that I had to wear gloves because my hands were cold.

I didn’t get much painting done on Day 4.  It was a losing battle.  I decided to go inside and make stencils for the lettering.

It’s funny, people will ask me how I make things like my stencils, and the answer is surprisingly simple.

The stencils are made with simple construction paper, a pencil, a razor blade and tape.  These are the tools that I used to make my stencils.  No fancy machine that cuts out lettering for me.  I’m amazed that in this computer age so many young artists don’t know how to use a ruler, simple math and a razor blade.

I cut the stencils out to scale perfectly.  It took a lot of time and patience and focus.  But in the end, it worked.

Day 5:  We were staying at Davon’s mom’s awesome mountain house in Park City.  The morning of Day 5 we woke up to beautiful snow covering my van and the world outside.  Our commute to Salt Lake City was about 35 minutes each way, and the drive is on beautiful mountain roads.

But down in Salt Lake City, the rain and wind were still a problem.

I was determined to get this finished today.  Working underneath the tarp was super difficult.  But we had no choice.

The finished mural!

Davon did everything he could to stop the rain from getting in.  He bought more tarps and parked his truck on the tarps so they wouldn’t blow away.  We collected every rock, board and heavy object from the field and placed them on the tarp, trying to hold it down.

I finished the detail work with the airbrush.  The final thing to do was spray the lettering.  The custom-made stencils worked beautifully.

After spraying the stencils, I re-taped the lettering, adding a background behind the lettering.  This detail added depth and energy to the lettering.

One of the most fun things was pulling the tape.  Davon pulled the tape to reveal the name, PIPELINE CATERING, on the side of his new restaurant!

Just then, the rain stopped and the sun came out.  The storm was over.  We went up to the roof of the trailer and kicked the tarp off to see the finished mural from afar, for the first time.

It was awesome to see the results of our hard work.

The mural was finished in five days.

PARTYTIME!  That night, we celebrated at Davon’s mom, Shelly’s, home.  She also was on the Grand Canyon river trip last year, and she and her husband Barry hosted a party with almost all of the 14 people that were on that trip.  We watched Go Pro video of our adventure down the Colorado River and talked story all night.

It was so great to reconnect with these wonderful people and let them meet my family.  This is what life is all about.

I was honored to paint this mural for Davon’s project and see how one man’s dream and hard work materializes right in front of your eyes.  The restaurant is finished, and now people “get it”!

I’m sure Davon is working hard in his restaurant right now, feeding hungry workers.  If you happen to drive through Northern Utah, and you see flaming pigs, stop and get a bite to eat!

Life is Good – Drew

HERE’S THE SLIDE SHOW

10 Jan

Posted at 10:40h in Adventure, Behind the Scenes... by
12 Likes

That's me, making the drop into KILLERS

“The waves are so hard to catch, like lassoing freight trains while trying not to get run over. Out of the thirty surfers that day most only caught a couple waves.”

There are three things that I know about myself:

1 – I love my family

2 – I love to surf

3 – I love to travel

Period.

My art is a mere side effect of these three loves.

Knowing what you love and what you want is everything.  From this point of view, anything is reachable.  You just have to push yourself over the edge and go.

An epic swell marched across the Pacific Ocean last week.  From Hawaii to Mavericks and Southern California, surfers went into a flurry of activity.

Where to surf?  For most surfers, surfing the local break on the best day of the year will do.

But for professional big wave riders, their careers are made on such swells, being at the right place at the right time and  getting paid to risk their lives.

And for a few of us, dreams of giant waves inspires us to dust off our big  guns and call  friends to line up a good, old fashioned surf trip.

The Island of Todos Santos off Baja Mexico would be the best place to go.

Such trips are what fuel my art, out-of-the-way places and giant waves that only appear every few years.

This is where most people get stuck; even me.

I wanted to go, but I had things to do, a ton of reasons not to go.  The clock was ticking and the waves were on the way, either I would be there to meet them or not.

Patrick Gudauskas charging

The waves would be the biggest at Todos.  Only the surfers who want it the most will be there. The surf spot is called Killers, a deep water cobalt blue boiling monster.

Todos Santos (Mexico) is a three hour drive from San Clemente.  Once there, you have to hire a boat and it’s another hour to the island and Killers.

Just like anything else in life that you want really bad; there are roadblocks, difficult decisions and logistics to overcome and make it happen, not to mention money.

I knew there were surfers just like me doing the same mad rush to figure it all out, to be there on the magic day.

I made one phone call to my friend Gary Linden.  Gary’s a master surfboard shaper and adventurer.  He’s a 60-something year old surf stoked grom who loves to RIDE BIG WAVES.  He answered the phone and said “we got a spot on the boat for you, get down here!”

I packed my gear, dusted off my 10’6” gun and kissed Maria and Dylan goodbye and drove South to the border in rush-hour traffic.

Once I crossed the Mexican border, the roads were empty, and the sky was black.  I pulled into Gary’s place at San Miguel.  There were figures around a fire, cooking in the darkness.  A welcoming voice called to me “you made it, just in time for dinner.”

The next morning  before dawn we began our voyage to Killers.  The dock was cold and still with groups of fishermen huddled together, hoping to rent their boats out to traveling surfers.  We were the first to arrive, and then other groups who had also made the journey showed up.  All of them had to push through their own roadblocks and logistics to be there, too.

The sunrise over Baja was intense.  Instantly, we felt the huge swells and Todos Santos began to grow on the horizon.  White water slammed and exploded on its point.  Slowly Killers came into view and dreams became reality.

The flotilla of boats took their places in the channel and surfers suited up for the ultimate challenge.  With no one out it was hard to tell how big it was; just massive blue swells in an endless sea.

Rusty Long leads the way

My friend Rusty Long was the first in the lineup and the first to catch a wave.   It is amazing that a man can paddle a ten foot surfboard into such huge waves and actually ride it.  With this first wave the session began.

Everyone knew that this was going to be a magical day.

As I paddled out I realized that I know or have met almost everyone there.  We all share a similar love for surfing and the big waves seem to call to us.

As surfers, you have one of two reactions when it gets really big:

*Either you can’t wait to get out there because you’ve been waiting for these kinds of waves your whole life; 

*Or:  it strikes the fear of God in you and there is just no way in hell you would even consider going out.

There is no in between, you are one or the other.

Of course every surfer has his limit; it’s soulful to push yourself and inspiring to see others pushing even further. At forty years old I am stoked to still be pushing.

That day at Killers many great waves were surfed.  It was pure glass all day with sunny skies.  Time melted as the hours went by.  I surfed from 8:30 to 4:30 nonstop,  as did most of the other surfers.

I only caught 3 waves in those eight hours, but that was my goal.  I was lucky to get that many. The biggest waves came late in the day and huge set came right to me, it would have been my forth wave, but my first love flashed in my mind (my wife and son) and I had to let it go and be content.

The waves are so hard to catch, like lassoing freight trains while trying not to get run over. Out of the thirty surfers that day most only caught a couple waves.

Really all you needed was one wave to be able to experience the ten seconds of taming a giant, and to feel the pure joy of achievement and bliss that you were there.

I watched as my friends charged over the edge of huge waves, knowing they were feeling this same joy.  It made me feel good about myself that I was more like them.  We push over the edge and we go.

They inspire me.  The waves inspire me.  The adventure inspires me.

The group of guys that were there, they are the rarest of surfers.  The most soulful.  They live for  these moments and I’m proud to be amongst them.

In the end, I am just a guy from South Carolina who always dreamed of surfing big waves.  Those dreams have taken me all over the world chasing them, meeting adventurous people and fueling my crazy art career.

I will just keep showing up and pushing myself over the edge, Just like I always have.

You should, too.  It makes life worth living.

Life is good – Drew

PS:  (Except for my sunrise photo above)  Photos courtesy of Captain Lonnie Ryan, a photographer who pushes himself over the edge, too.  Check out his website here:  http://bajatiempos.com/

PPS:  A great article written by my friend Jason Murray about that day can be found on ESPN here:  Topping it off at Todos.

 

02 Jan

Posted at 18:42h in Adventure, Behind the Scenes... by
32 Likes

Jumbo Rock, Joshua Tree Nat'l Park

At the start of every new year, me, Maria and Dylan sit down in the living room and reflect upon the year that just passed.  We write down our highlights and then we plan out what we each want to accomplish in the new year.

Below are my highlights of 2011:

THE START OF 2011 – we were nervous & worried about the future and the economy.  But we decided to make The Paint Shop TV show a focus for the year.  We received the good news early in the year that our show was going to air on local So. California tv, and so we gave it our all.

TURNED 40:  I turned 40 in March.  Sold a lot of my old surfboards and took my family to Hawaii.  Surfed Pipeline on my birthday –  the waves were great!

TV SHOOTS:  Took a road trip to Santa Cruz in spring – filmed The Paint Shop there.  It was awesome.  Made good on my promise to Escape Campervans and put them on one of my episodes.  It’s funny – I promised them a spot on my tv show in 2009, two years before we got the show on the air!

Paddled 225 MILES OF COLORADO RIVER:  Over 16 days in May, I lived in the wild and stand-up paddled the rapids of the Colorado River with whitewater expert Seth Warren.  It was the trip of lifetime!  (The Orange County Register wrote about it and put a picture of me on the cover of the front page!)  The trip was also written about in Stand Up Journal’s March 2012 issue and the current issue of Stand Up Paddle Magazine.  Haven’t seen the copies yet…..

MT. WHITNEY:  Maria hiked mountains all over Southern California and I was so proud of her when she hiked Mt. Whitney in August, the highest mountain in the lower 48 states.

DYLAN TURNED 10:  And we transformed our house into a Star Wars scene for his party!

MYRTLE BEACH & HURRICANE IRENE:  Threes weeks this summer was spent with family in Myrtle Beach.  Maria and Dylan had a blast playing in the ocean and the swash at the Dunes Club.  I caught great waves courtesy of Hurricane Irene!

PUERTO ESCONDIDO SURF TRIP:  Right after Myrtle Beach I flew to Puerto Escondido, Mexico, where I surfed in a Stand Up Paddle contest at the Mexican Pipeline.  Maria helped make the trip possible by lining up sponsors Hinano Tahiti and MegaFood.  The waves were so powerful I broke two paddleboards and got many tubes.

MARIA WROTE A BOOK:  It’s called HOW TO UNDERSTAND ART LICENSING CONTRACTS – she co-wrote it  with art expert Tara Reed.  I am stoked for her – she worked hard on it.

Maria & Dylan Arches Nat'l Park, UT

COLORADO ROAD TRIP:  In early November we drove to Boulder, CO for a film festival.  Dylan and I were in Seth Warren’s film called Playgrounds Re-imagined.

Dylan narrated the film, as you can hear on the movie’s trailer here.

On the drive out, we camped at Virgin River, we drove Southern Utah to Moab, went to Arches National Park and followed the Colorado River into Colorado.

While at the film festival, Dylan was given the first ever award given to a child at the Boulder Film Festival.

He was named “Most Likely to Save the World.”  He gave a hilarious acceptance speech – you can watch it HERE!

NEW GREETING CARD LICENSE:  While in Boulder, we met with Leanin Tree greeting card company and toured their sculpture gardens and their printing facility.   A few weeks later, we signed a licensing deal for my art in their greeting card line!  (My greeting cards will hit the market in summer 2012.)

OPEN HOUSE ART SALES:  We tried something new this year to sell more art at Christmas time – we had 4 open houses in the studio in Nov/Dec and we sold dozens of original paintings and sketches and met a lot of new fans that came in to meet me.  It was very rewarding in many ways.

CHRISTMAS:  In December we had our niece Mia come visit for Christmas and New Years.  We had to get bunk beds for her to sleep in Dylan’s room.  We set up the Christmas tree, and I surfed great waves on Christmas eve.  Having Mia with us during the holidays was a definite plus – it was fun watching two happy kids tear open presents on Christmas morning!

She's Got Hollywood in her Hands

Mia wanted to see Hollywood, so we took a 3 mile hike up to the Hollywood sign – packed a lunch and ate out there on the trail.  Oh, and we saw Lenny Kravitz while driving up the Hollywood Hills – he flashed us the peace sign as he passed our Dream Machine on his motorcycle.

JOSHUA TREE:  We spent the last few days of 2011 camping at Jumbo Rocks in Joshua Tree.  The kids said it was like being on the moon.  We went rock climbing and found some cool caves.

Driving  home from Joshua Tree on New Years Eve, we had no plans for that night, until we got a text from our good friends the Whelans to stop by at their house.   We spent the last hours of 2011 with good friends, wine and food!

Dylan and the Dream Machine along Colorado River

I hope you’ll look back on 2011 and remember all your highlights, too.

Write them down, make a list, you’ll be surprised at all that you did in a year!

Life is Good – Drew