south carolina Tag

32 of 50 Paintings in 50 Days by Drew Brophy BEACH BOUNTY Nov 26 2015FOR 50 DAYS, I’M CREATING 50 PAINT STUDIES that reflect 50 things that fascinate me.

This painting is #32 of 50 in the #50Paintings series.

TITLE:  BEACH BOUNTY

SIZE:  8″x 10″ paint pen on Fredrix Pro Archival Canvas Board.

When I was a little boy living in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, I’d leave the house early in the morning with my 5 gallon bucket, net and fishing pole.

I’d be gone all day, and come home with oysters, clams, crabs, shrimp, flounder.

Every day was Thanksgiving at the beach.

This painting study is available for purchase.  Email info@drewbrophy.com for details.

One of my goals with this series is to make original art affordable for those who want it.   If interested in adding tomorrow’s to your collection, please email info@drewbrophy.com or text or call 949-678-8133 asap!

I hope you enjoy this series.  Thanks for reading!

Life is Good –

Drew Brophy
Artist, illustrator, surfer
“It’s my job to make things look cool.”

 

Maiden of Lake Jocassee

Maiden of Lake Jocassee

During the 1700’s, there was a thriving Cherokee nation that lived in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains which is located in the upstate of South Carolina.  Little did a Cherokee maiden in that time era, named Jocassee, know that her name would become a legend. 

Last year Maria and I gave an Experiential Workshop at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina.

It was warm and sunny in the Appalachian Mountains outside of Greenville, so we took a day to drive out to Lake Jocassee, a must-see if you are near the area!

Lake Jocassee is situated in the foothills of the Appalachians, surrounded by forests.

The water was crystal clear with miles of nooks and crannies to explore.

Maria at Lake Jocassee with Riviera Standup Paddleboard

Maria at Lake Jocassee with Riviera Standup Paddleboard

The lake was perfect for standup paddleboards, and the water was still warm the second week of October.

It was peaceful and picturesque.  There are many mountain trails around the lake and waterfalls around the area.

After a great day of paddling and exploring the lake, we met Debbie, owner of Eclectic Sun Paddlesports.  She loved our painted van and seven months later, Debbie commissioned me to create artwork for her company logo.

It’s funny how taking a vacation always gets me new business!

The Design:

When I create a new piece of art, it’s important to me to capture something that’s real about the subject.

When I researched the history of the Lake, I found hand-drawn pictures of Native Americans standup-paddling their canoes.  Maybe they were the first standup paddlers!  I imagine this place was very special to them.

The lake is named after a maiden Cherokee named Jocassee.  Legend has it that a broken-hearted Jocassee walked on the water to greet the ghost of her beloved, who had been murdered.  Her name has come to be known as “The Place of the Lost one.”

So it seemed fitting to paint my version of the beautiful maiden Jocassee “walking on water” using a standup paddleboard, across the lake.

The painting was created with paint pens on canvas board, sized 12″ x 18″.  Eclectic Sun bought the original painting.

Below you can see pictures of the different uses of the artwork for Eclectic Sun.  If you ever find yourself at Lake Jocassee, stop in and see Debbie and tell her hello for me!

Life is Good – Drew
Eclectic-Sun-art- by Drew Brophy Lake Jocassee May 2013

ECLECTIC-SUN-CIRCLE-LOGO tees shirst design by Drew Brophy Lake Jocassee

Dec-Jan 2012 Grand Strand Magazine did a 2-page feature titled LIVING A DREAM, Artist Drew Brophy’s career reflects the benefits of small-town community.

GS-Magazine feature-Drew-BrophyArticle begins like this:

As a teenager, Myrtle Beach resident Drew Brophy had a simple dream:  he wanted to surf.  

After a few paragraphs, moves into this:

Brophy’s international career began with an impulsive trip to Mexico at age 20.  “I just really wanted to go to those places that I saw in Surfer Magazine,” says Brophy.  “I kind of felt stuck here; I didn’t fit in.  I just gambled and went to the gnarliest place I could think of to go surfing.”  Turns out, the surfers in Mexico fell in love with the innovative designs and techniques Brophy was using to paint his surfboards.  “A light bulb went off in my head,” explains Brophy.

Fast forward to the last section:

Now, 19 years later, though Brophy has traveled the world and earned an international reputation for his art, he still values community and family above all else.

It closes with:

And as for his artistic success, Brophy humbly passes the credit to his hometown:  “It took a community to create a person like me.”

To read the entire article, you’ll have to grab a copy of GS Magazine!