Here’s one I did tonight, a sigle line knot with soap!  Free-hand based on the angular tube designs… Hope you like the cusions too!? … more pics coming soon =]

Edit:  Here is a cropped pic-a-ture…

Multi-zoomorph Keith Haring Tribute

Here is a negative of a sketch I produced during my holiday in Greece. I started out aiming to create a Multi-Zoomorph knot from a surfing manoeuvre sequence. I saw a set of pictures of Kelly Slater riding his ‘Wizard Sleeve’ self shaped surfboard.

Incidentally he named this board because of it’s looseness (someone’s been watching Borat!)

As the picture evolved I worked over the rider outlines, in the back of my mind this was suggesting the style of Keith Haring.

Haring was a trained artist and was caught up in the Graffiti turf wars in the Bronx, late 70’s. He started painting his distinctive figures on blank advertising hoardings in the subway. Sometimes his design would be a couple of low key figures, other times the work would fill the available space. He wanted to reflect the bustle of city life, dance, African art and the language of the street. Word.

I recently won a couple of commissions to design tattoo’s. One was pure Celtic waves based on my art, the other, a design of a Zombie surfer pin-up in the Style of Jim Philips! I couldn’t make it up eh? Probably the most fun brief I’ve ever been given.

Anyway, as a treat, and to try and break some artists block, I bought some cans of spray paint to play about in this medium. There’s only one way to go… Jump on in! Here’s my first attempt at a free hand knot in spray paint (on MDF).

Spray can Celtic Wave

Dabbling in this really makes me appreciate the skill it takes to produce a fluent crisp peice of work such as this (photograpphed on my recent trip to Athens):

Athens Graffiti

I suspected it took some practice… expect to see a few more of these in coming blogs!

More commissions are always welcome and any art you see on this site is available for sale, drop me a line!

Links:
haring.com Keith Haring Foundation Official Website

monstercolours.com Monster Colours Spray Can Vendor Website

I’ve just returned to North Devon after a superb trip to Greece.  10 days of great food, sunshine and adventure.  Of course there was no surf.  

I have a one track mind, despite the chances of surf being small I had made contact with the only surf school in Greece to establish I could hire a board if needs had been.  I had researched the spots and prepped Zoe that I might disappear on a mission.  I had found a waveheight model and wind forecast.  None of this was necessary because it was of course flat.

Street Art Tourist

The obsessive mind never stops.  Among the rich sensory experience of travel I was still spotting artworks with waves, photographing microbarrels and fantasizing about what the lush coastline could do given the right swell.

Micro Barrel, Kathisma Beach

I love Greece, it is a beautiful nation.  The people are friendly and open, the street art that spills out onto every surface is pocketed with real Gems.

Spot the wave ...

Athens Mural Dolphin

Aparrently Appollo turned up at the oracle at Delphi as a Dolphin, as you do.  This is where the name of the site originates and probably not why the artist chose to paint a robo-dolphin.  Tis still pretty cool!

Fish farm mural

 I liked the variety of neatness, and finishness of the art.  This mermaid is quite crude, but it gives colour to the metalwork it’s dawbed on.  

It’s also striking the mixture of Murals, Throw-ups, Tags, Pieces, Stencils… and messages from Political to Sport to Philosphical… “Feel Free Like us” for example.  Smug anarchists!

Splatter Mural, Athens

Evil Empire, Anticapitalist Stencil, Athens

Mural, Athens

Love the fly stencils on this too… a mixture of techniques and styles.

Time Tag, Acropolis, Athens

‘Time’, ‘Hermes’ and the comedically named ‘Buns’ seemed to be some of the most prolific Athens taggers I noticed.   This low angled, flared style is great.

Homage to Pink?

Is this the work of the influential early 80’s American Graffiti artist and tagger lady pink?  Doubtful.  Cute though.

Jarvis

Finally, the last one of the many I shot is this mix of stencils, postering, free spray can work and appear (to me) to be a portrait of sardonic skinny sheffieldian social commontator, and genius Jarvis Cocker!?   I guess you spot what you’re looking for!??

Links and references:

A reliable wave forcasting resource for the Mediterrreanian:

http://www.poseidon.hcmr.gr/waves_forecast.php?area_id=med#selectParameter

Information about breaks and surf spots:

http://www.wannasurf.com/spot/Europe/Greece/Ionian_Sea/index.html

Greeces only surf school / surf hire:

http://www.pargaweb.com/new/surfeng.asp

Contact: Giorgos Papandreou giosurf@otenet.gr

Athens surf and extreme sports shop (I couldn’t even find this on the map cos of the variability of translation for place names… but here it is anyway, on the web).

http://surfingreece.piczo.com/?cr=5

Lady Pink:

http://www.pinksmith.com/

Jarvis Cocker:

http://www.jarviscocker.net/

http://www.myspace.com/jarvspace

I’ve been re-visiting some older designs, some of the very first knots that I created that took on the shapes of waves. I’m trying to use the computer to create attractive designs from these very simple sketches. Along the way, so far, these are what I’ve created.

The horizontal design makes me think of graphics from neo-psychedelic posters for raves in the 90s. Helterskelter, Flashback and Atomic Jam…. if you look closely it’s surprising how close this Kaleidoscope transformation has created a good knot from the original.

The vertical design makes me think of native american cherokee style feathered motifs, like some kind of space age red-indian artifact from an imagined civilization! But then I’ve been told before I have an over-active imagination!!

The Kalidoscope inspiration partly came from seeing pictures by North Devon artist Connor Wilson. His work can be seen in the Blue Groove Cafe in Croyde, which hosts an amazing giant mural depicting a perfect summers A-frame peak as spied through a break in a lush canopy. A surreal moon transformation floats in front of this scene… it has to be seen to be believed! The cafe also has many of his framed works including surreal style, automatic sketches and Mandalas (see resource here).

These Mandalas, or circle rotations, almost form celtic knot patterns (though close inspection shows the rules of interlacing, continuation etc are not followed). So roatating my simple designs produces these Celtic like patterns… which in themselfs I find inspiring. I want to take these computer generated patterns and come full circle to work over them by hand.

References:
http://conorwilson.co.uk/
www.mandalaproject.org
Blue Groove Cafe

Cheers!

The original Palette is here:
www.colourlovers.com/palette/726905/sandywater

Hope you like this… it’s a single line and I was working on the principles of angular vectors to show the structure of the wave. Also this represents it’s movement.

The original sketch included a surfer in the tube, removing him has left an interlacing error as originally it was intended that he would be entwined with the wave…. perhaps you can spot the switch in the pattern? To me this switch doesn’t matter, it’s been found in ancient master pieces, works completed by apprentices and occasionally become unavoidable in some designs. That’s what I’m sticking to anyway!!

The paint drips effect was created with a picture tube I made in Paintshop.

Any questions just ask…

Also note this painting is available for sale, please contact me for details or refer to my price list pricelist. Cheers!

Meanwhile, to see how I’ve been getting on this year, here are some comments on my work from the last couple of months… (taken from http://magicseaweed.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=15400 and http://magicseaweed.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=15199)

First up for some critism…

New Sketchbook Picture
by new_tangled on Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:21 pm

Here’s a new picture from my sketchbook I finished this afternoon instead of surfing in the blown out mess

Hope you like….

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by surfer-dave on Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:18 pm

Done on a computer?

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by new_tangled on Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:24 pm

Yeah, using paint shop pro 4. I drew the picture in my sketchbook, photgraphed it and then made the pipeing effects on the computer… what do you think, any good?

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by surfer-dave on Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:32 pm

yeah it’s cool.

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by new_tangled on Fri Jan 23, 2009 6:44 pm

Cheers man

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by eire08 on Fri Jan 23, 2009 10:22 pm

mon ya

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by Poo Stance on Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:21 pm

Very logo-esque, you could maybe sell it to an upcoming new surf brand.

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by new_tangled on Sat Jan 24, 2009 5:19 pm

That would be cool, know of anyone shopping for a logo??

It crossed my mind it was a bit logo-ish. Part of the idea from the design was from something I read about the poster artist Abe Games (http://abramgames.com) who worked on very small sketches before desiging his posters reasoning that if it was possible to have a good design small it would stand out from a distance. The original shape for this I doodled while in a meeting at work

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by daveyc on Sat Jan 24, 2009 6:32 pm

sorry, but i think its pretty shit!

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by new_tangled on Sun Jan 25, 2009 6:27 pm

Good to know

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by danny1 on Sun Jan 25, 2009 7:59 pm

love the celtic knots…thats the best bit for me….the surfer detracts from the image…the celtic wave is lush

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by new_tangled on Sun Jan 25, 2009 8:06 pm

That’s cool, useful feedback, cheers Danny

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by Toots on Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:39 pm

yep gotta agree wi Danny1 - I like the celtic wave/knot look but not too sure about the surfer….

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by new_tangled on Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:59 pm

Cheers Toots

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by Black on Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:55 pm

I agree also. The problem for me is the face of the surfer is too different/unresolved style wise from the rest and as a whole the surfer doesn’t sit with the knotwork. On the other hand I think the handling of the wind/spray on the top of the knots works really well - good way of combining real phenomena with something very stylised.

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by new_tangled on Mon Jan 26, 2009 1:15 pm

Cheers Black, I guess thats what I’m aiming for … combining the Celtic styles with representational structure and shapes …

It’s interesting you mention the surfers face, my girlfriend recons it looks like a gimp mask! we did rewatch Pulp fiction the other day

I’ve been looking at lots of street art pictures lately and wanted to try using a fairly childish style, similar to some artists I’ve seen, (I’ll try and dig out a link later).

Previously I’ve been trying to find a compromise between traditional Celtic humans and a cartoonish style and also more realistic styles. From everyones responses I’m going to work more on this, possibly redrawing this sketch.

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by Black on Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:06 pm

Celtic art is about as far from a “childish” style as you can get - I wish you luck with getting those two to work together!!!

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by new_tangled on Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:28 pm

OK maybe I mean simple … especially works found when the Pictish peoples (of eastern / central scotland) were crossing over to Christian Celtic art-forms (introduced from Ireland). Pictish people produced images of patterns as well as animals and humans, they were skilled craft workers but some of their forms were relatively primative.

For example http://www.heroicage.org/issues/8/images/cessfordfig1.png (image to large to place inline in post)

Besides, I like a challenge

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by Black on Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:46 pm

Ah yes I’m getting it now i think - a primitive surf art that could have been created by ancient surfers from around these parts? Sounds good to me!

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by new_tangled on Mon Jan 26, 2009 7:51 pm

Maybe, as if the Polynesians were actually descended from the Vikings … they just chilled out a bit and went surfing

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by Toots on Mon Jan 26, 2009 10:07 pm

[quote="new_tangled"]It’s interesting you mention the surfers face, my girlfriend recons it looks like a gimp mask! quote]

LOL i had another look at the pic and tink shes right about teh face!! the surfer is a bit too cartoonish for me and the colour a bit odd wi the knot….
looking forward to seeing the next version

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by Vince Noir on Tue Jan 27, 2009 10:24 am

i like the way he’s trying to make the drop without getting sucked into wave…the wind spray makes it look fierce

but yea his face is werid lol

Re: New Sketchbook Picture
by new_tangled on Tue Jan 27, 2009 1:14 pm

Cheers Vince,

The original inspiration for the wave was from a photo of Andy Irons on a nasty looking wave in The Surfers Path Nov/Dev 2008. He’s totally comitted, with the board vertical on the edge of the tube.

Recon the face might be a bit ‘mighty boosh’ anyway

Next up…

New artwork
by new_tangled on Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:26 pm

Here’s a new one from my sketchbook which I’ve worked on with the computer… hope you like and look forward to any comment you have

Re: New artwork
by Black on Tue Feb 10, 2009 6:49 pm

Looks like you put lots of effort into that. More resolved than the other one and I’m lovin the background.

Re: New artwork
by new_tangled on Tue Feb 10, 2009 7:15 pm

Cheers black …

The backgrounds been generated from the uncropped version of the main knot and then I used a kaleidoscope function to repeat the pattern and create new shapes and forms. Additionally it’s been dropped into the background by altering the lightness and saturation.

As for the last one I published … everything is an experiment!!!

Appreciate your comments.

Re: New artwork
by Vince Noir on Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:18 pm

Ace

Have you got a version without the repeating pattern in the background ?..

Re: New artwork
by IainF on Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:41 pm

yeah second Black, thats way better than the other one. like the foam along the lip line, thats really effective.

agree with vince too actually maybe it doesnt need the background. be good to see one without it.

Re: New artwork
by new_tangled on Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:06 pm

Glad you like it….

Here is an uncropped, no background version:

Re: New artwork
by REO on Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:49 pm

like that one better…coolio!

Re: New artwork
by new_tangled on Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:24 pm

Cheers!! Still time for someone to come on and tell me it’s shit though

Re: New artwork
by Black on Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:08 pm

The way you interpret real phenomena into a stylised work takes a big lump of skill. Also you are working to a larger artwork rather than a logo type thing (ie logo = minus the background) and I think you improve all the time. Whatever you do, whether I get it or not I think you should keep going for it. You really are making progress. I’ve tried to do surf stuff and (somewhat) failed however your efforts have inspired me to try again and I know its because you are wrestling with transforming real phenomena into art to share.

Sorry bit emotional there!!!

Re: New artwork
by ATTMFKH on Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:10 am

Did somebody airbrush out his snooker cue

Like the swirly wavey energy implosion but think the surfer might have been on that medical trial that went Pete Tong about 2 years ago

Re: New artwork
by new_tangled on Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:16 pm

ATTMFKH wrote:
Did somebody airbrush out his snooker cue

Like the swirly wavey energy implosion but think the surfer might have been on that medical trial that went Pete Tong about 2 years ago

F***ing funny!! Nice.

Black wrote:
The way you interpret real phenomena into a stylised work takes a big lump of skill. Also you are working to a larger artwork rather than a logo type thing (ie logo = minus the background) and I think you improve all the time. Whatever you do, whether I get it or not I think you should keep going for it. You really are making progress. I’ve tried to do surf stuff and (somewhat) failed however your efforts have inspired me to try again and I know its because you are wrestling with transforming real phenomena into art to share.

Sorry bit emotional there!!!

Mate, nice response, am glad you feel inspired to get going again… we’re all our own harshest critic. I thing all creative output has worth and can generate new ideas and directions for the creator and viewer, so don’t give up and please share it (pm me maybe?) What kind of stuff do you do? I’d like to find other surf artists to do sketch sharing with (where you post/email a sketch and another artist adds to it) … if you’re interested?

Thanks for the encouragement and comments

Re: New artwork
by twisted_tinkerbell on Wed Feb 11, 2009 2:38 pm

This brings back memories of art college in the early 90’s when celtic art was all the rage. My final exam had to be about dreams and somehow I managed to get a giant celtic knot in the picture Must admit I do really like how you’re incorporating surfing into it. Its really unique. Just don’t start printing it on tie-dye t-shirts

Re: New artwork
by ATTMFKH on Wed Feb 11, 2009 3:10 pm

twisted_tinkerbell wrote:
This brings back memories of art college in the early 90’s when celtic art was all the rage. My final exam had to be about dreams and somehow I managed to get a giant celtic knot in the picture Must admit I do really like how you’re incorporating surfing into it. Its really unique. Just don’t start printing it on tie-dye t-shirts

Unique ??? http://www.clanskates.co.uk/info.html

Re: New artwork
by twisted_tinkerbell on Wed Feb 11, 2009 3:55 pm

ATTMFKH wrote:
twisted_tinkerbell wrote:
This brings back memories of art college in the early 90’s when celtic art was all the rage. My final exam had to be about dreams and somehow I managed to get a giant celtic knot in the picture Must admit I do really like how you’re incorporating surfing into it. Its really unique. Just don’t start printing it on tie-dye t-shirts

Unique ??? http://www.clanskates.co.uk/info.html

Thats just a blatant plug for the shop? I was talking unique in an artist sense. How was I to know a surf/skate shop in Glasgow already had the idea by having a celtic design on their window

Re: New artwork
by new_tangled on Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:13 pm

That’s just two interlinked rings

Er I’m not unique though, since I started this project I was introduced to the brilliant work of Barry Briton

http://www.barrybritton.com/

I don’t know of anyone else who’s attempting to morph Celtic knots into waves though so I hoping to bring something a bit different to the table… if anyone knows of similar artworks though I’m always interested… or any art you think might be of interest to me it’s always good to come across new stuff.

Re: New artwork
by danny1 on Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:45 pm

mate that is wicked…i love the design….real nice…
if i had one or two minor crits it would be
the gadgie is a bit weird….needs to blend into the piece more…match styles (somehow!)

and not sure on the colours! its a bit heavy metal or hammerite paints!

but real nice original artwork!! how are you gonna get this onto canvass?

Re: New artwork
by new_tangled on Wed Feb 11, 2009 6:08 pm

Cheers Danny…

The palette I used is from http://colourlovers.com

Was a bit of a gamble, but I’m trying out different things to see what happens… I can understand it’s not necessarily nice colours. An early attempt I did with this palette my girlfriend said made he feel weird to look at :-/

As for the styles of the
danny1 wrote:
gadgie

I guess thats the surfer?? Matching the knot, it’s a real challenge and one I’m finding hard at the moment. I’ve tried sticking to the traditional late celtic human figures, more cartoony and more representational and they all seem to be hard to pull off, gonna keep trying different styles and methods till it sits better.

As for how to get on Canvas, I’m having real trouble finding anyone who’ll print for good value… with v little mark-up it’ll exceed what I’m asking for an original which seems wrong. I’m thinking about making more stencils and printing at home, I did some of this last summer and it worked pretty well. You got any suggestions?

BTW You interested in doing any sketch swaps / collaborations?

Re: New artwork
by Black on Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:25 pm

new_tangled wrote:
Mate, nice response, am glad you feel inspired to get going again… we’re all our own harshest critic. I thing all creative output has worth and can generate new ideas and directions for the creator and viewer, so don’t give up and please share it (pm me maybe?) What kind of stuff do you do? I’d like to find other surf artists to do sketch sharing with (where you post/email a sketch and another artist adds to it) … if you’re interested?

Thanks for the encouragement and comments

This encouragement thing works both directions, how good is that!
My “normal” stuff looks like this http://www.blackfish.co.uk/art.htm - not surfy thats for sure!!!
I’ve done a few realistic wave sketches since the inspiration - if they amount to anything I’ll definitely post them up.

Not really into collaborative stuff tbh but I can see the benefits.

Some good criticism (spell that when you get back from the pub) here. Keep at it!

Re: New artwork
by new_tangled on Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:56 pm

Back from the pub, not convinced I can spell critiscism at the best of times!

I like your website, the photos from the 70’s are amazing, you must have been the only group on the beach with surfboards, must have attracted some attention. Am jealous of those years of uncrowded waves…

I enjoyed seeing your compositions as well, a touch of Mondrian and Fautrier…

of your free art I liked:

(too big to post inline)
http://www.blackfish.co.uk/b210a.jpg

Colourful Geiger style, brilliant

I’d definitely be up for swapping sketches if you did fancy experimenting…. looking forward to seeing your new surf art too, all this has made my day

Re: New artwork
by Black on Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:44 pm

Yes the 70s were good not least because I was young!!!! You just took it for granted being so empty as thats just the way it was - probably didn’t appreciate it enough. Boards are much better now though IMO so it wasn’t all good.

Thanks very much for your comments on my stuff - glad you like that one, a bit of fun I had there, fairly sure I had Geiger in mind too, but pretty!

I’ll definitely post something when it works. But still not sure about swaps.

Thanks!

Re: New artwork
by new_tangled on Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:48 pm

Just good to have connected, cheers

Zoe and I headed out for a walk, and I too this picture from above the Lobb Field

This afternoon when the snow had thawed some I headed out and got this picture of the Burrows at Saunton in the snow.

Beautiful, a rare site, the snowline to the high tide mark … back to work tomorrow tho … :-/

The end of Baggy Point is a set of shear cliffs and jagged spikes of rocks popular with Climbers on a lower tide and calmer day.  Any Jeff Clark wannabes out there, get on it!  I recon it was high tide and Croyde was working on a westerly swell with 8+ foot on the beach, 20+ foot at the sea buoy.  The average period was 13 seconds but the peak period was 25 seconds.

Will I be ready for it, next time this sleeping beauty awakens? … no.

PS If anyone knows the name of this wave (it’s not Oysters / Oyster Falls - that’s off Down-end point), please let me know

Edit: Update… the name of the elusive big wave have been found, apparently it’s called ‘Leapies’ … maybe because of the cliffs??

Here’s a picture from my Christmas Sketch Book….

It’s inspired by street art pieces and so I paintshopped this picture transforming it into a street art piece on a wrecked boat by the Seven Bretheren causeway, Barnstaple… more to come on this subject before long…

Paintshopped Piece

Lichfield Cathederal, 2002

Relief: Polycell and Glycee on MDF.

For the past 3 month Zoe and I have been fixing up our bathroom. With Xmas looming it’s been a push to get finished… but it pretty well is. Easily distracted we are, every time the surf comes up things are put off, some things are just more important

This evening I’ve rushed around doing jobs like scewing the toilet down so no one drunkenly topples it… and hanging pictures…

With art in storage waiting for sale, why not display it? After all I’m only producing the art I want to see and can’t find elsewhere! So I’ve filled the walls… I especially happy by the 2002 relief I’ve hung in the bathroom… Litchfield Cathederal, Glycee and Polycell on MDF… it looks great contrasting with our red, black and white room, finally I have somewhere good to hang it.

Here’s some of the art dotted oround our home… which I can see much more DIY instore for 2009…

Green Wave

One from the summer, a friend has told me it reminds them of soulful sessions surfing Ireland back in the 70’s… It’s based on a photo of Robert ‘Wingnut’ Weaver riding a Santa Cruz backlit beauty.

Berber Hills, High Atlas, Morocco

Pastels on paper, sketched from my tent late one September afternoon at about 2200m, High Atlas, Morocco. I can almost smell the wild mint on the breeze

The Art that pays the Bills

An Avaya IPO500 motherboard, I lead the design and supervised the artwork on this board, a shiny momento from an old job!

Much of my art is for sale, please see the gallery