In his own words, Assaf loves “water, rice, corvettes, WW2 fighters, and 6’3″ surfboards.” His work is polarised between intensely detailed studies and blurred, use-your-own-imagination renderings that could be paintings or polaroids. Look closely and you’ll notice little twists here and there, cunning titles, and unexpected hand-wrought flourishes. Sometimes it feels like you’re looking at Assaf’s pictures from underwater, at other times through a microscope.

Check out more of his portfolio here.

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Pacific playboy

“My paintings are all about light and colour,” says Steve, whose style is influenced by the work of California impressionist artists like Kevin Short, Ken Auster and John Comer, and the classic surf art of John Severson.

“Looking at good art will always influence and help your painting, but in the end your own style will always take over – I think the same can also be said of surfing.”

Born and bred in Devon, Steve grew up in Weston-Super-Mare, where his interest in painting was sparked at a young age: “Drawing and painting is something I have always done, it’s just in me. As a teenager I used to sell chalk drawings on the promenade in Weston,” Steve explained. His father first introduced him to surfing when Steve was a teenager, and Woolacombe and other North Devon beaches were their haunts of choice.

After studying graphic design and animation at Leicester Art College, Steve moved to London and worked with the famous animator Bob Godfrey, whose creations include the cult classics of many an 80s child’s formative years, ‘Rhubarb and Custard’ and ‘Henry’s Cat’. After working in London on classics like ‘Count Duckula’ and ‘Danger Mouse’, Steve also spent stints in Manchester and Athens working as a freelance animator. “While I was living away from the coast, I took every opportunity I could to go surfing – weekend (or longer) trips to Ireland, Scotland, NZ, Fiji, Hawaii, California and France. One time, I even bodysurfed perfect, head-high waves on the Greek coast,” says Steve.

By the mid nineties, the lure of easy living and more sliding opportunities brought Steve back to his Devon roots. He made Croyde his home after taking up the offer to run one of the local surf schools. “I continued to paint and sell the paintings in my spare time until I started to make more money from my art than the surf instructing. Since then I have worked full-time as an artist and based myself in Woolacombe,” Steve explains. “Saunton and Croyde are so crowded these days, but you can still find your own space at Woolacombe and there’s a really strong family-orientated community here, so the town doesn’t die in the winter. The light, colours and changing seasons inspire my work, and a good day here reminds me so much of California.”

“I love stylish surfers like Phil Edwards,” says Steve, who, when he isn’t painting, can be found gliding around Woolacombe’s beach break peaks on his 11-foot Skip Frye longboard. He’s even featured in Rich Gregory’s forthcoming film ONEDAY.

You can check out more of Steve’s work on his website and blog, or at The JC Gallery in Braunton. This summer there will be an exhibition of his work at the Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe (5 July to 5 September).

Please also check out my general DROOG79 blog and my art for sale site D79 Sells Out. Enjoy yourselves, and each other.

Crystal Caverns - Inspired by tales of Michael Peterson et al. taking acid before going surfing

Fiji - oil painting detail

The Mistress - A drawing for Dan Crockett's new zine 'The KooK'

André Cortes is a Brazilian artist who best represents the true spirit of surfing through painting, with a sensitivity sharpened by a genuine appreciation for the ways of the sea.

Portraits of a perfect solitary wave breaking, a father teaching his son to stand on a board, and a bodysurfer fitting into a perfect tube are just some of the snapshots of surfing that André incorporates into his work. The resulting pictures capture the art of sliding through the waves.

Here, this artist and university lecturer from Rio de Janeiro – a Grumari beach local surfer known by friends as Cinquentinha – explains a little bit more about his work, influences and the role of art in surfing and education…

How did you come to combine a love of surfing with art??
I am an artist and illustrator by trade – I graduated in industrial design at PUC-Rio University, where I currently teach drawing and design.
My artistic involvement with the ocean and surfing started naturally with the fascination I always had with its movements, colours and symbols. Surfing and painting have always been personal means to seek a deeper connection with the water in physical, mental and spiritual senses. The means of expression I have always favoured is watercolour painting – the water technique.

Where can we see your work?
I’ve produced some designs for Veltra and Art in Surf. I’ve also shown work at the surf art shows sponsored by Alma Surf magazine, created illustrations for the Hang Loose movie ‘Quintal de Casa’, and contributed watercolours to the music video for ‘All Over’ by Brazilian singer Paula Toller (which features Donovan Frankenreiter).

What’s your view of surf culture in Brazil??
I believe that what we call ‘surf culture’ in Brazil is still very much tied to what this concept means in other surfing communities abroad. I still see people having great difficulty making their own identity, instead insisting on following ready-made models. I also believe that the place of art in the education of our young people is still very limited, causing the production and consumption of a culture that is not connected with our true artistic expressions.

What are your artistic influences??
My main references tend to come from the world of art and popular culture. My master, Agria Urian de Souza, a painter form Para ( in the north of Brazil) who’s a great lover of water and black culture is a massive influence on my work, as is Carybé, another important name in a long list of artists who have portrayed our land and our people.

What are your plans for the future??
At the moment I am concentrating on my research into elements of black African culture in Brazil – particularly the richness of Afro-Brazilian religious iconography in popular culture.
I have worked on projects with African-origin communities in Brazil, through partnerships with organisations such as the Quilombo Association in Paraty and Jongo da Serrinha in Madureira, Rio de Janeiro. At some point I would like to produce some paintings for art books, exhibitions, videos, and animations related to this portrayal of our regional culture.