Andrew writes; “We started in Byron Bay, have been down to Torquay and are now back at home in Northern NSW.

Had fun waves pretty much everywhere we went, with cresent head the highlight on a solid south swell, long rides, longboard.

We shot a quirky little home movie that we will work on over the summer break… we have more footage to shoot up in Noosa and also the Gold Coast this weekend.

Shot a couple of rolls of film of people and faces we will get developed sometime soon.

Felicity had her digital camera and we spent an hour piecing together this slideshow of some photos of faces and places, with music live from Island Vibe in 2008.”

Be sure to check out Switch-Foot.com and join their newsletter too.

“The exhibition is a result of a project I started while studying photography at Sunderland University,” explains Andrea. “I was interested in the positive impact the surf community had on the area, and discovered that Tynemouth was awarded Blue Flag status after SAS campaigned to clean up pollution and improve water quality. In addition, surfing has been a pull for tourists, directly improving the local economy and invigorating the area culturally too.

I chose my subjects – actually, targets would be a better word – by simply asking surfers coming out of the sea if they would mind having their picture taken. I whittled these down to a series of photos that I hope explores the relationships between surfers and non-surfers using the beach, and causes people to reflect on how we each find and create communities based on our shared passions.”

This is no ordinary surf book, it’s one of only a few illustrated surf books I’ve got my hands on which merits the hype and fuss. The last one was beautifully crafted, with a wonderful page style and attention to detail. Each page contained a deep and reverant insight into the culture of surfing. Seen through the eyes of the elders, and not so elder, Switch-Foot was a celebration of book publishing, as much as a celebration of surfing.

The talented AC again produced this second version, who refers to his work as a dedication to the subculture within surfing. I always feel he has somehow done himself an injustice here, I think that you would be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t enjoy his book, whatever corridor of the surfing world they tread.

Please visit Switch Foot for more info, some free downloads and whole lot more.

Andrew Crockett: Can you remember your first gig with surfing art?
Harry Daily: Yeah… I guess I was probably around 19 or 20. The Surf Gallery (Laguna Beach, California), that was my first big gig. I went to Australia after that and kind of got lost for a few years.

AC: Is that where you did the Sketch Holiday series?
HD: Yeah, in Australia.

AC: What inspired you to create the Sketch Holiday series?
HD: I was just bumming around Sydney to Byron Bay with my sketchbooks and some good pencils. I made these drawings all day long, at the beach, wherever it was great. Then I chose the best of those sketches and turned them into illustrations afterwards. Now they’re available as prints.

AC: How many images are there in the series?
HD: I think there are 13. Well, we print 13 but there are almost 20 out there, and more to come I think when I finish it up. Not that many: a dozen, a baker’s dozen, maybe.

AC: Surfers like Joel Tudor, Neal Purchase and Dain Thomas inspire some of your images… Did you surf with them, or did you see them in photos/movies?
HD: I was inspired by their personalities. Have you ever met Joel Tudor? He’s great isn’t he? Same with Purcho… I love that guy; so much personality, so much fun.

AC: Do you still surf?
HD: Sometimes. I like surfing in Australia, if I have the right board.

AC: What about skating?
HD: I don’t have a skateboard at the moment, but I would. I gotta talk that skateboard shop into giving me one… Maybe I can work it off? I was supposed to paint their windows, I should call that guy.

AC: You’re just about to head home to San Diego. Did you enjoy yourself in Cornwall?
HD: It’s been great, I love England. I went to Paris too, but definitely had more fun here.

AC: Do you travel much with your art, or do you like staying in one place?
HD: I travel around until I find a nice spot to settle down and make art and then I do it and try to find my way home when I am done. It works out really well. I had a lot of luck in Cornwall, it was great.

AC: Do you consider yourself a surf artist?
HD: I don’t think so. No. I should I guess? Do you think I am a surf artist?

AC: I think you can create surf art, but I also know your art transcends that bubble. What kind of work are you producing at the moment?
HD: Everything. Whatever I can get my hands on. Drawing, painting, sculptures. It’s fun trying to make my art my life. Ask me in a week, though, and I might have a different answer.

AC: How does it feel knowing people want to write about you, put you in films and generally know more about Harry Daily?
HD: It’s fun, it’s good and so they should. I have a lot to say. Maybe not right now, but someday.

www.harrydaily.com
www.switch-foot.com