These are resin paintings on surfboards, based on the imagery from Dream. I shaped a new board for myself last year, and it came out pretty well, so I thought I’d get Sage Joske, at Valla Surfboards, to glass it for me. My glassing skills are a bit hit and miss, and Sage is one of the best craftsmen on the coast, having learnt his skills from his father, Paul. By way of payment, he asked if I was interested in doing some artwork for him. Ever since I made the first resin paintings with Andrew Kidman a couple of years ago, I’ve wanted to try the technique on a real board. I suggested we put them straight over the laminate in filler resin, then finish the board normally. Sage knows a lot more about these things than I do, and said we should do them in laminating resin. The board was glassed with a dark blue pigment, then the details added over the top, one colour at a time. The boards are a couple of Sage’s signature Fish designs, and are works of art in their own right. Sage still shapes every board by hand, from scratch.

Next week there’s an art show at Retrospect Galleries, Byron Bay, as part of the Byron Bay Surfing Festival. They’ve asked me to contribute some pieces, so I’m bringing a few resin paintings, as well as some of the original framed cels from Dream. Then, the other day, I remembered the boards I did for Sage, and suggested to Jimmy McMillan, who’s curating the show, that I bring one of them along, too. I think it will all look pretty good together.