Advisor: Jason Paradis

As a native of Long Island, I never realized how fortunate I was to live in such close proximity to the ocean. Throughout my time at Stony Brook, I began to meet and network with people from all over the world. Meeting individuals from around the globe has truly helped me understand how many people have never been able to go to the beach. Through the surrounding geography of my home, I had the privilege to explore activities that provide both an outlet and inspiration. These activities are tremendously impactful and helpful in clearing my mind when I’m feeling stressed or anxious. One of these activities is surfing. When I first started surfing, I never knew all the different obstacles and challenges one may face while being in the water. Always seeing people on the television or hearing about it, it always seemed like it would be fun and easy, but learning the hard way, I realized there were many things to overcome. Whenever I am in the studio, I am constantly thinking about the ocean wondering what the conditions are looking like, wishing I was on my board in the water. Through surfing experiences of being both thrown around in the water after wiping out or sitting calmly on my board waiting between sets, Riding The Wave is about connecting with the ocean. This body of work captures these different moments, challenges, and experiences through different mixed media pieces consisting of oil paintings, linoleum prints and installations.
When surfing, I always make sure to be focused and relaxed since the ocean is uncontrollable and can change at any point and time. Through practice you start to become more familiar with how to “read” waves and become more aware of the situation. This allowed me to become more comfortable being in the ocean and is what established my connection with the ocean. In Riding The Wave, I create multiple situations that a surfer may face or come up against when surfing. All these pieces are based on my own personal experiences and connection to the ocean that help create a journey that most people would not think of when they think of surfing. Pieces are choreographed throughout the gallery to capture a specific feeling, while placing emphasis on scale and perspective to make the situation more genuine.

One of the first pieces in this series, Destruction of Balance, was created with the mindset of needing a sense of direction when it comes to surfing; one can lose balance and possibly ding up your board. While the tower of boards may look like an arrow sign, each board is turned in a specific direction to maintain its balance. The use of broken boards reminds the viewer that surfing can be physical and without having a sense of direction can cause damage. The creation of this piece was emotionally painful because I had to hand-break a few old surfboards. I took the split surfboards and drilled a hole in every piece while also spray painting a light coat of paint on the broken pieces to help make the boards look more distressed. The selection of spray paint aimed to mirror the mist generated by a breaking wave.

Title: Sunset Surf, Date: 2024, Dimensions: 28” x 35” , Medium: Oil on wood

Sunset Surf was created with the intention of this feeling that only a surfer that’s been in this situation would understand. After a long day out in the water riding the remains of a storm, the tides begin to change, and the water becomes calmer while the sun starts to set. You begin to catch your breath and enjoy the relaxing moment of passing waves breaking on the shore while you clear your head. Pastel colors aim to evoke the ocean’s calm and to show the viewer that beauty often emerges in the aftermath of the storm. The loose brush strokes help represent the feeling of serenity that is present in this situation.

Whirlpool is a piece that was created based on my trip to Costa Rica; where the waves were more powerful. In surfing, “timing” is everything. While surfing, dropping in on a wave a little too late, caused me to fall and continuously get spun and cycled in the water. The act of the wave tossing me around made me feel like I was in a washing machine. While paddling in for a wave on a surfboard, you have to pop up on your feet at a specific time. Doing so too late caused me to drop into the bottom of a wave, then cycling back up, and slamming back down underwater. Whirlpool is a washing machine that was primed and then painted using acrylic paint while being smashed with a sledgehammer. On the front of the machine a wave is painted signifying the churning “barrel”. While applying the paint on the washer between each session, I took a sledgehammer and beat up the washing machine to replicate the never-ending cycle of waves forming and breaking. While looking closer into the washer, after smashing the machine it still turns on and spins, along with multiple blue-colored cloth tossing around to represent the crashing effect of a wave.

Wave was inspired by a time when I was out on my surfboard behind the cresting waves. Just when one thinks they are in a safe position, you turn to look at the shore for a brief moment only to find a huge wave that is ready to break on top of you. With that anxious feeling in my stomach, I begin to paddle towards the wave as fast as I can to try to get through it in time. If you have ever surfed, you would understand how many times you may be put in this situation. Upon inspection of this piece, the viewer is confronted by the surprise of a big “life size” wave. The scale is extremely important to suggest to the viewer that they are fully immersed in the experience of being in the actual situation. During the creation of this piece, I started off making a substructure out of wood to frame the likeness of a wave. Once a substructure was created, I rolled out chicken wire from the top to the bottom to create an enveloping curved shape. The holes in the chicken wire were too big, which caused me to grab a different wire called “hardware cloth.” Keeping the original chicken wire in place, I sandwiched a sheet of plastic between the chicken wire and the newly added hardware cloth. Doing so to act as a “net” to catch any foam that may leak from the back and to control the spray, making the process more controllable. After countless amounts of spray foam cans were used to seal and cover the substructure, the foam dried and I shaved off the surface of the foam with a razor blade creating a smoother texture. Lastly, I then painted different colors of blue acrylic paint over the foam with strokes going vertically to create the lifting movement of a wave. Introducing splatter effects in specific regions to simulate water dripping off a wave.

Dawn Patrol is a linoleum print inspired by memories of getting up early in the morning before sunrise to go out surfing with friends. The piece features two friends sharing a wave traditionally called a “party wave.” The completion of this piece led to the creation of Dawn Patrol 2. Dawn Patrol 2 depicts two friends walking down the beach scoping out the water for a perfect entry point. These prints were created in mind of capturing the memories that one may have as a surfer.

Title: Coral Reef, Date: 2024, Dimensions: Medium: Mixed media

Coral reef is a multi-piece installation that consists of small patches of spray foamed areas spread around the gallery to act as a coral reef. This piece was created to educate people on how and why a wave forms and breaks. An integral part of coastlines are the deposits of sand and coral reefs that act as a buffer to the beach and its respective landmass. The sand bar and coral reef are a feature that is present below the surf on the ocean floor. As the incoming water is interrupted by the reef below it causes the wave to steepen and then break. This chain reaction is repeated up and down the entire beach. Coral Reef was created out of leftover expanding foam along with chicken wire to provide structural support.

Riding The Wave is more than just a collection of art pieces; it’s a reflection on the challenges, emotions, and serenity that comes with the entirety of surfing experience. As I continue to explore the depths of my connection with the ocean, Riding The Wave serves as a testament to the transformative power of art and the enduring allure of the sea. Hand-breaking surfboards in a destructive arts process emphasizes the power and force in which a crashing wave exerts on a surfer after wiping out. The technique of applying spray paint mimics the mist of a breaking wave as a crest pushes past you paddling on your board. Splatter effects simulate water dripping off a wave, all while “drawing” wind and depicting the gravity that is typically absent or static in a work of art. The metaphors and techniques described above serve to deepen the connection between my art process/product and the simulated surfing journey. The artwork becomes more than just a visual representation of surfing; it becomes an emotional experience, reconciling phenomenal situations and inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the unpredictable yet beautiful worlds of both art-making and surfing.