Gallery, surfboards and art.... and beers and more beers

Paint resin sand paint resin buff resin color resin. It's all the same, a constant progress. Moving. Making things. Working towards something. The week has been one I am used to. Deadlines. Deadlines. I seem to function my worst and best in these times. New paintings and boards, new art gallery. Covered in resin and paint from the moment I wake up till I wake up again. Always moving and thinking.
The gallery space is crazy. Big, high ceilings, open beams. One any artist would wish for. Walk through space with stairs and more. I love it. The owner of the building lets me put on art shows in his vacant retail spaces untill they get rented out. It works out perfect. We go in, make it presentable, then put all kinds of art you wouldn't see in any place else. The gallery is pruley to show and inspire. Sales are just a bonus. No overhead means no commericial art. Viva the Freestyle.
Myself and photographer Dave Bjorn spent the last three days buffing over the previous tenants horrible choice of greens and reds on the walls. Now it is as white as snow. People ask why we put so much work into a single two day show. I don't know why we do, but we love too. We paint, build, fix things etc. The whole time talking about art related stuff, getting high on creativity and inspiration. I am always hesitant to call myself and artist, I just feel like a pre-Modoana if I do. I just make things. When I am painting everyday, working on an art show, getting things done, I somewhat feel like an artist. I guess I just feel like everyone is an artists in their own way in some form or another.
The show will be up Friday and Saturday night. About fifteen artists in total, actually probably closer to 20. All new stuff. Red who moved to Maui to do tattoo is coming back for the show which is exciting. He was always a huge help, not to mention a show stopper every time. So many friends we have made doing the temperarily perminent  shows, it' great to get every one back under one roof to drink some beers and enjoy each others creative side.

The Circus Gallery getting a new paint job. Dave Bjorn cutting in way in the back.

Busted.... Stienlagers in the picture. Free beer is free beer. I get a lot more buzzed when straying from my CL norm.

Derrick's full freestyle

I am probably the luckiest board builder on the planet. People have been dropping by with beers for me just about every time. Derrick here with his new board and stoked. 

Derrick went the extra mile and provided 42 mouth watering Coors Light beverages that will be consumed this evening at the art gallery BBQ tonight. Thanks Derrick!

Here is Sam's 4'11 Mini sims he picked up the other day. Tiny little thing but looks so fun. A few of the pro's who stop by through the shop wanted to steel the thing, luckily I know Kung Fu ;)

Sam was also so kind to keep the creative juices flowing with Coors Light. I don't know how everyone knows I love drinking beers, especially CL's but it is working out great for me. Thanks everyone.

Art Show This Month at the CIRCUS gallery

Two Crows Surfboards presents Aporia. An underground art show in Haleiwa of all the weirdos and their new works. Come by Oct 28th to check out some interesting art. Located at 66-145 Kamehameha Hwy Haleiwa, Hawaii 96712.

Come By Friday Night for misconception reception after sundown till....


Aporia (Ancient Greek: ἀπορία: impasse; lack of resources; puzzlement; doubt; confusion) denotes, in philosophy, a philosophical puzzle or state of puzzlement, and, in rhetoric, a rhetorically useful expression of doubt.

Artsy Fartsy

Realizing I got a bunch of resin left over with each color, I started painting the wall. Its growing. Too much. I got some wood and started throwing the excess resin on it instead of in the trash. I had done it before but the pieces are taking a better route than in the past.
I got Anne's from Rock Shop Hawaii's board and Jim's CANoserider to them this weekend in town. Jim was kind enough to suprise me with a twelve pack of Coors Light which was very refreshing before a quick surf at bowels.
Here is some pics from the last few days....
-nick

Anne's board

John Coffe's board before it got its resin work.

Mark and Toot's boards after coloration

The wall before it got even bigger

Lets get organized...orginized

John's board and a canvas for the excess resin

Some resin pieces in the process

Driving the van through town is no fun. Here I am happy to make it out alive after a stressfull mission of trying to find a place to park for the night. I got over it and headed back to Waialua for a evening of margaritas at Cholos with some good friends. Good call.

This-and-thats...

Waylon, owning it at Malibu CA. Photo by L.A. Solano

A couple of shots of a 5'4" Lis style retro fish for Ryan. Twin keel fin delight!

This is a 5'8" quad for Erron, I wish FCS made black fusion plugs...

And of course, my current love affair. 7'4" full volume wave catching machine. Paddles into anything and turns a lot better than an HP longboard. Where have you been all my life lovely! :) 

-Carl 

First boards done!

Been busy the last few days pushing boards through. Two boards are now finished, with two more I just need to polish out, four others ready to sand. Just sprayed two more, which will get started here tonight. Busy busy busy. It's crazy how my new log managed to be the first one done ;)
-n

Jim's board in the polishing room

Jim's board again

My new log

the bottom

Late Night at the Shop

It can cant pretty creepy being at a shop in the sugar mill late at night. Plenty of ice heads running around looking for opened doors. I spent the night sanding my board and Jim's to weird noses and always looking over my shoulder. With a large exhaust fan going and ear muffs on, it can be pretty easy to be snuck up on.  I managed to get out of the shop by 2 am, with the final gloss on two of the first boards to be done. Should have some pics up of them tomorrow.

Freestylin

Resin fumes.
fume tombs.
Color Pigments.
Hand drawn laminates.
I am in the Freestyling stage. Its a good one. After ten hours in the glass room I finally got into my groove with my Coors Light muse. Colors. Colors. Colors. Nothing can be guaranteed but happy indeed. Loose. Controlled chaos. -nick

Mowing Foam

Slave labour. Carl Olsen.

Usually I hold a grudge or a chip on my shoulder for shapers. Usually they are pretty full of themselves as they tidey up their machine shaped boards. Growing up as a sander I have delt with many self proclaimed shapers and personal legends. Sanders always got the blame for everything. Teaming up with Carl has slowly changed my mind towards the shapers of foam. 

This guy mows foam. 

He is fast and percise and consistant. No soul hand sanding or clunky moves. Carl is plowing through foam like its his last day on earth as a shaper. 

17 boards in 4 days. 

By hand. 

No complaints.

There is not that many board builders his age with this type of productivity. Its a dying breed. Some guys are buying shaping machines before they learn how to sharpen skill 100 blades. 

Style Free.

We spent most of the last 4 days at our new location in the Sugar Mill, the Third Stone Factory. It is perfect. Home sweet home. There is a ton of action around and things happening. Brian King. The main attraction of the place. He glasses across the hall. We worked together for years, years ago at Charlie Walkers. Brian is probably one of the most abstract creative thinkers I know, not to mention an extremely original talented artists. Dane Reynolds would probably give him a blow job if he saw the drawings Brian was doing. His glassing and shaping logo are always changing but his current is the best. Special Resin. I got to take a picture of it. Its Hilarious.

Cody upstairs does screen printing so we mucked around with hats while I was waiting for resin to kick. Shirts and hats are on their way. I love it, everything is in house. We stay past midnight one night, after waiting a half day for the shaping bay to clear. In one of the photos you can see the large pile of foam and the tiny one to the right of it.

Shapers.

They are all different and the same.

We crash in the van so we can get a early start before the other guys show up to use the room. 2 days to go and time is running out. 9 boards left. No worries. Two Crows is the king of busting out. We get 'em done.

We're done.

He's done.

My work has begun.

Time for a week of solitary confinement in the fume tomb.

-nick

Clean Lines

Notice the little pile in the Right corner with the stringer foam... notice our pile. Board Builders vs. Tinkerer 

Blurred resin vision

Strippy

Lamination Station

Carl working on Mark's board

The Third Stone Surfboard Factory

The van in the Waialua Sugar Mill

Cody Making two crows Hats

Planer Mods

So we spent most of the weekends huffing fumes and shaping foam. Carl has been planning away like his life depended on it. I got to mix up some colors today for Anne, she wanted blue but I decided she liked florecent pink. Just kidding Anne. Any way it's on. Carl was mowing with his newly modified planner, knocking out boards more effective than a machine. John's Copy Cat and Mosquito were the last boards to be finished this evening before we decided to get some beer. We had to switch teams though. Coors Light 12 paks were overpriced so we went with Kiren Ichiban. 12 for 10$. Score. Back into it tomorrows as we get blanks for Mark and the rest of the gang with good old Andy in Wahiwa. - nick

Van

Van. "I'm getting a Van."  Van. "I'm getting a van when I get back out to Hawaii." Van. Welzie's been talking about vans since Malibu. Or even before that. Who knows, I think I was supposed to get one too.
Airport. Headcold. Hot. Hawaii. I know it before I actually see it. Van. I can sense it's sketchiness from across the airport.
Welzie pulls up. Van. I silently hope there's no one tied up in the back.
I don't ask about the registration or safety. The gas gauge reads empty. I don't ask about that either.
Should have.
 The Van starts stuttering close to Mililani.
We start doing verbal diagnostics.
"Did you feel that?" Welzie.
"Uhh yeah... you're running on empty."
"The gas gauge reads half full..?"
"Yeah it's going backwards.."
The vans dead, now I'm pushing it back from the airport. Nicks still sitting in the drivers seat steering, only now powered by shaper on foot instead of the Ford engine that came with the van.
"Dude get out and push!"
"I gotta steer!"
We're traveling uphill now.
"Dude! Get out and push!!"
He's out now... kind of pushing. Steering seems to be his priority.
The van comes to a rest, we can't push it uphill any further.
I go foraging to the nearest gas station.
"Can I help you?" Cute gas station attendant.
"Gas cans?" I'm sweating and breathing hard. She smiles.
"Right there in the back."
Fumbling around for cash in my pocket, she has to ask.
"Run out of gas?"
"Yep."
"Bummer."
I think about launching into the sob story about coming back from the airport. She doesn't care.
"Freestyle." I correct her.
...
While I was gone, Nick's figured out the hazards. No cops yet. Sweet.
As soon as the gas is in the tank, the van starts.
We get out while the getting's good.
Gas stop.
Poke stop.
Blank stop.
Shop stop.
Wave check.
Should have surfed.
We end up in the water at Keiki. Bodysurf session with no waves. Freestyle bath.
Van camping looms as the sky turns dark. I dork out on my planer as Welzie plans our next move.
Headlamps. Van. Camping. Mosquitoes.
Phone call.
 Beautiful house, Beautiful people. We wake up to pancakes. Viva la freestyle.
-Carl

Lifestyle freestyle

Talking to our friend Mark last night, I kept reflecting on my last session at Pleasure Point, my home break. He's so stoked on surfing, living the life and keeping fit. It's inspiring to to be around people that are so committed to the sport. It's people like him and his family that take surfing beyond a sport and make it a culture, a lifestyle.
 This particular day started out as normal, too much work to do, and deciding that checking the surf is not a priority. I have my premium surfline account but still didn't bother to look. Work's always waiting for you like a faithful lover, there's always more to do, there's always more time to give. Unlike the ocean, who can be so jealous and withholding when you need her the most, like a woman that you love but you can't trust with your friends. You always hear about that amazing time they had together while you were gone. So it can be easy to shun her, but something always pulls you back.  
The news starts to come in via txt.
:waves r good
:?
:southwest
:hows the tide
:low n evening
People start disappearing from the shop. Standard issue in the surf industry... the only ones that are left are usually the ones that have their stereos too loud or are too tuned out in general to know that there's something better to be doing. With two days left before I depart to the islands, it's a difficult choice. Leave and surf and deal with work later, or work now, skip surfing knowing that there will be warm water waiting for me in HI.
I decide to check it, the usual compromise. Taking a peek never hurt anyone. It's pretty packed, but the waves just keep coming and coming. Dammit. I suit up and head out, work will have to wait... I've got a new mini-sims that needs "R&D" in the back of the car. Good excuse.
My friend Geoff meets up with me as we head out, he's got a mini too. Cute, we're like a couple walking down to the beach together- two boards the same, one red, one blue. I decide to take a back route to the water, no need to make a scene.
We end up surfing on the inside of the mainbreak for awhile, no one else around. 2 foot high and fun.  Hooting. Thats what surfing's about. Fun waves, good friends. It doesn't matter how big it is. Friends that you're stoked when they paddle around you and get that next wave. Geoffs good at that.
I paddle over to the main break, bracing myself for the crowd. Everyone is smiling. Good sign.
Waves keep coming and coming. Everyone is getting a share. The usual uneasiness that you feel in the water when sets are scarce isn't there. Stoked.
I trade boards with Geoff. We have the same board with different fin placements. You can feel the difference. Twin keels further up, looser sweeter feeling but with less drive. Fins further back, stiffer ride but added drive. Always learning, always confirming.
After an hour and a half I head in. Back to work. Geoff calls me out.
"Short session?"
"I've got plenty."
"Power session?"
"No don't just need anymore."
It's true. These days it just takes a few to remind myself of why we do it. There's no need to be greedy. Friends, family, fun... lifestyle, culture... commitment. Thanks Mark. -Carl