You know this organization “The Society of Publication Designers“? I don’t really, but they just laid a good honor on me. They say I made one of the “Top Alternative Newsweekly Covers of 2011“. Thanks, but I’m pretty fond of these other ones too >>>

Since then I’ve rewritten it and changed up the illustration style to be a lot simpler and smaller for little hands. The kinds folks at Scout Books made the books for me and now I have enough to be able to share with more people then just Camper.
Enjoy.

You can pick one up here>>>

So I’ve been trying to start from scratch. I say in my head “I don’t know anything” then try to paint. A lot of ugly work has happened and I’m sure not going to show anyone. However, I finally started down a path that feels right.

Every Sunday I go surf at a beach park with the family called Launiupoko. The waves are totally different from what I’m used to in Oregon. They move different, they feel different, and they ride different. The folks I’m in the water with aren’t they type I’m used to either. A typical surf session in Oregon is head to toe wet suit with a white wet bearded faces poking out. Here I surf practically naked with old buff Hawaiians, slick Japanese ladies, and kids starting as early as 6 years old. What stirs me up the most is how elegant these people surf. They are the most graceful surfers I’ve ever been in the water with.

So these new paintings I’m working on are totally inspired by the beauty of surfing here in Maui. They’re painted on paper stained by local coffee and cell vinyl paint. The ones that are for sale are at the Department of Awesome here >>>

Now the shirt is available for everyone online, so if you like awesome shirts, go get one already>>>

In early May I was asked by the fine folks at Pinball Publishing to art direct some employee portraits. So I came up with a crazy papercraft special effects photo shoot that made the employee portraits tell a little story. The story about the simple Scout Books, or the “Little Books for Big Ideas”. These pocket books are great, I always have one on me and it’s basically saved my life on occasion.
I assembled a team with Jessie Bazata as the papercraft expert and Alin Dragulin as the photographer/videographer. With the team of volunteers (see list below) we made this totally unnecessary, but radical photoshoot happen.

We had a blast making this and now Pinball has their employee portraits to do whatever they want with.

Here you go world, enjoy!

Scout Books: Papercraft Photo Shoot: Behind the Scenes from Scout Books on Vimeo.

Papercraft Crew:
Jessie Bazata, Whitney Phu, Rory Phillips, Sean Garrison, Justin “Scrappers” Morrison, Francois Vigneault

Photo Shoot Crew:
Alin Dragulin, Justin “Scrappers” Morrison, Julian Gese, Priscilla Phitsanoukane, Andrea Raijer, Amy Morrison, Camper Morrison

Models:
Laura Whipple, Nicole Lavelle, Francois Vigneault, Dave Authier

So I made a design a while back in response to the black wave that hit Japan. I made prints to sell, and organized an art show will all my art buddies to raise money for Surfrider Japan. It worked and I was glad to help in the little way that I could. A couple months later Hurley had the same idea and I was honored to be in on the project.

Score a shirt HERE>>>

Read what the LA Times had to say about it HERE >>>

I got the rare opportunity to do some work for Surfing Magazine and their cool art director Chato.

The original painting “Old School New School” is for sale! $200 (shipping and handling included), gouache and cell-vinyl paint on paper, 8.5X11 (you can find that sized frame at any thrift shop:)

What is Awesome? Skinner, Bwana Spoons, Martin Ontiveros and me “Scrappers” all locked in a 30′ tall by 260′ around gallery space called )( Space for 14-17 hours a day for seven solid days. Armed with over 100 gallons of paint and Hurley’s credit card we pushed each other to do the biggest and bestest work of our lives. For once we didn’t have any of the typical obstacles (not enough money, not enough time, not enough fun…) to get in the way of doing what we love.

Click “Continue Reading” to see the full report >>>

I’m not sure how it all came about, but I know this much, Bwana invited me, Dalek invited him, and all the kind folks at Hurley made it happen.

I’ve been around long enough to know that a chance like this will only come once, so I took full advantage of the opportunity. I quit my job at the Portland Mercury, and started freelancing at Pinball and Egg until the time came to fly to Hurley’s headquarters in Costa Mesa with my best art buddies to see what we could make together. It was totally Iron Chef style. I worked with the ingredients that were at hand. All I took was a Scout Book full of ideas.

We dove in heart first on day one. After all the Hurley workers left at 5pm we cranked Red Fang and other random heavy metal that Skinner and Martin loved and Bwana and I had the indoor skate park all to ourselves. I’m an old man, I’m brittle, I get tired easily, and I am very very fragile. So I fell and dislocated my ring finger on my painting hand. After a trip to the hospital (thanks for the ride and crazy stories Maloney), I came back, picked up a paint brush, and dove back into the loud music of making lovely color with my friends (insert cheese fart here). It set the pace for my whole trip. Go hard, go long, go all the way until it’s over.

I know my friends rule, but working with them in this environment really took my breath away. Martin is super mean to himself, but he works through it every time and is a true inspiration to everyone in the room. Skinner is a very smart man, he’s also more sensitive and compassionate then most of his fans would ever admit. Bwana is my hero. While we were there Bwana abandoned any sort of formula or branded style and did all new work in all new ways. You won’t believe what he can do with driftwood and a paint roller now. It’s clear to see how we all grew from the experience (insert tear drop here).

Scott Patt and his lovely wife Lisa Dejohn were some of the best people (they are epic artists too) that I got to talk to down there. Scott even picked us up in his bad ass jeep to go surf the Cliffs one morning. Later he told me that the beautiful board I was using was given to him by Bob Hurley. Rad! Used a crappy plastic camera to document the surf session. Turned out pretty good, eh?

Cody Lusby was our right hand man. We would NOT have gotten 50% of what we did down there done without his hands, brains, and patients. Melissa Erwin somehow was able to foresee any need that popped up before we even know we needed something (she’s as smart as she is pretty). For example she got Bwana and I these really cool wetsuits (I looked like a Killer Whale) before we even realized that we needed them to go surfing the next day. Yb Ybarra putt up with all our dirty fart jokes and unsocial skills while filming our tiny adventure (we made him eat vegan once-HA!). Jason Maloney was the ringmaster of the whole thing and a good one too. He even corrected my manners at “A” fancy restaurant (I guess it’s not cool to jump over the red leather booth when strangers are in it?) Dalek had the faith that we could do it even when we were flying blind. Derek Bahn did a killer job documenting all our folly. And pretty much everyone else at Hurley in some strange way helped this show/adventure happen just the way it did. So without running on any further…THANK YOU! (Yeah, you know who you are.)

Bonus info, Tim Biskup was the DJ at the opening which is an amazing honor. But it gets better, Jay Howell one my my top five favorite artists/thinkers/partiers went skinny dipping with me after the opening (but the details of that night are foggy at best).

What happens now? I might as well retire and move my family to Maui right? Correct! I’m moving my family to Maui to work as the art director at Mauitime (the local altweekly) and live the good life. Stay tuned!

On June 3rd, Bwana Spoons, Martin Ontiveros, Skinner, and Me are flying down to Costa Mesa to make an art show for Hurley at their )( space gallery. It’s going to be so awesome that we’re just calling the show “AWESOME”. I’m treating this like a personal challenge to go to a new place with only some ideas and some paint brushes to make the best artwork I’ve ever made. Being in a show with my best art buddies is a true honor and totally inspiring. I’m looking forward to the collaborations (oops, did I splatter on your painting again), good time (fart jokes), and skating the volcano they made for us (don’t worry I have health insurance).

So stay tuned on the Twitter, the Facebook, and the Flickr for updates about how this AWESOME show is shaping up.

Also, if you can come to the show, you better bring a change of pants because you’ll probably shit the ones you wore.

Opens June 11, 6-9pm (through July 15), Hurley’s )(Space 1945 Placentia Ave, Costa Mesa