Surfboards Become Art Awards

Laguna Beach, CA– Gallery artists, Douglas Cross and Kara Elizabeth Pewthers, upcycled and transformed used surfboards into one-of-a-kind “Surfboard/Airshow” art pieces for the awards presentation at this year’s Great Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, CA. Tasked with creating artwork that captured the unique elements of the airshow and with just a one-week turnaround time, the artists had a huge undertaking ahead of them. They launched into the extended-hours project with enthusiasm, combining their skills to create a series of unique “sculptures”.

Kara, owner of Kara Elizabeth Designs, and permanent artist at Cove Gallery in Laguna Beach, was given the request to create 6 unique art pieces with a “wow factor” by Code Four, the group managing and promoting the airshow. The company wanted something very unique, with each piece being different in some way. Kara presented a series of ideas, one of which involved a collaboration with fellow artist, Douglas Cross, also a member of Cove Gallery. Doug, well known for his distinctive use of surfboards as a “canvas” for his artwork, was an ideal choice for collaborating with to create something unique for the awards. The presented idea was to cut the surboards, carve into them, hand paint them, and then mount them on beautiful wood bases, all while creating a different aviation image for each award recipient.

Code Four loved Kara’s idea, and Douglas, with his creative business, Ocean Arrowhead, was excited to work on a collaborative project. The duo launched into a whirlwind pace to create the work with a short deadline looming.

The first step was to come up with a different image for each piece. Extensive research was done to ensure accurate representation of each aviation group. The team also wanted to show the movement of the planes and highlight the special qualities of each performance. At the same time, one of the most critical elements was to track down 6 ideal surfboards for the project. This sent Kara across the county meeting surfers and surfboard sellers via posts, texts, emails and
meetups to find just the right boards. That adventure yielded 6 unique surfboards of all shapes and sizes that would be transformed into art.

Once the imagery was hand drawn onto each board, the next step of intensive work began – carving into each board to create layers of imagery and motion across the board. This is an area where Douglas’artistic skills really shine. He “sees” the layers before they are carved and uses the unique textures of foam and fiberglass to create different levels and finishes in the artwork.

After the carving work was complete, Kara went to work using her painting techniques to uniquely recreate the color theme of The Great Pacific Airshow. She used some “artistic liberty” in the layout of the logo colors so that they would integrate well with the carved designs.

Many of the art pieces also had fiberglass planes cut out of the surfboards and mounted above the boards to create a 3D effect. These planes were then hand painted with details from the actual planes.

A strong poplar wood was used to create custom bases. Each board, with it's unique curves and indentations, had to have the wood hand carved to match it's shape. The surfboards were in-set into their bases after a rich finish was applied to the wood. The result was six unified art pieces with unique imagery and solid platforms.

Because of their deep connection to the fine art world, and Laguna Beach's rich gallery tradition, the artistic team was able to create gallery quality art pieces for this high profile event. Recycling the used surfboards and transforming them into works of art, the artists exceeded the expectations of their patrons and delighted the recipients of the awards.

These Laguna gallery artists, with local roots and rich artistic backgrounds, transformed something old into something new and honored the spirit and tradition of Laguna Beach, and The Great Pacific Airshow.

About Kara Elizabeth Pewthers

Kara, no stranger to the Laguna art community began art lessons in Laguna at the age of 8. She went on to earn her art degree from California State University Fullerton and has been creating and selling artwork for over 20 years. Kara owns and operates Kara Elizabeth Designs. Her
art studio and residence are located in Costa Mesa, CA. Kara is a permanent artist at Cove Gallery in Laguna Beach, CA.

About Douglas Cross

Douglas, who is well known among the art and surfing community because of his
iconic “surfboard as canvas” art, is a permanent artist at Cove Gallery in Laguna Beach. He earned his degree from Perdue University.Doug has developed and refined his signature style over the many years of his artistic career. Doug resides in Huntington Beach where he owns and operates Ocean Arrowhead, a fine art company.