By Kaerie Ray
San Clemente Times
Fatherhood takes local art legend Drew Brophy in a whimsical new direction and opens the door to an entirely different audience
You can surf in South Carolina?” comes the naïve question, unintentionally laced with a small amount of SoCal narcissism. “I didn’t know there was surf on the East Coast.” Sure there is, explains San Clemente–based artist and founder of the company Son of the Sea, Drew Brophy. At age 35 he’s the youngest of five children, all of whom still live in his home state of South Carolina, where he first learned to surf and initially became interested in painting. Like many inspired by the ocean and surfing, Brophy has traveled the world, gaining exposure in Japan, Europe, Hawaii, Australia, South America and, soon, South Africa.
Today he sits unshaven in a rolling swivel chair, clad in faded jeans, a white T-shirt and sunglasses on his head; surrounded by his numerous works in progress and an avalanche of water-based Posca paint pens from Japan. He says the secret is in the pens, which allow him to blend, work fast and work in a small space if necessary. Under his hand is a large board, already filled with sketch lines of fish and waves, and the beginnings of brightly hued paint. Each of the works has a name, although Brophy declares that this one—like all the others—won’t receive its moniker until it’s finished. “I have to stare at them awhile,” he says with a smile as he rolls across the concrete floor.
His current piece is one of six paintings going to a toy company, where the images will be used on Boogie Boards next year. From start to finish, each picture takes about two days. “I try to paint slower and better now,” he explains. “My art used to be edgier. I was a frustrated kid—fighting for everything. It showed in my art, my surfing, everything. Now it’s different.” The edgy images that Brophy refers to are from his time spent at Bill Stewart Surfboards and ...Lost. There he got his break painting boards and designing T-shirts, mostly with images of topless girls. “One of the first boards I painted had a topless girl on it and I remember she got a black bar put across her chest to censor it,” he says as he motions with his hand across his own chest. Brophy became known for his racy designs and success soon followed. From 1996 to 2002 he worked with Chris Ward and Rick Hazard of ...Lost, listening to music and painting through the night. They loved his work, and the timing seemed just right. “Drew had a direction and a focus and used every step of his career to move forward,” says Matt Biolas, owner of ...Lost. “Most artists don’t have a balance of business and talent. From day one he’s understood that balance. His art just seemed to hit a nerve. He wasn’t afraid to go out and do what he wanted to do. His art wasn’t, and isn’t, held back by rules that they teach you in art school.”
For a moment Brophy stops painting and looks up with a sigh. “At some point, it bothered me that I was the guy who painted big-busted chicks,” he begins. “One time this mom yelled at me for painting a girl on her kid’s board. I didn’t know he was 14 years old. She made me paint a bathing suit on her. I guess I realized it influences kids and you bear responsibility for what you do in this world.” Brophy’s epiphany coincides with his meeting and marriage to his wife of six years, Maria. That was a changing point for Brophy, who now strives to stand on his art and less on shock value. In July of 2001 the Brophys welcomed their son, Dylan—Irish for “son of the sea.”
“I noticed that my art got a whimsical, kid feel to it,” he shares. “It opened the door to a new audience, a new market. My son is a window into that ‘kid’ world.”
Brophy’s art, inspired by the likes of Rick Griffin and Chris Lundy, has been featured on the Pipeline Masters posters for 2000 and 2004, as well as Surfer magazine’s June 2004 cover. Surfrider Foundation honored him with the 2005 Board Appreciation Award. His site, www.SonOfTheSea.com, offers custom-designed bikes, greeting cards, prints, sculpture, stickers and even paint pens similar to those he uses. The site draws more than 2,000 hits per day, mostly by artists and surfers.
“A lot of kids e-mail me about wanting to become an artist,” Brophy shares, who tells them to start painting every day and to make sure they aren’t giving away their art for free. “Art is self-motivating; it requires self-discipline. I come in here [to work] every day from 9 to 5. During rush periods, I work at night. I like being able to show kids and young adults that being an artist is a viable career. I try to tell young artists to really think about the business side of art: pricing, communication, meeting deadlines.” That includes not falling prey to what Brophy calls the surf industry’s commonly used “bro system,” as in, “Ah yeah, bro, I’ll pay you later.” He partially credits his own success with not letting anything leave the studio until it’s paid for. The rest of the credit belongs with Son of the Sea’s sterling reputation for delivering work on time and looking good, as well as a strong emphasis on professionalism, headed up by Maria.
“I grew up near the water, and I’ve lived by it all my life. I crave it,” confesses Brophy. In 2005 they made the move from Calle Negocio, where they had operated from 2001–2005, to their current office on Los Molinos. It’s small and doesn’t reveal the dynamics of the business. “I’m painting in this little room and my art is going all over the world,” muses Brophy. Eventually he wants a store on Del Mar, where he can walk to work, walk Dylan to school and walk back home again. “Dylan goes everywhere with us. It’s all part of my plan,” he explains. “I wrote down everything I wanted out of life—to get married, have a family, a business—everything working synergistically. It’s cool. It’s a whole other mind-set, having things work together. I feel really fortunate.”
www.drewbrophy.com
www.sonofthesea.com
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