My new log

Summer time in Ventura is on it's way, so I picked up this used and a little abused Dan Taylor 10' long wave eating machine... no ripple is safe... beware!

Mind is blown...

This little gem just might be the most amazing form of creative expression any of us will ever see in our lives...  my hat is off to this man and my mind is completely blown from trying to comprehend how much time and energy went into making this... devote the next 10 minutes of your life to watching this...


BIG BANG BIG BOOM - the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Ventura Newness

New home.  New bed.  New roommates.  New studio.  New route to the beach.  New ideas.  New opportunities. 

Words of Wisdom:

"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow."  -Lin Yutang

I'm OPEN for business & plantin' roots... can you help?

Hello family, friends, acquaintances and complete strangers! 

Spring is about to to be sprung, love is in the air... and the strawberries are big and juicy!   I hope 2011 is exceeding your expectations.  It's exceeding mine... not expecting anything definitely helps!

Sooo... I've decided to hang up my vagabonding hat for a while, say farewell to my beloved, care-free, nomadic lifestyle and nestle into a nice condo in downtown Ventura, California for a year.  Gettin' all responsible. (I know, I know... It's hard for me to believe too) But I had a good run over the last 2.5 years.  The world is an amazing place full of some amazing people... there's still way too much to see and experience and a million more great friends to meet.   We'll see how long I last before my feet start itching for the open road again.

In the meantime, ABEL ARTS WOULD LIKE YOUR HELP.  It's time I buckle down and get to work... seriously.  WORK.  Lots of it.  Artsy projects.  Graphic designy projects.  Top Secret projects.  Anywhere in the world.  It's all fair game... and I'm steppin' up my game.  I've currently got some exciting projects in the fire and a few more goodies on the horizon, but I'm always on the market for more.

If you could do me a big favor and keep your ears and eyes peeled, chances are you, your company, your friend or crazy Uncle are in need of rock solid graphic design and/or some funky unique artwork for the house or office ... if so, be a match-maker and send them my way!  Much appreciated!  And networking will continue to live on!

Abel Arts does it all...  Art, Design, Illustration...

Logos, Brochures, Catalogs, Illustration, Company Branding/Identity, Apparel Graphics, Book Covers, Magazine Layout, Murals, Custom Original Art, Public Art, Web Design, Web Graphics, Posters, Album Artwork, Artwork Licensing, Product Package Design, Product Design, Vehicle Wrap Design, Finger Paintings... you name it, I can do it or know somebody who can. 

I get by with a little help from my friends... and on rare occasions... a cape. 

Cheers,

Erik Abel

I'm not flattered...

Click image to make bigger

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery right? That's BS. Imitation is the most sincere form of someone lacking creativity looking for an easy way out. Copying something for personal use is one thing... but copying artwork for a commercial project from the artwork of another commercial project, that's downright shameful.

A little while back, artist/designer pal Tom Veiga sent me the image he found of the poster on the right asking if I gave permission for the artist to copy the painting I did for International Surfing Day (on the left). Of course I knew nothing about it. There is no way to contact the artist or the person/company who produced this event or poster. I've tried. Google has finally failed me.

There's a reward for whoever can find the rip-off artist and their contact info. What's the reward? A little drawing or print or something... or maybe just a big high five and a solid hug. Cool?

Dear Australia...

Dear Australia, 

I've never met someone who has spent time with you and doesn't love you.  You're big, you're warm and you only have 20 million people or so... and they have funny accents that make me laugh.  And kangaroos hop around everywhere.  Still never managed to get the one picture I wanted... me boxing one with big red gloves on.  Maybe next time.... if your peeps will let me back in, I seemed to have overstayed my welcome by a bit. Doooh!

12 Apostles, South Coast

I've still got a lot of exploring to do with you but managed to make it to your West and South coasts this time around.  I made a conscious effort NOT get myself stuck in Byron Bay this time and got to see some other shweeeet places.  After leaving the crew in Sydney and watching NYE fireworks on the harbor, I hung with the Newports in Melbourne.  Great city.  Fun and lots going on but a bit far from the waves.  And the weather needs to make up it's mind.

West Oz

Then I decided to head out to the wild wet to meet up with my long lost Kiwi friend Nic in Margaret River, hadn't seen her in over 10 years... crazy.  The West is pretty laid back, has beautiful beaches and the waves fucking pump!  I'm surprised more people don't live there. Plus it's a real short hop to Indo.  I had a blast.  Can't wait to get back there.

Echidna

Your people remind me of the Kiwi's.  They seem really united and they have pride in that.  For example, during your big floods in Queensland, when downtown Brisbane was under water, there was nobody stealing anything.  It was weird.  Look at New Orleans during the same situation.  Looting left and right.  Fights.  Stupid gang shit.  Rapes in the shelters.  Disgusting and shameful stuff.  I cant even imagine what would happen if LA flooded... it would be full on anarchy.

Watching your politicians on the news was a breath of fresh air.  They actually sound like they have brains, they don't skirt questions, they're accessible.  You almost want to believe what they say... it's great! 

I love: Meat Pies, Eating your Kangaroos, the fact that the West coast blows offshore most of the year, listening to Aussie girls talk. Bare-Boobied beaches.

I don't love: All the fucking shark attacks, deadly spiders, deadly snakes and the most persistant annoying flies on the planet. The outrageous price of alcohol.

Until we meet again... mate!

Cheers, 

Me

 

Margs

Curl Curl

Margs Pumping!

 

Curiosity of Cyclone Bianca

 

Ready to hunt fishies

Dinner

Nic... about to make me late for my bus!

Not a bad place to climb around.  James with his life in my hands.

Swedish Meatball Eyeball

Swedes+Beer+Plastic cow=This

The one that make have killed Mr. Irwin... not sure.

Gnarabup Sunset

Scoring on a short stop in Fiji

After getting deported from Oz and the bullshit mission getting back to Fiji... once I stepped off the plane, felt the hot humid air, had a whiff of that sweet island smell, and heard the dudes jamming island tunes in the immigration line, everything was good again.  Not sure I could have asked for a better last few days of this 4 month journey.

 

Stayed up waaay too late drinking Fiji Gold and playing pool with Che and crew that night, woke up the next morning, had a giant breaky at Cardos and hopped on a few skis out to score head high Restaurants and then over to pumping overhead rights at Swimming Pools with a handful of guys out.   Guys were saying they haven't seen it that good.  Fiji is magical.  Kicking myself for not having my camera this day.... damnit.  Wore the wrong shirt in the water and my nipples got rubbed raw. Scabby nipple tips are not fun.

The Comp

Wilkes going nuts across the channel

 

Hit it hard in Nadi Town that night and hopped on the boat early to head out to a local comp at Namotu Lefts.  Thanks to Uri and Adrenaline crew for one hell of a day!  It was the best I had seen it. Some good ones coming in but still turned a bit fat after the drop. I filled in for Che in the comp (His eyeballs were absolutely fried from the previous day, everybody's were...  had to be something in the water) and ended up making the Semi Finals. We decided to bail on it and head over to Restaurants to get a few... best call ever.  Restaurants was head high and perfect.  Such an amazing wave.  Long, fast, hollow. It keeps growing bigger as it rolls down the reef. What more do you want in a wave?  Maybe a reverse version of it.  Yeah, that would pretty much be all... Restaurants as a Right. Heaven.  Ended my last session in Fiji with a nice little one, a few good whacks off the top and tucked into a cozy little tube that just barely let me out.  Cold beers back on the boat.  Life can be a dream.

Back at Cardos for beers and a big feed and that's where we met Dr. Bones.  This old hippie guy pops out of nowhere and next thing we know he's sitting with us slamming beers like they're water and talking about the 13 crystal skulls of the Mayans, portals on mystic mountain tops, energy crystals, Indian priests, and the end of the world in 2012, and also something that's gonna go down this March 20th... "You thought the quake in Christchurch was bad...".  He's been living in Puerto Escondido for 15 years eating peyote or something and healing injured surfers.  Now he's starting a (witch?) doctor clinic on an island in Fiji. The guy is a trip. The weird part about Dr. Bones showing up was he just happened to have a box of some crazy Chinese eye medicine that he dropped in our sunburned eyes.  Stuff worked.  We were all sitting there screaming with tears rolling down our face... it stung like hell but worked.  Trippy... man.

Dr. Bones doing some painful voodoo on Che

That was it.  Easy flight home.  Now I'm sitting here at home in Uggs, fuzzy pants and jacket and a beanie on one of the coldest days of the year... sunburned, jet lagged and completely stoked!!

 

Special thanks to Che, Cardo, Teh, Chloe and the Adrenaline crew for taking real good care of me! I'm in debt to you.