In this issue we pepper precocious surf artist Meegan Feori with questions about her craft, palette, and what, exactly, a "bella niña bruja ocean-loving dreamer" is. You'll like her answers. The summer show season is in full swing, be sure to check out the Upcoming Exhibits listing for a show near you. It may ease the pain of what is turning out to be a singularly uninspired summer for waves in the U.S.
Pray for Surf,
The Waveriders Gallery Collective
P.S. Please direct any comments, criticisms, or props to info@waveridersgallery.net. If by chance you like what you see, please refer us to a friend.
 Meegan holds the distinction of being one of the very, very few female surf artists. She wears this honor well, working in bold colors and a style very distinct from her male counterparts. This unique interpretation holds true thematically also. We were lucky to catch Meegan in the middle of a very busy summer show season.
How does being a woman inform your art, surf art in particular?
"Regardless the genre of art, you really can look at a piece and without knowing who created it decide if it was made by a man or a woman. Women have a different approach to representing life because we are different than men. We have different experiences, perspectives, and concerns. In my own work I see being a woman most evident in two ways, one technical and the other thematic. Technically, I choose to represent the world in curves, instead of being angular. Thematically, I choose to represent private moments with friends and/or family. Within the genre of Surf Art, women can be relegated to simply being an object or a token. While I do represent women as sensual and appealing, I also seek to convey emotion through their figure, be it frustration, strength, or bliss."
Tell us about how you approach picking a palette for a piece.
 "Colors are a key component of how I convey emotion. I do choose colors based upon accepted thought; example: red is a color of power. I also follow and decide upon colors intuitively. I have begun paintings with the intention of creating a somber mood, when instead the colors turn bright and happy. The opposite has also occurred when the bright colors I have chosen push to share a foreboding feeling. Mostly I begin with a palette of colors and leave room for experimentation and adaptation so that I can breathe with the painting."
Do you find it difficult trying to paint what is essentially ineffable experientially, surfing, and keeping the work authentic to that experience?
"Actually, that is the easiest part of my paintings. Surfing is part of my life, something I escape into. While there is still more to experience and learn, I understand surfing. What I find more challenging than remaining authentic to the experience is developing a stronger representational figural style without giving up how I depict the figure. Another challenge I continue to face is how to connect surfing and its experience to broader concepts and metaphors."
 What's the story behind one of your most popular works, "Night Flying Femlin"?
"She began as a feminine version of 'To Fly,' and then I left her unfinished to spend three months in Costa Rica. While in Costa Rica I rode a lot of waves and made a bunch of paintings. When I returned to San Diego and began working on the painting again, the original direction was no longer appropriate. She became more powerful and graphic with warm outlines that contrasted the darker blues in the waves and sky."
"She also transformed into something more than human, a spirit of sorts, balancing the power of the wave. The title was originally 'Night Flying' until an online publication posted it as 'Night Flying Femlin.' I kept their addition to the title; it crystallizes her wildness and strength."
You call yourself "a bella niña bruja ocean-loving dreamer." Can you elaborate?
 "As an artist I continually have to describe myself and my paintings. It is generally a difficult process; I am my own best friend and worst critic. The above phrase loosely states who I thought I was, I have grown since then, but I do not have another phrase coined yet to replace the one above. Plus it still does fit; however, I do feel like there is more to me than just that phrase."
"Breaking it into pieces.'Bella,' 'beautiful' in Italian. Because being Italian is a part of my heritage. Also because my Italian friends have influenced and aided in my decision to surf and create art.
 "'Niña Bruja,' 'witch-girl' in Spanish. It comes from a series of novels centering on the fantastical life of Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block. Magical things happen in the characters' lives. I like to think of the experiences in my life as series of magical moments. These novels are a favorite of my sisters and I. We began using 'niña bruja' as a term of endearment awhile ago.
"'Ocean-Loving.' Because I enjoy the ocean not just when I am surfing. I could be swimming, paddling, floating, dancing, running on the beach, lying in the sand or even in a hammock.
"'Dreamer.' Because in order to follow my passion to be an artist I continue to reach and dream. Being an artist is not the easiest profession to pursue."
View more paintings on Meegan´s page at Waveriders Gallery
“Whoever wants to know something about me (as an artist, the only notable thing) ought to look carefully at my pictures and try and see in them what I am and what I want to do..”
--Gustav Klimt, Painter
 Have an idea for an article? Need to tell us about something we missed or what we can do to improve? Email all questions, comments, critiques, etc. to info@waveridersgallery.net. If you’d like to subscribe a friend, go here.
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Special Offer on Select Images
For a short time only we're offering these choice prints at a discount. Supplies are scarce.
 Right Coast artist Jay Alders will be hosting a reception for his solo art show, "Curvature." Date: August 24, from 4-7pm. Location: Gallery at Manhattan Theatre Source (177 MacDougal Street, between Waverly Place and West 8th Street) Phone: 212.260.4698. The show will run from August 11 through September 16, 2007. Scope it. Brian Bird, whose "Shallow Waters" image is one of the most tantalizing tropical lineups you'll ever lay eyes on, is exhibiting at the Café Heidelberg in Laguna Beach, California, through the end of September. The address is 1100 South Coast Highway. The show includes works from the Mentawai Islands, New Zealand, and Hawaii. Painter Stephen Reich will be showing at the Old Town Art Festival September 22&23 in San Diego, California. Stephen has offered up free tequila shots to all surfers who stop by. That man has a future in marketing. The affable Norm Daniels will also be displaying his fine oil paintings at the Old Town Art Festival. Norm is also showing his art at Greg Noll's booth at the Action Sports Retailer tradeshow at the San Diego Convention Center. The dates are September 7 through 9. Meegan Feori will be donating and selling her art at the Fruit of the Soul fundraiser August 25th. Music and fine food and drink will be on offer from 7pm to midnight. The address is 1929 Hancock Street, Ste. 150, San Diego, California. The proceeds go to the Monarch School for Homeless Children, and who can't get behind that? Meegan will be making an appearance at the Leucadia Art Walk on August 26th. The Art Walk runs along Highway 101 in Leucadia, California, and the hours are 10am to 5pm.
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July saw the launch of a brand spanking new section on Waveriders called "The Green Room on Exhibit." Every month we get brilliant submissions from painters and photographers around the world, from painters and photographers both established and unknown. Carefully picking through these submissions we select a handful of choice photos and paintings to put "on exhibit." In this small way we can introduce you to new artists (or at least new to you). It is our pleasure to present these unique pieces for your enjoyment and purchase. Check it.
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