secretsk8

This spot is in town at the back of a park filled with pine trees. I used to take my groms there when they first started skating and we called it the secret skate park cause no one was ever there

Boxing Day Byron Bay

Woke to the peak of an easterly groundswell. At 7.55am a 10ft+ 5 wave set rolled through my local break. No chance of getting out unless you had a chopper. 10 mins down the road I surfed some nice 4-6 footers...Kuni Takanami got the shot below of me in a little green womb.

My Asym

When I first got on my new Darcy assymetrical I was kind of trying to think my way through each wave, because I was on a 5'8 quad on one rail and a 5'10 keel on the other rail. A full-on mindtrip. During one paddleout trance I had a nice revelation come to me...I went back to Feelin' it. And then I got it. Darcy calls it the daytripper. I call it the schizo. It's weird and very fast and I love it. See how it goes in the overhead east swell coming on Christmas day...

Pinch more salt

Some shots from the night. Was Huge by the way. All the usual stuff we love to look at, listen to, eat and drink, in an unusual place...The Darcy Surfboards factory in Currumbin. Well done to the Darcy family who didn't sleep eat or surf much at all while setting this all up. The whole purpose was to raise enough coin for 'Surfing Wantoks' to ship a container or two of surfboards, food, furniture and other goodies up to Papua New Guinea and into communities that need it much more than we do. They raised $10,000!! Mostly in beer sales I'd say, and a bit of art got sold too. Surfboards to be auctioned online...

Pinch of Salt

Hanging works last night and painting one of Darcy's surfboards right now for their Pinch of Salt event at Darcy surfboards factory this FRiday night 2nd of Dec. Bands, art, puppy dogs, music, other stuff...

Nimbin roadtrippin

Once a year the boys and I go west into the mountains, as opposed to, once every couple months, going south for waves. The first night we slept on the banks of the Uki river, woke at 3am and climbed Mt Warning. After that we headed to a not so well known spot high in the mountains near Nimbin. Found Gold.

Darcy asymmetrical & Rash wetties

Got this new asymmetrical from Darcy Surfboards. Darc is well known for his high-performance shortboards, but if you peek behind his shaping bay curtain he's got all sorts of amazing alternative craft. And the best part is, they actually work. This beauty is 5'10 one side and 5'8 the other. Riding this board is a bit of a mindtripp but as you naturally adjust to it's schizophrenic character you begin to use the 2 different boards as 1, to your own advantage. I'm lovin it. And I got a couple new suits from Rash wetties Japan. Soft Japanese rubber really does feel good.

C Sea See group artshow/gig thingy

The girls from REAL creative design hosted one of their artshow/gig/party nights last month. I made some paintings for the show using paper, pencil, acrylic and spraypaint. I put them up for sale cheap, at $50 each, as I was hoping to give $100 of the money to New Earth Tribe for the local bread run that they do in Byron Bay for low income families. So if you would like one of my paintings at a good price, and for a good purpose, please email me at macjimmymac@yahoo.com. Thx :) Took some pics of the bands too...

'the first kiss tree of life'

'flowers for the girl next door'

'he liked clouds cause God made them'

Common Ground interview

A couple days back, rad surfer and film maker Johnny Abegg from Common Ground website asked me a few Q's about surfing, art, life and the Byron Bay Surf Festival. Follow link here for full interview and pics.

Finished

'the garden (below)'

'welcome'

'searching for greenland...again'

In Prog

There's 9 in total. 6 in progress. They'll be hanging at Retrospect Galleries in Byron Bay for the month of July

Byron Bay Surf Festival

I just finished this commissioned artwork for The Byron Bay Surf Festival coming up this October 21-23. I think you all should go. There'll be surf markets, artshow, music and film by Andrew Kidman, and some kind of surprise with an alternative surf event. Ill let you know more as I know more.

'waterbird collection'

I actually created this piece in 2010 and it has since sold to, I think, a Byron Bay family. When I first left school at age 15 I wanted to surf surf surf. Mum said I could surf for 1 year and then I'd have to get a job unless I was professional. I began my carpentry trade at age 17. I've always loved working with wood and this piece here was especially satisfying to create with the combination of woodworking and painting. The driftwood was collected from the local beaches near my home in Byron Shire.

white picket fence artparty

Libby called me out of the blue to be part of this show. Glad she did. Was a great vibe with good art and good people. On the friday arvo I rolled around to 7 Bryce St Suffolk Park in Byron Bay. Kat, (an artist herself) whose house it was had done an awesome job of clearing the floors & walls to turn her house into a gallery of sorts...clean white walls and timber floorboards. There was an assortment of work lining the walls from artists local and beyond. The opening was on the saturday night. Lisa and I got there around half 7. Inside, the place was pretty well packed full of art, people and a really big hula hoop. Out back, a band, blowup pool and Skate film showing on the garage door gave everyone plenty to marvel at and be part of. It was raw and wild and fun. Around midnight the cops showed up and turned the music down. boohoo. Lisa and I walked off under a full moon. I actually sold some art too. Thanks to Kat, Libby, Libby's housemates, Monster Children, deep&strange, Critical slide society and artpark. Yew.

JMc

Kat installation (detail)

Kat - very busy girl

other artist from Goldy

Lisa, my much prettier half. Hula-hooping

discovery

This original painting of mine sold from retrospect galleries last week. The couple that bought it, I suppose you could call them collectors of my work, received a free print with their purchase. Super stoked for you guys and hope this painting brightens up your home and blesses you guys. Thanks for the support and love. James