2023 Surf Art Calendar
November
“Heavy Water”
By: Craig Klein
STORY BEHIND THE IMAGE
From the artist: “This painting was based on a photo of big Cloudbreak, in Fiji. I tried to capture the heaviness of the sheer volume of water in this wave. The painting is acrylic on a plywood panel. I like painting on wood because it allows the wood grain patterns to be incorporated into the work”.
PERSONAL CONNECTION
I originally met Craig and his wife Julie, who are a foundational couple in the Ocean Beach/Sunset Cliffs surf scene in San Diego, when I was first learning to surf in the 6th Grade. Craig was always generous in giving advice and sharing waves with the young kids who wanted to surf at Sunset Cliffs’ most heavily guarded spots. Julie is the founder of Julie Designs, a surfboard board bag company that was one of a kind in the industry at the time. Craig and Julie were staying at my friend Joel Spydell’s house while their house in Ocean Beach was being remodeled and they, along with my friend’s mom, brought the local community together for dinners, to meet up for a surf, but more importantly they opened our minds to what was available to a surfer beyond our local break. Because of Julie’s influence in the greater surf industry, she also brought relationships and guidance to the local kids who were looking to see what it meant to be a pro surfer and mentored many of my friends in their semi-pro and pro careers.
I was fortunate to find Craig’s artwork through some of his recent Instagram posts and have enjoyed seeing him flourish as a painter. In addition, he plays the harmonica and sits in with a number of surf rock bands locally in Point Loma. When I saw Craig recently at a show at Reunion Bar, his enthusiasm was infectious. Between he, Julie, his daughter Jenna and son in law Todd Glaser, they are a tight family unit that lives and breathes surf. I am very happy to share his art with you and appreciate his contribution to the 2023 Surf Art Calendar. Check him out on IG @craigkleinart
ARTIST BIO
Spent my formative years surfing Malibu and Rincon. Moved to San Diego to attend Law School in 1978 and have lived near and loved Sunset Cliffs to the present day. I have always been fascinated (some would say obsessed) with waves.
