Under Glass

I didn’t go in with the purpose of including the finished board I was shaping in my art exhibition. The idea came to mind nearing the end of shaping. The finished board itself would have been good enough as an art piece. Highly aligned to the learning focus of the exhibition too. But I had been tinkering around for months thinking and writing and creating art and it occurred to me that a lot of it would work well as unique surfboard graphics.

It was actually seeing the decals Richard Harvey had done up for his shaping workshop that got me thinking. And then working super quick. I asked him how he made his decals and the process of getting them onto the board. I won’t give away his technique. And those who do this stuff regularly would already know. But for me it was an epic add on to learning to shape my own boards. Not only can I shape the thing but I can also create the graphics and aesthetic to it as well.

On this one – because it was going to become part of an art exhibition – I pretty much plastered it with text and imagery the was either part of the exhibition or aligned it really well. The decals I created all had the same aesthetic and feel. However there was one part of this that I didn’t think of. Having heaps of individual decals all with a specific location on the foam kinda makes it a bit more difficult to glass. And I remember Harvs saying to me – upon seeing my final decal layout – delivered with that classic Aussie larrikin style deadpan humour, “Oh the glassers are going to love you”. 

For

Done X Illusion | Art Exhibition | Lennox Head

Shaping Location

Harvey Shapers Workshop | Burleigh Boardmakers | Burleigh Heads

Completion Date

04 | 01 | 2025

Glassing

Volane 8oz Top and Bottom

8oz Bottom | 8 x 4oz Deck

‘Glassed To Last’ By Richard Harvey