Sally Lamas’ board “Kelp Bed Drifters” (pictured below) is an inventive mix of painted surfboard and arm-chair. You can bid online for a limited time (November 1st through 10th) by visiting us HERE, or bid through the live Surfboard Art Festival Auction and Gala event on November 29th. For more information click HERE. Her art piece is on exhibit at Founders Community Bank in Morro Bay.
About the Artist:
Location
San Luis Obispo
Favorite art medium
acrylic, colored pencil, and india ink
Favorite Plant or Flower
the Sundew (carnivorous plant) or fig tree
Favorite Spot in Morro Bay:
15 ft. under water looking at strawberry anemones near Target Rock near Morro Rock parking lot
What piece of work made you realize you were interested in art as more than a hobby?
It happened more as an event, followed by a piece of art. I’ve coached other people for years to do what they are hesitant to do, and I had an epiphany that I needed to coach myself to do what I had trepidation doing – trying to become a full-time artist or making part of my living that way. The day I left my job, I went right home and drew a blooming fruit tree in spring with it’s gnarled arms lifting up to the sky, and a face in the bark, smiling with utter bliss.
What is your favorite memory of a Central Coast excursion?
My cousin came to visit from the Bay Area and we decided to go on a whale watching trip. I hadn’t been since I was in grade school because it had been cold and choppy, people were sick all over the boat, and no one saw whales. This time, the sun shone and we sat in the front seat riding huge swells without getting doused. We saw a basketball-sized jellyfish that looked like an egg yolk surrounded by pre-cooked egg white; birds that never come to land, and a cloud of orange krill. By the second hour, we saw a few spouts in the distance but it was time to turn back toward land. The captain tried one more spot in the middle of a krill patch, killed the engine and we waited. Within 5 minutes, we were suddenly surrounded by six great Humpback whales yawing and wagging their flukes within 10ft of the boat. The display lasted over a half-hour and we were enchanted. The Captain was so excited he couldn’t leave and we got back an hour later than the anxious port hands had expected.
How does nature contribute to your art?
Nature is the very inspiration for my art. I paint as many creatures as I can inhabiting their own special worlds. Some are discovered curled about a thin branch in the African Sahel while others may be spied floating in the salty, Pacific ocean eelgrass. I aim to capture their lovely essence and the diversity of each.
