Posts in Surf Art
Kings & Queens 3x4' Oil on canvas panel
Kings & Queens 3x4' Oil on canvas panel

I love painting surf culture and the nostalgia that goes along with it. I particularly enjoy painting the Duke Kahanamoku because of his contributions to surfing, swimming, (breaking world swim records -the freestyle 100-meter in 1911) along with breaking racial boundaries and showing the world the beautiful culture of Hawaii and the meaning of Aloha.

In this painting, he is surrounded by friends at San Onofre beach, and these friends were our surfing forefathers and mothers from the 40’s and 50’s. I included the iconic palm-frond covered surf shack that still exists at San Onofre beach to this day, even though the roads to San-O beach have washed out.. I can only identify one gentleman in the painting and that is Barry who stands behind the Duke and was the founder of the San Onofre surf club.

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surf history, Surf Art, Surfboard ArtColleen GnosHuntington Beach Surf MuseumDuke Kahanamoku, Duke's dream came true, surf pioneer, surf, surf History, surf culture, surfboards, Surfboard art, Hawaii, san onofre, beach culture, beach party, doc ball, Betty Heldreich, Ethel Kukea, Women champion surfersComment
Duke Visits Australia 1914-15
Duke Visits Australia 1914-15

This painting illustrates a moment during Duke's visit to Australia. On Thursday, December 24th in 1914, he pulled 15-year-old Isabell Letham (featured on the far left and on the wave with Duke) out of the crowd to tandem surf in front of crowds who had never seen someone standing up on a surfboard, let alone two people riding the same board. This was the most significant day in the history of Australian surfing.

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Art Shows, Exhibits, Surf Art, surf history, Surfboard ArtColleen GnosHuntinton Beach International Surf Museumsurf pioneer, Isabell Letham, surf, sugar pine board, Duke Kahanamoku, Duke visits Australia, Duke kahanmoku, Australian surfing, Australian surf pioneer, surf culture, Australian surf history, Hawaii, Hawaiian surfing, 1914, 1915
Getting Ready for The Open Studios Art Tour in SLO
Abstract music art, Art Shows, Diver Art, Exhibits, Inspiration, Jazz Art, Mermaid Art, Musician Art, Surf Art, Surfboard ArtColleen Gnos805, abstract musicians, central coast, colleen gnos, contemporary abstract figurative, deep sea diver, ganos, gnos, gunos, kelp forest, mach 5 helmet, music art, musician art, musician painting, ocean art mermaid, painted sirens, painted waves, surf mermaid art, surfing mermaids, wave art, wave paintingComment
Lifeguard Tower Murals Installed Successfully!
Art Shows, Cancer Art, Diver Art, Exhibits, Inspiration, Mermaid Art, Mermaids, Murals, Public Art, Surf ArtColleen GnosAbalone, Aquarium mural, avila beach, avila beach murals, beach art, beach mural, california art, california dreaming, deep sea diver, Diver, diving helmet, garibaldi fish, kelp forest, kelp mural, lifeguard art, lifeguard tower art, mach 5 helmet, Mermaid art, mermaid surfboards, mermaids, ocean art, painted sirens, pier, public art, siren surf, surf art, surfing mermaids, waterhouseComment
LIFEGUARD TOWER MURALS ON KSBY NEWS
Art Shows, Diver Art, Mermaid Art, Mermaids, Murals, Surf Art, Surfboard ArtColleen GnosAbalone, Aquarium mural, avila beach, avila beach murals, deep sea diver, Diver, diving helmet, garibaldi fish, historical mural, jack mackerel, kelp forest, kelp mural, lifeguard art, lifeguard tower art, mach 5 helmet, Mermaid art, mermaids, mural in progress, mural on news, Murals, ocean art mermaid, painted sirens, painted waves, pier, reef art, scales, sea art, seal art, siren art, sirens, surf mermaid art, work in progressComment
Open Studios Art Tour 2016
Abstract music art, Art Shows, Cancer Art, Diver Art, Exhibits, Inspiration, Jazz Art, Mermaid Art, Mermaids, Murals, Musician Art, Surf Art, Surfboard Art, Uncategorized, Winery artColleen GnosAbalone, Aquarium mural, deep sea diver, instrument art, jazz art, kelp forest, mach 5 helmet, Mermaid art, mermaid surfboards, mermaids, Murals, music art, musician art, ocean art, open studios art tour, painted sirens, saxophone art, siren art, surf mermaid art, surfboards, violin art, wave paintingComment