LUKE TAAFFE

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY

2012-01-25T18:15:00.000-08:00

SURFLEX

2012-01-25T14:48:00.000-08:00

BOOGIE WOOGIE

2012-01-25T14:39:00.001-08:00

EARLY WARNING

2012-01-23T00:52:00.001-08:00

COVER YOUR FISH

2012-01-22T01:18:00.000-08:00

Some new board covers I made last week after hours.

OCEANS

2012-01-13T02:37:00.000-08:00

Four of the five.

CAPTAIN GOODVIBES

2012-01-11T23:27:00.000-08:00

Tony Edwards is a genius! I got my hands on some really old Capt. Goodvibes newspapers today from 1975 and it was like meeting an old friend. Long Live "Captain Goodvibes"

UKULELE

2012-01-11T02:27:00.000-08:00

I was given this bamboo ukulele late last year to paint up for a Quiksilver Foundation fundraiser. Steph Gilmore was there that night to lend a hand and throw down some chords...heard she rips on the guitar!

A GREAT PAIR

2012-01-09T23:32:00.001-08:00

BAD BILLYS

2012-01-09T23:24:00.000-08:00

I still think this is the coolest graphic Billabong has done to date. Had to have a pair of these boardshorts as a frothing grommet consumer.

WARPAINT

2012-01-09T23:13:00.000-08:00

The one and only!

BLACK HULA

2012-01-07T20:09:00.000-08:00

Black Hula is the collaborative work of Ballina shaper Wayne Webster & the multi talented Matt Yeates! Wayne shapes & Matt does the Art & Lam and they come with no dimensions written on them. I've been wanting one of these for a while now and was fortunate to pick this single up before I leave Australia for the next few years...so stoked! Hoping to ride it out Bells very soon. Tiki's never looked so good. Website here.

SOUTH COAST SIGNS

2012-01-02T23:01:00.000-08:00

KARLIE KLOSS

2011-12-20T21:11:00.000-08:00

Temptation Island US Vogue.

3 SMALL WORKS

2011-11-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

Acrylic, Indian Ink & Lacquer on Wood Panels. 250mm x 250mm x 60mm. 'Blue Moon', 'Cloud Cluster & 'Rain Cloud'. On display this friday at Retrospect Galleries 'Petits Travaux' exhibition.

2 SMALL WORKS

2011-11-22T22:52:00.000-08:00

'Black Water, Colour Cloud' & 'Kaleidoscope Eye' 250mm x 250mm x 60mm. Acrylic & Indian Ink on wooden panels. These two are in Byron Bay show next friday night.

BURNING OUT

2011-11-17T04:17:00.000-08:00

Acrylic, Indian Ink & Laquer on framed wooden panel. 900mm x 600mm x 80mm. Late nights are killin me hence the title.

SPIRAL OF LIFE

2011-11-16T12:58:00.001-08:00

Acrylic, Indian Ink & Laquer on framed wood panel. 200mm x 200mm x 60mm

SEA SHEPHERD FUNDRAISER ARTWORK

2011-11-14T23:41:00.000-08:00

Title: 'Open Up & Say Ahhhhh'. Acrylic, Indian Ink & Varnish on Wooden panel. 900mm High x 600mm Wide x 80mm Deep. I've donated this piece for the Sea Shepherd Fundraiser happening Sunday 20th Nov at the Pier in Geelong Victoria. Along with Modem, Sea Shepherd are launching respective clothing lines and raising funds for their amazing cause. See larger poster here.

CHASING THE SUN

2011-11-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

Here are some Aztec inspired prints I developed for Roxy High Hi-Summer 11 featured in the latest Cosmopolitan Dec_11. Rocky Point Tank Dress (2nd from the top), Rosarito Slider & the Amelia textured Bandeau. Charlotte Stokes styling to perfection! All photos by Steven Chee.

WORDS FROM THE TENT

2011-11-14T05:09:00.000-08:00

I've been living the month of Movember from a tent. Not sure if I want to venture back inside under 1000 thread sheets & feather doonas again. Animals like to say gday through the night and the wind has almost picked me up a few times for a location shift. 'Morning of the Mo' is soon approaching and the cold beer at Lennox pub is near. If you want to donate to Movember, support mens health and my quest for glory, check in here.

MONDAY MODEL MASHUPS 9

2011-11-06T23:27:00.000-08:00

Australia's favourite supermodel brings one home for number 9!

SHARK TEETH SERIES

2011-11-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

'Great White', 'Mako' & 'Tiger'. Acrylic on wooden panels. 250mm x 250mm x 100mm. These three works are for a show in Byron Bay early december. They were more literal to begin with but I got carried away and went pshychadelic instead.

DAYBREAK

2011-11-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

Acrylic & Indian Ink on recycled wood panel. 250mm x 250mm x 60mm

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

2011-11-04T04:54:00.000-07:00

National anthem right here!

BALI BOATS & SHARK

2011-11-01T03:43:00.000-07:00

Acrylic & Indian Ink on Wooden Panel. 900mm x 600mm x 100mm. Back to painting through the nights with some new colours. Summer is close so I'm all about sharks right now. A larger file of this can be viewed here.

HOORAY CROTCHET

2011-10-31T18:43:00.000-07:00

BOLT

2011-10-24T02:36:00.000-07:00

Acrylic & spot varnish on printed ply. 2400mm x 1200mm x 100mm. Ryan Heywood & Luke Taaffe

TUNA

2011-10-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

We all loved the Tuna and it was hotter than ever. Iconic imagery...although it always was a phirana? Ryan Heywood & Luke Taaffe. Acrylic & Spot Varnish on printed ply. 2400mm x 1200mm x 100mm.

INTRODUCING THE WETSUIT BLANKET

2011-10-15T23:02:00.000-07:00

Made from over 20 old wetsuits found in op-shops, the Neo-Suit Patchwork Blanket is a great throw over for your Valiant or wrapping your lady up in. Dogs love chewing on them, grandmas rate them and they can be washed if little accidents happen. Initially I was going for the 400 square style model but ran out at 280. On display at The National Grid Gallery till the 2nd November.

THIS ISLAND LIFE INTERVIEW

2011-10-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

Mike Perry from 'Walk The Plank' threw some questions my way earlier this week about this forthcoming show which I answered here.

HI-5

2011-10-10T04:46:00.000-07:00

Some recent swimwear prints I designed for Roxy Hi-Summer 11. Available at Surfstitch here.

SURF CITY EXHIBITION

2011-10-09T03:42:00.000-07:00

I've collaborated with Ryan Heywood on some new works we are displaying at The National Grid Gallery this friday at 6:30pm in Sydney. Also going to exhibit a small project I've been working on with an overlocker and some very old & bright neoprene. Hope to see you there.

HOT TROPICS

2011-10-06T15:35:00.000-07:00

Ashley Osborne looking amazing in the Roxy Agave Slider & Amelia Maillot, Cosmopolitan Nov 11. I designed these florals prints with an influence to the vibrant colours & textures of Mexico. Photos_Steven Chee

CARTERROLLINS

2011-10-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

Playing tonight at The Vanguard in Newtown Sydney. The long weekend continues.

SMELLS LIKE COCONUT OIL

2011-09-27T04:15:00.000-07:00

MEGALODEN

2011-09-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

The thought of a larger relative to the White Pointer scares the shit out of me. This is a work for a show coming up next month with Ryan Heywood at The National Grid Gallery.

SURF AND TURF AND SKI AND DIVE

2011-09-20T05:10:00.000-07:00

3 double page spreads in Surfing Worlds Photo Annual No.10 in the Late 80's

DIVE AND SURF AND SKI AND JIVE

2011-09-20T05:04:00.000-07:00

LAST WEEKS COVERS

2011-09-18T02:53:00.000-07:00

A mix of old curtains, vintage fabrics, cotton canvas and some early morning stitchings.

04 MOONSHINE FESTIVAL X KOPPS

2011-09-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

Was fortunate in 2004 to see the Moonshine Festival in Laguna Beach whilst on a holiday. There were some amazing artists there including Alex Kopps who had a van installation and some dude getting crazy with tape & spray.

ROXY S11 SWIMWEAR X 2

2011-09-13T05:18:00.001-07:00

SHERATON 1967 HAWAII ADVERT

2011-09-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

Time Magazine 1967

GREAT OCEAN GHOSTS

2011-09-12T00:40:00.000-07:00

3 LITTLE PIGS

2011-09-08T03:15:00.000-07:00

Mixed media on old wooden panels, 200mm x 200mm

ALWAYS THERE

2011-09-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

My father would of been 59 today. Happy Birthday mate!

CRYSTAL VOYAGER

2011-09-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

Not Georges amazing film but the name of this underwater inspired piece of art for an S11 Roxy Bandeau Bikini.

SINGLE & WARD

2011-09-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

EYES TO KILL

2011-09-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

Karlie Kloss

RULERS OF THE DEEP

2011-09-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

Sharks are amazing creatures and deserve respect. The death of the bodyboarder in W.A a few days ago is a testament to how well these animals have evolved over time. A horrible way to die and to witness for his mates, though he wouldn't of suffered for long which would give his family some peace to know. Anyway, I picked up some of these newspapers from a fishing C0-op in Forster recently dating back from 1984. The story about this rogue White Pointer is crazy. If this beast is still alive, I estimate it would be about 7m (21ft).

CLASSIC 80's SURF ADVERTISING

2011-09-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

Ads in Surf Magazines do not interest me these days. Maybe I'm trying to re-live my days as a grommet because I love the over-saturated colours, art & content of 80's/90's advertising. From the top, Luke Egan in Razor-Bades, Pre-Quiksilver Kelly Slater for Free Style Watches, Cheetah Swimwear Bum, Billabongs Richie Collins in Web-Gloves (Classic) & Tom Carroll in a typical Quiksilver style double page. Enjoy the weekend!

A CONCEPT OF EASY LIVING & WEARABLE FURNITURE

2011-08-30T04:43:00.000-07:00

Stylish & affordable furniture..these two words aren't usually used in the same sentence but the crew at WALK THE PLANK are creating some amazing collections that won't break your piggy.

The really exciting thing about this concept is that there is a collection called 'Reclaimed', where all furniture pieces are made and designed from the woods of unseaworthy Javanese boats. Micheal Perry who heads up this innovative company is showing a selection of these works at CHINA HEIGHTS in Sydney this Friday at 5pm & continues till the 4th Sept.

SHE'LL BE BRIGHT MATE

2011-08-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

Colourful times for SURF CITY. Progress is good.

LYREBIRD DREAM SUMMER 10

2011-08-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

Found this image on the net featuring a yardage print I did for swimwear.

BLACK WATER COLOUR CLOUDS

2011-08-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

'Black Water Colour Clouds' - 1200mm High x 900mm Wide, Acrylic and Ink on Wooden Panel.

WEBBY'S WEBSITE

2011-08-17T05:19:00.000-07:00

Peter Webb's site is up and alive. An artist in the true sense of the word...see here.

BOARDCOVERS FOR YOUR LADY

2011-08-15T04:06:00.000-07:00

Boardcovers made out of Vintage Fabric...it's nothing new but what is exciting is that I've been collecting some amazing fabrics for this little project the last 3yrs. Looking forward to making some twisted combinations.

PETER WEBB EXHIBITION AT QUIKSILVER HQ

2011-08-10T03:02:00.000-07:00

Peter Webb's artistic talents stretch around 4 decades and it was his hand that gave Quiksilver and the surf industry a visual identity that paved the way for many to follow. Remember the Ghetto Dog & Warpaint....well if you don't I'm sorry. His latest show opens tomorrow night at Quiksilver Headquarters in Torquay Victoria...See you there!

WETSUITS FOR BABES

2011-08-09T23:36:00.000-07:00

This is the third season now, Cynthia Rowley has collaborated with Roxy in neoprene and the colourways on this style are getting better. Other brands making girls look hotter than ever in the water include Tallow & Lisa Marie Fernandez. This 2mm L/SL Spring can be seen here.

PUCCI

2011-08-07T00:08:00.000-07:00

Limited to 10,000 copies, this purchase is an endless source of inspiration.

HYDRO ART SALES

2011-08-06T17:02:00.000-07:00

A new art piece of mine is currently for sale in balmy Torquay at the Hydrophilic Store. Size is 1200mm High x 900mm Wide, acrylic & Indian Ink on wood. Chizza has a great set-up here with his shaping bay next door.

ROXY S11 SWIMWEAR

2011-08-04T03:03:00.000-07:00

A little snapshot of some merch photos of Casey La-Chiusa modelling some Roxy Summer 11 styles.

BACK IN BUSINESS

2011-08-02T01:03:00.000-07:00

Apologies for a new domain name & redirections. I didn't renew my domain same so some KOOK in Japan bought it for whatever reason...2 days before I was to renew.I doubt he/she shares the same name so maybe it's some business set out to make money out of reselling domain names. Sounds like a pretty lame job so I hope kama grabs you by the plums! Anyway I have an exciting show coming up in October with Ryan Heywood at the National Grid Gallery in Sydney. I guess it's going to be a new concept for us so we are stoked to be working alongside each other again. More details to come soon. Above is a photo I recently got off my mother shot in 1988. What else would a grommet want back then? More colour maybe!

THE VIRAL VERSION

2011-07-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

SKY SURFING ON COKE

2011-07-12T04:48:00.000-07:00

It's not the fresh faced looking Anja Coleby or the Razor Blades from this Coke clip that got me frothin in 1991. It was the full deck grip by Gorilla Grip complete with the 3 Dials and Boomerangs.

MARTHA STRECK

2011-07-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

Photos_Grag Kadel

CHANGE THE COLOUR OF YOUR DAY

2011-07-10T05:05:00.000-07:00

A small selection of my boardshort collection.

COKE & NIAS

2011-07-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

Classic Coke advert from the early 90's featuring a young Luke Egan, Stuart Bedford-Brown and others. Loved seeing this as a grom.

GEMMA WARD IN NEOPRENE

2011-07-09T02:25:00.000-07:00

Tick!

ONE DIES

2011-07-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

It's ironic the best waves I've had on the 5'10 Christenson fish this morning would be my last. This session was worth the end result. Photos_Eden Hannon

HUNTINGTON

2011-07-07T05:22:00.001-07:00

THE WEDGE

2011-07-01T23:26:00.000-07:00

So I arrived to The Wedge last week like a super stoked grom getting his first board, put on my trunks and paddled out into the washing machine. 5min later, got called out of the water because I had no fins on....felt like a bit of kook to say the least. Regardless, it was good to sit there and watch it all unfold. Shot on 120mm

VENICE AND MALIBU

2011-07-01T03:41:00.000-07:00

Back in the Winter realms of Australia thinking of hot Farenheight California. Shot on 120mm

KORDUROY INTERVIEW

2011-06-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

The crew at Korduroy.tv did a small interview last month with myself that can be seen here. Much thanks to the boys for taking the time to do this with us.

MELROSE AVE

2011-06-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

Just come home from a stint in California. Highlights were getting booted out of 6-8ft Wedge, Belly full of Burritos, Pumping Trestles & the Markets in West Hollywood. Bought a stupid amount of vintage ref.

ALMOST THERE

2011-06-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

Acrylic and Indian Ink on Wooden panel. 900mm Wide x 600mm High x 60mm Deep

MONDAY MODEL MASHUPS 8

2011-06-06T16:11:00.000-07:00

2 Lagers on the Airmat!

HONG KONG TO HOME

2011-06-06T03:35:00.000-07:00

70's & 90's

2011-06-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

The parents doing there 70's hair thing (epic embroidery too) and Bali Boats from 1992

MONDAY MODEL MASHUPS 7

2011-05-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

Not my best effort at all!!! Miranda Kerr.

SIDEWAYZ SKATEBOARD

2011-05-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

Acrylic & Indian Ink on salvaged skateboard from the rubbish tip. This is for the Sidewayz Exhibition being held at the National Grid Gallery this week. Get to it and bid!

ABSTRACT FLORAL

2011-05-24T22:28:00.000-07:00

Acrylic & Indian Ink on Wooden Panel. 600mm W x 900mm H x 60mm D. It was more rewarding to look at this finished piece for me than most other work I've done lately. Colours & shapes...simple and effective.

MONDAY MODEL MASHUPS 6

2011-05-23T00:31:00.000-07:00

Abbey Lee Kershaw representing the homeland!

JACQUELYN JABLONSKI

2011-05-21T06:11:00.000-07:00

This is insane. Amazing colour and lighting from Harpers Bazaar June/July 2010

CREST OF COLOUR

2011-05-21T04:43:00.000-07:00

Acrylic, Indian Ink & Resin on recycled wood. 450mm x 600mm

UNTITLED

2011-05-16T04:45:00.000-07:00

Acrylic & Ink on Wooden Panel. 900mm x 450mm x 60mm

MONDAY MODEL MASHUPS 5

2011-05-16T03:12:00.000-07:00

Cindy Crawford

RAKE

2011-05-11T01:58:00.000-07:00

Rake's new site is up and alive! For great threads to cover your bits and a whole lot more like banging boards shaped from space, check in here.

BLACK WATER COLOUR CLOUDS

2011-05-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

Acrylic, Indian Ink & Resin on Wooden Panel. 600mm x 600mm x 60mm

MONDAY MODEL MASHUPS 4

2011-05-09T01:51:00.000-07:00

Daria Werbowy

LATE NIGHTS NEW WORKS

2011-05-07T23:25:00.000-07:00

Acrylic, Indian Ink & Resin on Recycled Wood Panels. 600mm x 600mm x 60mm. This is the first piece that will be going in the WAX OFF exhibition at the Sugarmill.

THE JAZZ DEN

2011-05-05T06:33:00.000-07:00

Jazz flows through this abode like a nice bottle of red. Luke Gallen is a genius!

MOUNTAIN AND WAVE

2011-05-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

Acrylic & Ink on Wooden Panel. 450mm x 900mm x 60mm

ECLIPSE

2011-05-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

Acrylic, Indian Ink & Resin on Recycled Wood. 180mm x 180mm x 60mm

CARDBOARD COLOUR WHEEL

2011-05-02T15:31:00.001-07:00

MONDAY MODEL MASHUPS 3

2011-05-02T01:25:00.000-07:00

Freja Beha Erichsen

CENTRESIDE

2011-04-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

Acrylic & Ink on Wooden Panel. 600mm x 600mm x 60mm

MONDAY MODEL MASHUPS 2

2011-04-27T01:29:00.000-07:00

A few days late because the Bells Beach party rolled into town over the weekend. Karlie Kloss

CHINA

2011-04-19T08:39:00.000-07:00

Visted some factories, ate ten types of meats and got very inspired today. Rad!

MONDAY MODEL MASHUPS 1

2011-04-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

Check in every Monday for an interesting look at the worlds top models. Anja Rubik stars in the first.