Aloha!

My name is Heather Brown and I am an artist on the North Shore of Oahu. You can see my art at www.heatherbrownart.com

Mahalo!

Friday, February 21, 2020

Surf Stroll by Heather Brown

Happy ALOHA Friday!!
Surf Stroll is a piece that I originally painted sometime in 2015-2016. At that point we were living on the North Shore of Oahu and we would take the dog for walks on the stretch of beach between Ehukai and Ke'iki. One morning on a smaller day of surf I looked out as a girl walked out to the waters edge and it almost seemed as she cleared the path of the normal hustle and bustle of North Shore in winter time. It was so fun to run back up to my studio and start sketching out the basis for this piece. I worked a few different study pieces before I finally decided on the composition and colors for the finished piece.
I hope that Surf Stroll can bring you to the same magical place that she is entering.
Mahalo and Aloha!

girl surfer approaching the waves on North Shore Oahu by heather brown modern surf art
Surf Stroll by Modern Surf Artist Heather Brown 

Friday, February 7, 2020

Aloha Friday Surf Art Skateboards from Heather Brown

Happy ALOHA Friday!
A few years back I was asked to do a show in Kailua on the east side of Oahu. It was late fall in 2012 and I had been painting and touring (away from home about 4-5 months that year) all while working on projects with Rip Curl, Kokua Foundation and The Surfrider Foundation. Needless to say I was starting to feel a bit burnt out by the end of the year. The show was in February, which is usually the month I try to "take off" and do some surf and snowboard traveling and more surfing at home, so I almost did not accept the offer.
At the same time my husband Chris who had been making skateboards since the early 90's was back making a lot of decks for our small side project, Hawai'i Skateboard Company. In early December of 2012 he had pressed some beautiful decks with bamboo cores and we were all so excited riding them in our bowl and share these new boards with friends and all night skate sessions.
Up to that point I had already painted original work on skateboards here and there but now with the boards being made right there on our property in Pupukea on the North Shore, I knew I had to make an original series on skate decks. I was so inspired and I would work 12-14 hours a day every day so I could fit this extra show into my schedule. I had so many ideas of what I wanted to paint on them that I think I ended up painting about 20 decks and drinking 3,482 pots of coffee! ha ha
The show was so positive and fun, it would be impossible for anyone with a heart to leave without at least a little smile on their face. That is when all of those extra hours I spent just washed away and pure happiness took over.
Thanks for reading and supporting me and my art for a day or for 20 years. I appreciate each and every time that someone finds a connection to my art and love of nature.
Aloha, Mahalo and have a beautiful weekend!


happy art heather brown
Heather Brown Modern Surf Art Original Skateboard Decks











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Friday, January 31, 2020

Happy Aloha Friday!
Here is an original skateboard deck I painted about 6 years back for a group show I did with my husband Chris, Our friend Iki from Japan and Welzie from the North Shore of Oahu. The group show was all about whales and the Narwhal deck was one of my favorite pieces I created.
I have always enjoyed painting animals starting from my early days creating photo realistic charcoal pieces, mainly of horses.
These days I love creating my animals in a way that sparks happiness instantly. They are a bit silly and each one has their very own personality that shines brightly.
I have actually been emailed by some people telling me that I shouldn't paint an animal a certain way, or show an animal in a non-animal environment, and more. While I respect everyones opinion, my feeling has always been to show the beauty and happiness of nature and all earthlings in hopes that it will help people want to protect them. I truly believe that if everyone was able to spend time in beautiful natural places and spend time with animals and see how they live and react with each other, many people would come away with a much deeper appreciation and most likely want to protect the earth and all its beings more.
By creating art like this, I hope to speak the imaginations of the millions of people that do not have the ability to be in nature, that have never seen the ocean, and that don't even know about whales and other endangered species.
I hope that this cute little guy adds a bit of Aloha to your heart this weekend and you share that love with your family, our environment and all of the creatures that inhabit this beautiful Earth with us.
Mahalo and Aloha!

Heather Brown Art Narwhal Skateboard Original




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Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Heather Brown Happy Art Rainbow Birds Creation Story

Back in 2014 I was asked by Jalpak to produce art for their new double decker tour busses that they had on Oahu. At the time there were only two busses. An original acrylic painting on a bus wouldn't last and I have never thought about painting my art at that scale.
So we got the dimensions of the bus and scaled it down to a workable size for me to paint on canvas. I painted the piece on 3 canvasses that were each 20"x40" I included a picture of me painting the first 2 canvasses in my studio on the north shore of Oahu. We then did a very high resolution scan of the 3 pieces and my publisher, Black Sand Publishing in Honolulu, created the custom wraps for the busses.
As an extra for the project I wanted to do something a bit fun and silly and something that people stuck in the Honolulu traffic congestion could look at and smile (especially if you are directly in back of the bus!)
This was the catalyst for me to create the Rainbow Birds.
Over the years I have received so many messages and emails from people that have been in back of the busses telling me how it made them smile in an otherwise frustrating time in traffic. That made me so happy that I decided to work with Jalpak to get the art on 12 more trolleys in the Honolulu area.
While I see my art plenty, it is always such a rush of excitement when I see one driving down the streets of Waikiki.
Subsequently, the Rainbow Birds piece has been the most tattooed piece of my art to date! I probably receive 1-2 emails a month of pictures of rainbow bird tattoos. This makes me happy to see the deep connection that people can have with art.
I hope you all are enjoying the week and as always I am so incredibly thankful for all of you and your love and support to me, my art and my family!

Happy Art by Heather Brown Rainbow Birds

Hawai'i Surf Artist Heather Brown on Jalpak bus she designed

Jalpak bus with Happy Heather Brown Surf Art and Rainbow Birds

Surf Artist Heather Brown Creating the original art for Jalpak

Thursday, January 23, 2020

The Creation of Heather Brown's Diamond Head Surf Art Limited Release print

In about 2003-2004 I was surfing out at Pop's in Waikiki on a gorgeous summer day. The water was the most beautiful blue, the whitewater dancing off the sea surface, the sun shining down upon us and the absolute beauty of Le'ahi, the Hawaiian name for Diamond Head, washing over me.
I must have studied it for hours and barely caught a wave as I watched the puffy white clouds slowly move behind the beautiful natural monument as if they were trying to show off Le'ahi for all of us lucky enough to see it. I must have watched until about a half hour past sunset watching the last bits of light refract of the beautiful curves.
I caught a wave in, rushed onto my moped, rode home and went directly to my easel to try and capture some of what I saw that day. After a few different renditions over the next couple of weeks, I finally decided that this was the version that I wanted to release out to the world.
I always hope that as much as the joy and Aloha are transmitted through my paintings, so is the Beauty that we all need to cherish and protect.
Diamond Head is now available as a Limited Release Fine Art print on paper We offer it framed in a float mount frame in black or white and also rolled for each and cheap shipping and you can put it in the frame of your choice .

Diamond Head by Modern Surf Artist Heather Brown

Tropical Surf Art of Diamond Head by Heather Brown

Tuesday, January 14, 2020


In 2005 through 2009 I was painting every night after working as a dive master and boat captain on the North Shore. While now, I certainly like my zzzzzz's, I always think about the days living in a 300 square foot place, waking up in the morning, going to work, coming home, moving all my furniture and everything I had our of the way so I could paint, matt prints, stretch giclees and package everything. While it was very tiring (from never getting enough sleep) and I was working multiple jobs to fuel my passion I would never give up that time. I never thought my art would be accepted, so I thank you all for your support and Aloha through the years! When I get tired at my easel, I think of your smiles, when I am hand embellishing Artist proofs, I think of the times that we shared our Aloha together and when I see someone connect with my art, it brings me more smiles and the warmth in my heart that only your happiness can bring.
I painted Spring during that period and it was the first piece that I did on a more monochromatic tone. It was and is still one of my absolute favorite pieces to this day.
Mahalo! Mahalo!! Mahalo!!!


spring by heather brown modern surfing art
Heather Brown Modern Surf Art "Spring" Limited Release giclee on paper

surf art of Hawaii 2020
Framed "Spring" by Heather Brown