How did your love for the ocean develop? Did your hometown help influence this passion?

Ever since I can remember I’ve loved the ocean, from playing in the rock pools and sailing in my pa’s sailboat as a kid to our annual trips to the rugged west country. My hometown is a small village behind the south downs, I’m close to the ocean (the English channel) and there are some really beautiful coastal areas where I live, but the clear and cold Atlantic ocean that adorns the North Cornish coastline has been one my biggest influences. I’m now living a stones throw away from Rincon and loving it!

When did your interest for art and photography begin? At what point did you start to pursue them as something more than just a hobby?

I’ve always been interested in art, my mum is an artist and she has taught and encouraged me a lot. I studied graphic design at college and really enjoyed it. It was really practical, and we did a lot of the design by hand and then enhanced and manipulated it on the computer, which really suits me. I’ve always branched more towards illustration, using raw materials rather than straight digital design. I suppose that’s where my interest in photography came from. My dad gave me a bunch of old 35mm cameras he used to shoot with when he was my age. I’ve always preferred film over digital, I love the unpredictability of it and the anticipation for the results.

What would you consider your style of art to be? Which mediums do you enjoy using most?

My style of art I would say is whimsical, feel-good-food for the soul. Art for me is such a release of tension, kind of like meditation I suppose. I can get lost in a creation for hours, I like to draw what makes me feel good inside, so that when I look it afterward it makes me feel content, maybe even peaceful. I hope that’s what it makes other people feel too! I love using really fine bleed resistant pens, fabric and translucent paper the most I think, I’d love to get more into textile based work though.

Your illustrations are pretty neat. They have a sort of simplistic look, but upon further inspection, one can see that extreme detail was adhered to…Can you describe the process in creating one?

My favorite illustrations to create are these little address cards which I’ve called the ‘maps, lines and floral waves’ series. They’re a combination of pen, fine lines, fabric and different papers. I Like how all of the textures work together and how each material represents an element of the scene being created. The transparent paper to me looks like a fine morning mist and the lines in the waves look like wood grain. I usually do a really quick sketch and label the elements and the material I’ll use and then just begin cutting, placing and rearranging the pieces. I like working small too, a lot of people are surprised at how tiny some of the illustrations are.

Do you usually have a good idea of what you want to do before starting a new project, or does your creativity tend to flow from the unconscious?

My projects usually start with a one off creation or idea, then afterwards I’m like ‘that was fun, let’s do another one but this time I’ll use these colors’. Projects or sets of illustrations are fun to do because they all go together well and have a consistency about them which is quite addictive to create. I get a lot of my ideas just before I fall asleep, it’s a time where I’m usually making my brain mentally make things, but I ‘ll be like ‘aha!’ then get out my phone and write it down.

Tell us a little about your blog, “The Magic Bus”.

The magic bus is an online and very real life community of surfers, photographers, artists and happy snapping adventurers around the globe. People submit their photographic tales to the magic bus Flickr group where every few days I select 6 that really stand out and post then onto the magic bus website, www.themagicbuscollective.com. It’s a really fun project, I’ve met so many incredible, adventurous and talented people through it.

Are there certain criteria that photos must meet before making it onto your blog? How do you go about choosing which ones are included?

There’s a few unspoken criteria that I think makes a ‘magic bus’ photo. They’re usually all film photos with a few exceptions, I like that with film every photo is truly unique from the type of film used, the camera, the grain and the light flares. The photos also have to be modest, real photos from people’s travels, but other than that it’s pretty relaxed. I like photos that make you want to get your backpack on, pack your tent and get off the beaten track.

On your site it says that you are going to have a book circulating between different artists all over the world…Pretty cool idea, can you talk about it? What was the inspiration behind it?

I’ve wanted to do a magic bus book for a longtime but I hadn’t found a lot of time to do it, but a graphics project came up in a class where I had the opportunity to create a book. It was really fun to make but i only made one as it was hand bound in a hand stitched cover. I thought it would be a cool idea to circulate the book with a little journal in it and an address list. I think it’ll be fun and really personal to everyone involved.

Where do you see yourself a couple years down the road?

I want to be living comfortably and happily, and having the time and opportunity to travel. I’d also like to be making a living off my art of course expanding the bus of magic.

For more of Maddie’s work, check out her blogs www.maddiejoyceart.blogspot.com and www.themagicbuscollective.com

Be sure to check out a zine Riley created from the piece as well.

As the hyper-saturated surf/art/lifestyle market becomes increasingly competitive-thanks in large part to the Internet and the instant access provided by various forms of “New New Media”-practically everyone who is anyone has taken to employing some kind of a gimmick in an attempt to remain relevant and stand out from the crowd. The tough guy image in particular, which has always been present in some form (be it through localism or other such nonsense), seems to be particularly en vogue of late, and as the surf-world is overrun by Bra Boys, Wolf Packs, jiu-jitsu trained enforcers and foul-mouthed, UFC-branded pros who are publicly F(ing)TW, its easy to despair that, discontent with always finishing last, the nice guys aren’t even bothering to show up anymore.

Thankfully, this isn’t necessarily the case-as proven by 24-year old Gold Coast surfer Matthew Shepherd. Shepo-as he is known to his friends-is the nice guy’s nice guy. Incapable of a mean-spirited comment, he respects nature, women, his elders-pretty much everyone he meets. He’s passionate. Humble. Generous. Soft- spoken. Which isn’t to say that he’s a pussy. A carpenter by trade, he knows how to work with his hands. Well-traveled, he is comfortable in a variety of climes and situations, and tends to up the stoke level wherever he goes-even when the going gets rough. Personable and outgoing, he’s equipped with a classic Aussie sense of humor and isn’t afraid to have a good time-you just won’t catch him doing so at the expense of others. In short, he’s nice to have around. The kind of guy you might like your sister to meet.

Shepo also happens to be a preternaturally talented, uniquely-focused, self-taught photographer. Discovering his love for ocean-based photography while visiting friends at their Micronesian dive resort three years ago, he quickly outgrew his Canon G10 and, upon returning home to Australia, threw himself into the study of his newfound art. When he returned to Micronesia for a second visit two years later, he brought with him a duffel bag full of equipment-housings, lenses, a top-notch DSLR body-and a highly developed skillset to match.

Focused initially on coral, reef fish and other underwater wonders, Shepo soon began expanding his repertoire and looking for additional sources of inspiration. An avid surfer since childhood, he had long been interested in trying his hand at surf-photography, and to that end asked me if I’d like to work with him the next time conditions were ideal. With little to no experience shooting surf and weighed down with a bulky scuba housing, Matt took to the water in a mask, snorkel and dive fins, and in just five hours over a two-two day period managed to produce a handful of startlingly stellar images.

Continuously evolving and reinventing himself as an artist, Shepo spent the next year focusing on slow-exposure captures of shorelines, rivers and various other aqua scenes-including Gold Coast surf staples such as The Spit, Currumbin Alley and Burleigh Heads (all waves that he grew up surfing). Transcending the difficulties involved in effectively portraying water’s natural dynamism through an inherently static medium, Shepo’s latest work blends the seemingly un-reconcilable elements of movement and stasis, resulting in surreal images that can only be described as ghostly and sublime.

Although he has won multiple photography awards and had his talents heralded by friends and family for the past two years, Shepo’s natural inclination is towards humility, and he is quick to downplay his accomplishments. As such, public exposure to his work has been somewhat limited. This is slowly changing, however, as Shepo has begun to share his unique view of the ocean, one exposure at a time, through a series of limited edition releases. He is also simultaneously working to ensure that the subject of his art will be around long enough for future generations to enjoy-5% of all sales are donated directly to Sarah Shark, a conservation awareness group emphasizing the vital role old Whitey and friends play in the fragile eco-system that we as surfers too often take for granted.

Where Shepo decides to take his photography from here remains to be seen. In a relatively short period of time he has proven a marked ability to excel in a number of fields of focus, developing a unique style that provides a fresh perspective of Oceania to the landlocked and water-bound alike. Although it may be too early to proclaim this affable photographer a commercial success, one can only hope that this will soon be the case. There are few who are more deserving.

To see more of Matthew Shepherd’s photography, or to order prints, please feel free to visit his website at www.aquaseen.com or stay up to date with Matt at http://www.facebook.com/aquaseen

In honor of that trip, we are dedicating this week as Kneeboard Week on Korduroy. The following 5 days will feature an exclusive clip by Greenough, an Inner-view clip with the Legless crew and other cool knee-centric stuff that’s worth checking out. Be sure to stay tuned…

What is the history behind kneeboarding in Wollongong?

Wollongong kneeboard history goes back the same as most areas in OZ and the rest of world, where there is a slabby reef wave, kneeriders tended to have located/developed, it was a definitely a late 50s to early 60′s start. From guys like Lance Fairley (surfing balsa kneeboards, single and twins in Woonona in 1958 and on) Paul Satchell, Phil Hall, Richard “Nat” Palmer, Adam Williams, Ed Sinnott, Steve Wilson, it’s a big list in any area.

Why do you think it has survived in the area?

Kneeriding has always been a part of the Australian surfing culture, from dedicated kneeriding clubs to its own competitive circuit. Kneeriders developed their own world here in Oz without the backing of a corporate surfing business. You could say it was developed by families and friends, the love of kneeriding and great mateship, and that’s why it never stopped and it has taken its own path.

What are the differences between stand up surfing and kneeboarding?

We are all riding waves so that part is universal. I guess the sensation of being so close to the water at high speed, as well as the worldwide aloha that prevails with all kneeriders is quite unique. Foot boarding comes from your thighs, kneeriding comes from your lower back. The stoke is the same.

There are always those that prefer to take the road less travelled, to stick out from the rest. Those that do often find they are not alone, that there is a commonality with others expressed in these off-the-beaten-path pursuits. Kneeboarders are no different. Every kneeboarder has a reason or two why they don’t ride a stand-up, body board, or any other wave riding craft. More often than not it’s a need to be different and to find those with the same rare trait are the right kind of people in their eyes. It is probably related to the reason why tribes form, it’s human nature to have those that do not belong in certain tribes and seek others with which they share those common waters. Sometimes those tribes are a little off from centre and that’s appealing.

What is it that would convince you to catch waves on your knees rather than standing?

Waves that barrel with power is what convinced me. To be able to drop super late, and pull in tight on anything over 2ft, really means I am maximizing my tube time and my fun, and that’s what it is all about for me.

Besides the occasional large deck pad on most kneeboards, what are the main differences between a kneeboard and your standard surfboard?

Kneeboards are manufactured the same way as footboards with the use foam blanks, glass resin, epoxy, balsa whatever! Today’s kneeboard outlines have a much greater rail curve, its continual from nose to tail compared to a footboard. Fin placement is more forward and the way you ride them is dramatically different. Footboards are turned off the back foot (tail of the board) whilst the continual curve and the forward fin placement means when you ride a kneeboard, you lean forward and surf 90% on your rails, fins make up the 10% Awesome for late drops, you throw yourself over the ledge and total lean forward, engage the rail in front of your knees, keep leaning forward and drive. You don’t turn a kneeboard, you become one and you drive it.

You said you are trying to show kneeboarding in a more contemporary fashion via Legless.tv. It seems as though most kneeboarders don’t care about the hype and getting noticed. How do you make it relevant in the midst of the mainstream surf culture?

I guess kneeriding has never had any real marketing of any sorts, even back in the days of George Greenough, Neil Luke, Peter Crawford, Rex Huffman, Ross Bullard and Steve Lis and the list goes on. So the footboard community was responsible for most media regarding kneeriding, so nearly all media about kneeriding for 40 years has been quite negative. In that 40 years there has been some incredible kneeboarders, and no one would know about these guys, except the kneeboard world. Kneeboarding has never been large enough to have a magazine and corporate companies to promote its great surfers, but with today’s technology other kneeriders around the world can access the best videos, imagery, history, stories etc on Legless.tv. and see what’s happening NOW in kneeriding internationally just by getting on the internet. I don’t believe there is any intention to make us relative amongst the mainstream surf culture, its more about giving back to kneeboarders who have loved and supported kneeriding for over 5 decades, and to present today’s younger crop of kneeriders in a way that their surfing deserves. Pretty simple really.

Your right, most kneeriders don’t care about the hype and getting noticed, but kneeriders will always love to see imagery, videos, stories etc of fellow kneeriders doing their thing, and Legless.tv is our opportunity to do that.

Was kneeboarding just a temporary deviation during surfing’s transition from longer to shorter boards?

Well that depends on whose history of surfing that you follow, I firmly believe that kneeboarding was developed from Paipo early board riders needs to go faster in the tube, they started making bigger boards and kneeling up and getting tubed, which in turn they then started standing up on kneeboards and getting tubed, hence kneeboards being the first real shortboard. The deviation was long boarders watching paipo and kneeriders getting barrelled and then taking their equipment and analysing it and adapting it to foot boarding. Bob McTavish’s storeys of Greenough’s contributions to the advancement of his designs is very well documented in his own autobiography.

At legless we call kneeriding “the legitimate unorthodox way to ride a wave” we don’t really take things that seriously, be we do have a lot of fun.

With legends like Greenough and Steve Lis paving the way as far as equipment and technology, what kind of changes do you see happening in the sport now, some 20-odd years later?

Not sure if we are looking for changes. We like kneeriding the way it is. It’s unique, it’s eccentric, it’s niche.

It’s us…..

Check out this video for more information…

Make your voice heard (http://americancensorship.org/).

Describe your artist style.

A mix of collage, drawings, photographs and sticky colored labels. I’ve got the reverse of the blank page syndrome; I can’t leave a blank on the page.

I try to reproduce on paper the pictures i have in my head, conjured up by the music I listen to, the books Iread and the artists I like. And the best opportunity to do so is the posters I make for the concerts organized by the association we’ve created in 2008 with a few friends (facebook.com/letspaniclater). They allow me to really let myself go, and lay on paper all my inspirations and desires. My style can sometimes be really naive: colored sticky labels, light blue and pink; as it can become quite dark all of a sudden.

What types of art do you enjoy most? Is there one genre you spend more time on or is it whatever you’re feeling that day?

I like drawing, collages and type design best. Creating something complex from just one shape, like the circle, is something I really enjoy. I naturally went back to the sticky colored label of my childhood. Their round shape and their bright colors attract me and reassure me. But I’m still very opened to influence, in a good way. Most of my illustration start with a dot, but what follows depends on my mood, and my latest aesthetic obsession.

Do you have a formal art education? Or did you learn by trial and error?

I’ve always wanted to do that, but one day I realized I needed to do things seriously. So I majored in visual communication and global design in Bordeaux in 2007. And on top of my studies, my personal research, my errors and my curiosity got me where I am today.

As a graphic designer, what do you think life would be like without the use of a computer?

Not radically different, but slower and less fun. It’s amazing what we can do with a computer and with the Internet. We have access to all kind of images and information with just few clicks. With a computer, I can break free from economic and technical constraints: chat with people all around the world, and advertise my work. Thanks to Photoshop and Illustrator, I can improve the typeface I have scribbled on a piece of paper, and send a neat job to the printer. I’m not sure I could do without it today…

Why Polaroids as opposed to other cameras/film? What’s the draw there for you?

Polaroid because it is the first camera I had when I was 7, well before the digital age. At that time, when I saw that the picture came out instantly, I was mesmerized! You have the picture in your hands in no time, with great colors and that typical format, and you can take it with you and start working on it immediately. It entirely satisfies my impatient side!

What do you feel is the most important aspect of being a good designer?

Find your own style and develop it. A good designer is someone who has found his/her touch. A work that is identifiable is a work of a good designer. Not to rely on what you already know, go forward, with what you can do and what you like doing, but always aim higher. Curiosity is the key word.

When did you get involved in surfing? And what kinds of boards are you riding?

I started surfing in summer 2009, after meeting my friend Hugo. He was crazy about surfing and I caught the virus. I started with a 7″9, then, once i felt at ease, I bought my first longboard, a Swop 9″ (swopsurfboards.blogspot.com). And, for about one year now, I have surfed with a 9″4. But I’d like to try something different, like a retro fish, but I still need to get better…

Describe the surf scene in your area of France. How does it compare to some of the other places in the world you may have traveled to?

I’ve learned to surf and still surf today in Lacanau, near Bordeaux. This is a town where surfing really started in Gironde in the 60′s, and I often surf with the guys who surfed there first, and that’s impressive. The town is full of people who are really keen, for who surfing is a way of life, the organizing element in their life. In Winter there are 5000 inhabitants, and 40 000 in summer; everything changes in just a few days! I’m really fond of this town, where I am lucky enough to own a nice little house. I’ve never surfed anywhere outside France, but I’d love to try other spots.

What’s next for Pauline Automatique?

I’ve just partnered with another graphic designer; we’ve only just started but it’s going well. We’ll soon have an Internet website, I’ll keep you posted! I’d love to carry on working for music and surf, and all kind of exciting projects. In a nutshell, in 2012, I will focus on my artistic activity, go on surfing, and…have a baby in August!

www.pauline-automatique.com

For more on Yannick and Sen No Sen, check out http://www.sennosen.com/2012/01/sen-no-sen-x-yannick-le-toquin.html