It’s the 2021 Christmas and summer holidays on the Gold Coast, Australia. For the past few years, I’ve made it a tradition to step away from the computer and web design during the break, spending my time outdoors or working in the garage instead.
Last year, I focused on designing, making, and testing the first Handy Bodysurfing models. It was a great way to unplug from the digital world, but it also sparked a new passion for shaping foam and fiberglassing. A year later, I’m still at it, and each generation of bodysurfing handplanes is getting better.
For the 2021/22 New Year’s break, my plan was simple, work on the next-gen handplanes and surf as much as possible.
But that wasn’t going to happen.
Grounded for Six Weeks
Two weeks before Christmas, at the peak of the busiest time of the year, I tripped over my son’s shoe at home and fractured my foot. Just like that, I was grounded for six weeks.
I’m terrible at sitting still, unless I’m in front of my computer.
At first, I tried to keep moving, pushing through the pain to wrap up work before Christmas. But instead of getting better, my foot felt worse. I knew I had to stop and rest properly.
To do that, I needed something to keep me occupied. Something that wasn’t work-related but still kept me creatively engaged.
Moon boot_
A New Artistic Direction
On the first morning of my ‘forced rest,’ which happened to be Christmas Eve, an ad popped up on my Instagram feed:
“Vector portrait with manual textures” – an illustration course by Alvaro Tapia Hidalgo.
Without overthinking, I clicked the ad and bought the course. It just felt right.
Only after starting did I realise what I had signed up for—mixed media art. Something I’d wanted to try for a long time. I was pumped.
The course itself was a challenge. It was in Spanish with English subtitles, so I had to watch each lesson, go back to read the subtitles, and then rewatch to piece everything together. It was a mission, but one that was totally worth it.
Finding Inspiration
Beyond the technical skills, the biggest takeaway from the course was inspiration. Alvaro’s work is incredible, but what stood out the most was his lesson on building the foundation of your art by seeking out inspiration.
One phrase in particular stuck with me:
“The basic elements of creativity are: Copy, Transform, and Merge.”
Part of the mixed media art debut process_
My First Pieces
For the final module, I had to submit a completed piece. But before jumping into the final artwork, I started experimenting.
The first piece I created was of my wife. The second? Myself (after turning her pink, I had to do the same to me).
The third will likely be my final submission, fingers crossed.
This is just the beginning. I have a feeling there will be many more of these projects, and I can’t wait to explore the endless ways to blend different mediums into a single piece.
Device: iMac 2015
Apps: Illustrator & Photoshop
Annotations: Vector Portrait with Manual Textures Course on Domestika
