Jason "Miff" Swales - Surf Artist: In the Yorke Peninsula region of South Australia
For surfers the wave is a drug. For some, the addiction is overpowering, like a fearsome rip drawing them further out to surf-breaks around the world.
Some of South Australia’s premier breaks can be found at Innes National Park at the bottom of Yorke Peninsula. That's where you'll find Jason Swales, or Miff to his mates. Sometimes his will be the first footprints on Ethel Wreck Beach, which can be an unforgiving place - especially on a wild winter day.
But pick the right wave as Miff did for our camera, and the joy of surfing comes together in a wall of water and a rush of sheer adrenaline.
It’s out on the water that Miff draws his inspiration for paintings that will take shape on canvas in his studio in nearby Marion Bay. Ethel Wreck Beach has already made it onto canvas and now, Miff's working on another well known break, Pondalowie Bay.
“It’s one of my favourite spots. It’s a good surfing spot. I know the peninsula pretty well - I've been coming here for twenty years now,” Miff explained.
The various shades of blue pastel get a real workout as Miff tries to capture the vivid turquoise for which Yorkes is renowned. And through all the quiet hours in his studio the real quest is to capture the power and ferocity of the wave.
In typical surfer fashion Miff is prepared to reveal some of the secrets of his artwork - but not the secret breaks scattered around the "tip of the toe".
“If I told you a few then I might have to kill you,” laughed Miff. “A lot of the guys don’t like us telling where the actual breaks are. If you know where they are.... If you recognise them that's fair enough.”
Miff's artwork really took shape while on a world trip in search of the perfect wave. Stuck in Mexico with no money, he began sketching postcard-sized depictions of the coastline. They sold and with his lightweight box of pastels his odyssey continued taking him via a sailing ship to the waves of the West Indies. Later, it was onto Indonesia with its amazing markets and wild life. It was a four-year trip. But when he got back, why did he choose Yorke Peninsula to put down roots?
“Just because of it's untouched beauty I suppose. I traveled around most of the world trying to get to places before tourism got to them, you know. It was quite a bit of a race and when I came back to Yorke Peninsula I realised how untouched it was and how tourism hadn't quite got here yet. That's why I thought this was a nice place to live.”
He was also drawn to the consistent waves and the challenge to capture them on canvas.
“It's that one split second that I'm trying to capture. I think only a surfer can paint a wave because only a surfer knows where all the water's running and which way the water is running…”
That means scouring the various bays at the bottom of Yorkes and taking the board and easel with him
“It just goes on forever. I just love driving down a road I've never been before and coming up to beach that I've never seen before.”
Jason Swales’ work is regularly on show at Rhino's Tavern at Stenhouse Bay or you can contact him on his mobile 0419 857 029.
Jason "Miff" Swales
Rhino's Tavern
Stenhouse Bay
Innes National Park
Yorke Peninsula
Contact "Miff" on 0419 857 029
