Diving into the underwater world of artist Andy Warde

Take a closer look at one of Andy Warde's paintings and you're be surprised at what you may find. Photo: Greg Marino

Take a closer look at one of Andy Warde’s paintings and you’ll be surprised at what you may find. Photo by Greg Marino

Encinitas, California-based surfer, skateboarder, and kayak fisherman Andy Warde is becoming widely known for his unique dreamlike, large-scale paintings that more often than not have an aquatic or underwater feel. To look at an Andy Warde painting is to be transported to a different world where things aren’t always what they seem; ocean becomes sky, faces become fish, up is down, and no matter how many times you look at one of his paintings, it seems like you find something new every time.

Warde works out of a small shed that sits on a hill in the shadow of the I-5 freeway under a stand of tall eucalyptus trees. Inside his studio, you’ll find piles of empty oil-paint tubes, discarded wine bottles, coffee cups, and four long walls with canvases nailed directly to them. Some are bright and beautiful nearly completed works; others are beginnings or somewhere in the middle. Music plays loudly in the background. Like a lot of artists, Warde isn’t comfortable talking about himself or his art, but with a bit of prodding we got some insight into his world.

When he's not in his studio, Andy Warde is on his trusty kayak gather inspiration and hopefully dinner. Photo: Greg Marino

When he’s not in his studio, Andy Warde is on his trusty kayak, gathering inspiration and hopefully dinner. Photo by Greg Marino

When I look at your paintings, it truly feels like you get lost in them.

I’m trying to develop scenarios where there’s more than one picture; hopefully the viewer can get a little bit lost in them. A lot of the paintings are experiments; some work out and some don’t. Usually I start with one idea and as the painting progresses, it oftentimes takes a totally different turn. I never really know how the painting is going to end up.

Underwater or in the air? You decide. Photo: Greg Marino

Underwater or in the air? You decide. Photo by Greg Marino

One painting that really stands out to me is the “Bait Ball” painting. There is so much going on there and I love how the closer you get, the more you see.

“Bait Ball”

I’ve done a few smaller versions of this painting; I really like the idea of all these fish coming together, as funny as that sounds. The thought of a bait ball is already exciting to me with all the motion and movement they create. Bait balls seem to be one big mass, so I tried to give each fish its own personality. It probably sounds crazy [laughs], but it’s just fun to look at. I really like painting fish, and that probably comes from my love of kayak fishing and of the ocean.

Self portrait or friend of the artist? We may never know. Photo: Greg Marino

Self-portrait or friend of the artist? We may never know. Photo by Greg Marino

What’s up with the hidden and not-so-hidden avocados in your paintings?

They’re “green gold” [laughs]. I grew up in Leucadia, California, so to me the avocado is a good metaphor for where I grew up and sort of represents home, I guess.

A different look from Andy Warde. Photo: Greg Marino

A different look from Andy Warde; photo by Greg Marino

What inspires you to paint the way you do? And particularly the blue underwater scenes?

I think the world is what inspires me, to be honest. Just going to the beach, surfing, fishing, diving, being in the ocean, and of course people around me are inspiring. As far as the underwater, or blue, paintings, those are different. A lot of times people think those paintings are water, but the whole time I was thinking it was sky. That’s why I love painting so much, because people get whatever they want out of it. I don’t really like to explain my paintings too much because I want people to create their own vision or opinion of what they’re looking at.