Jesse Miller

Backside at little Rocky Rights

Jesse Miller was born and grew up surfing in in San Diego. He always wanted to go to Hawaii where the water was warm, and the waves were good. When he started thinking about college, he learned about Brigham Young University-Hawaii, and couldn't think of going anywhere else. BYU-H is a small university in Laie, exactly 10 miles from Sunset Beach. He looked at all the programs they offered, and the Fine Arts program looked good. Before that, he hadn't ever really thought about art, much less producing it. But, once he got to school, he threw himself into everything head first. The surf was everything he had imagined and more, and the art program was exactly what he hoped for. He started out like any beginning art student would, but persisted and practiced and by the time he graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Art degree, he was winning awards in the college art shows.

 

After living in Hawaii for six years, he came back to San Diego, to continue to paint. He soon got a job with the City of San Diego as a beach lifeguard. That lets him work at the beach during the summer, and gives him all winter to concentrate on art. And he finds a lot of inspiration being able to be at the beach all day, every day. It isn't as easy to be in touch with the ocean when you don't live right by it, but being there all summer lets you do that. For the summer of 2008 you can see Jesse working as a lifeguard at Marine Street, in La Jolla.

 

 

Jesse with his little family. Wife Michelle and son Cameron, who loves to color.

 

He has shown his work in several galleries in Hawaii and California. Currently he has work in The Corner Frame Shop and Art Gallery, in Leucadia, CA, Peter J Art Gallery in Newport Beach, and Pangea Outpost in Pacific Beach, La Jolla Kayak, and OEX dive shop by the Shores. He also shows his paintings at various shows around San Diego, and North County.

Almost all his work is inspired by what goes on like 500 feet in both directions from the shoreline. Any shoreline. He has spent his life up to now surfing, and that plays a big role in what he sees in life, and what he wants to show others. Not just the act of riding a wave, but the whole culture surrounding it. Since there are millions of great surf shots published every month in magazines, he looks to what goes on before and after surfing for inspiration. He wants to show what people who surf see and take for granted every day. Its a beautiful thing.

"The Boys"

This was a Mother's day present to my wife. Not only is this a cool little painting, but it is of our boys. They are adorable

This is my new son Benjamin. He was born March 11, 2005. Pretty cool

 

These two pictures are of me from the surfshot.com website. I had just bought a brand new longboard, in 2003 (my first real longboard, from Stewart) and went to Windansea. The surf was small and pretty junky, but I had my new board, and went out. It was Jan. 23. It was a pretty forgettable session, but later that night, I saw these two pictures on the internet, and it just made my day. The surfshot.com website is the greatest report for San Diego. I see it almost every day, and to see myself on it was cool. Thanks to them for having such a quality website, and for making me feel cool for a day. Check it out iout if you are going to surf in SD

Here is another photo of me. I made it onto the Surfshot.com website again. I forgot what day this was, but the wave looks way bigger than I remember that morning. My arms look kind of funny and it looks like I'm not really comitted to the turn here, but I still love seeing pictures of me surfing.

 

The year 2004 was a great one for me. My work has improved, and I feel like I have started to get some cool recognition. My work can be seen in more shops than ever, and I am still excited to find new images to paint and resources to draw from. In November I was fortunate enough to be featured on KUSI News, and have an article written about me in the North County Union Tribune newspaper. I think KUSI did a great job in editing out the dumb things I said on TV, and left the not so dumb things. Thanks to them. And seeing myself in the newspaper made me feel famous.

If you would like to read the article about me, go to http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/northcounty/20041128-9999. You may be able to find it.

And if you would like to see me on the news, come over. I recorded it.

 

"Me Again"

Watercolor - 8 x 12"

I remember this day so well. It was Rocky Rights - Nov. 11, 1992. The barrell section was short, and I popped right out. And I was lucky enough to have a friend of mine get a shot at a cool time. I wish I could remember all the waves I have surfed as well as I remember this one. I guess the ones you remember are just special.

"Pinecone"

This isn't a painting, but a snapshot of my summer in 2007. We (the lifeguards at Blacks) built a little shack on the cliff above the surf spot, so we can watch the water from up there in the shade. We even planted some trees. It is a great environment now. This shot was taken during the little south swell that hit during the Labor Day weekend. The surf was so fun that swell. And really crowded, but later that night I came out of the best barrell I have ever had in San Diego. It was so long and fun. It was a perfect way to end my summer season working as a lifeguard. I would like to thank the city of San Diego for letting me go back there every summer and get paid to have this view.