SURF ART & MUSIC . . . I am an Artist
Caylin Spear
Surf into a Positive Life It is not always possible to choose the path our lives take. For unknown scientific reasons, I was born missing the femur in my right leg. This gave me a vision of life that often transcends the obvious, and it allows me to connect on a deeper level with others.
After going through a traumatic amputation of what was left of my right foot when I was nine years old, my mother desperately put me into art classes to get my mind off of the pain. Shortly after my body healed, my father, who was crippled at birth by polio in his right leg (no genetic connection to my own condition), taught me to surf on the west side of Kauai. Painting and drawing became a release from reality for me, much like the ocean and surfing. I escape into my vision and fall into a sacred world of my own. I have married these two passions in my everyday life by the ocean. Art is a visual form that encourages people to think for themselves, dream, and praise the beauty and spirit of life. I express the feeling of a place through color and form to make the viewer feel they are truly present.
see the world.
I learned to surf on one leg, squatting on a long board. One day I pulled off a barrel roll, and my brother suggested I try body boarding, which hooked me immediately. On a body board, I am able to get into the barrel of the wave easier and surf more challenging waves with more control than on a long board. I have found strength, beauty, and confidence in the ocean. I am a physical example of overcoming adversity. I have been taught to live life to the fullest, despite my disability, through my faith in God who is all around me and in the ocean especially.
I have found strength, beauty, and confidence in the ocean.
It is my father, born with polio in his right leg, who taught me that I am capable, not disabled, especially in the water. Both of my parents have taught me to take care of my body by eating healthy and exercising regularly. When I was born, my mother was quite young and with her faith in me and God she made sure that I would try everything that a normal little girl wants to do--from dance classes to painting and sailing. My family has always encouraged me to overcome my disability and be the person that I am in society today.
This way of painting communicates what I see in the world, a unique and breathtaking perspective of the ocean when I surf. It is my hope that my work affects others by giving a positive visual experience, yet also a glimpse of the challenges I have overcome in my life.
I believe that it is my independence and passion for life that sets me apart from others since I have always had to work harder physically to survive on a daily basis.
As I mentioned before, my connection to the ocean and the encouragement to excel physically, mentally, and spiritually have shaped the way I
As I have become more physically independent from my family, I believe I have become an excellent example of how a person can rise well above
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Left photo by Robbie Warden, right photo by RpmSurfer