Talented Artist Painter Jacqui Garrett-Brown has lived and surfed at Margaret River since about 1983. She paints varying subjects including fantasy, portraits, seascapes, landscapes and animals.
Jacqui has exhibited her art work at the Margaret River Readers and Writers festival. Marg’s Independent School charity art auction. And in the 90s she did two solo exhibitions ‘VISIONS of Fantasy’ in Margaret’s and ‘MERMAIDS’ at Yallingup. Both exhibitions took two years to complete the works.
The former Craigie surfer also paints surfboards for friends and Bill Gibson’s & John Dutton’s Foamlust Surf Festival in Margaret River.
Image #1: 2017 Jacqui painting a surfboard for Foamlust Surf Festival. Jacqui pic
These are Jacqui’s comments and images.
Jim it’sLucky you came to Bill’s factory at Foamlust or I’d still be Bill’s best kept secret. I’m a bit of a recluse and only come out the woodwork at Foamlust time. I’m hiding again now, till the next Foamlust. The only social event of my year. Lol.
Gosh so many stories to tell. I grew up in Craigie when the road ended at Mullaloo. The only large shopping centre was at Karrinyup. I loved surfing Triggs.
I liked the recent Martin Boffey letter on Surfing Down South. I used to leave my surfboard at the side of his house in the early 80s. His parents were so beautiful to me. I’d hitchhike from Craigie before school in the dark for a morning surf, turn up to school late n wet n sandy.
Brent Stewart’s living next door to the Boffey’s now, in one of my favourite houses there. I recently dropped a painted surfboard off to him. I hadn’t seen Brent for about 35 years. Time flies!He saw my surfboard art on a surfboard site on Facebook and very, very kindly ordered one over the internet, so I didn’t get to see him again until this year. It was in the plans for at least two years as I was painting a big vineyard for someone. Brent was a friend when I was surfing in the late 70s at Triggs.
Image 3. 2018 Jacqui’s surfboard painting of Brent surfing deep in an Indo barrel. Jacqui pic.
Albany surfer Jodie Cooper used to stay at my house when she came up to Triggs for comps.
Jodie and I got Tom Blaxell up early one morning for a surf at Triggs, when he had just bought a house there. I think he had had a late night and was shocked when we knocked on his door. But he said we could, so we did. Lol.🤤. It was Jodie’s idea. She is such a goer, whereas I’m more reserved and quiet.
Image #4. 1981 Jodie Cooper and Jacqui at Triggs comp. Media image.
I had a green Ford Escort and on Whitfords Ave and Wanneroo Road before traffic lights, I had an awful accident. I was on my way to work and got hit from behind. My car did 2 somersaults, 3rolls and wrapped around a telegraph pole. The car landed upside down and the radio was still playing Steve Miller’s “Abracadabra I wanna reach out and grab ya”. It took a while to get out the car. I had to climb out the window and squeeze my body round the pole. I was unscratched and unscathed. But felt like Ide been in a bubble through the whole roll. I Hitch hiked home. We did it tough in those days, no hospital inspection. Every day we have our health is a beautiful gift.
Image #5. 1981 Jacqui with her green Ford Escort (pre-accident) at Craigie. Jacqui pic.
In the early 80s I was sponsored by Blaxell Surfboards and won the Women’s Division in the State Surfing Titles in 1981. We (State Team) went to Bells (Vic) for the Aust titles.
Image #6. 1981 Blaxell Surfboards advertisement featuring image of Trigg surfer Paul Cunningham. Jacqui is named on the right. Image courtesy of Tom Blaxell.
Blaxell team rider Paul Cunningham was my first love. We had matching surfboards for a while!
When I was with Paul, we went on a day trip to Rottnest in Tom Blaxell’s boat with surf photographer Ric Chan, to shoot surf photos of Paul.
Image #7. 1980 Tom Blaxell’s Surfrider boat jumping waves at Transits on Rotto with Tom and Paul on board. Ric Chan pic.
Ric Chan got the cover shot of Paul surfing Rotto on a 1980s West Coast Surfing Magazine.Ric stood up to his knees in water at Strickland Bay, with his tripod getting shots. And I’m not sure if his camera would have been waterproof.
I had the matching coloured board to Paul’s board in the photo. See told you girls were just a second thought in those days! I got no photos taken. Maybe I just wasn’t good enough. Lol.
Image #8. 1980s Cover shot of Paul Cunningham surfing Strickland Bay Rotto. Ric Chan pic.
In 1984 I had a Blaxell bat tail surfboard that Benton Moran designed. I loved that board. Someone in Hillarys bought it about 37 years ago.
Images #9. 1984 Jacqui with her Blaxell bat tail surfboard. Jacqui pics
L-R Jacqui with bat tail surfboard in Craigie and surfing Trigg.
In 1985 I trained with WA state surfing team members for the National Titles held at Bells Beach Vic.
In the following photo of us girls, that is Sue Moran in the black wet suit, her brother Benton Moran designed my Blaxell bat tail.
Image #10. 1985 Jacqui (far right) with surfing friends at Trigg. Image courtesy of Stirling Times.
I was State Women’s Champion for more than one year. But girls surfing was just a second thought back then. We were like the pioneers back then. Now days there’s so many girls out in the water. Sometimes the men are more generous out in the water I find!
In 1982 I think it was, I was in one of the State rounds held at Lefties. Anyway no girls turned up so they put me in the Men’s Masters Division. Murray Smith was being very caring and advising me where to sit before we paddled out, it was rough and biggish. Anyway I’d been surfing three times a day, every day, so was quite fit at the time and I came second to Barry Young. Ric Chan was there too! They didn’t give me the Men’s 2nd trophy. I got the Women’s first trophy. We used to have the announcements at Rob and Di Conneeley’s Country Kitchen down the bottom of town.
At the time my partner Geoff Garrett and I were living on the cliff north of Moses Rock in the back of our Holden HQ car and tent for 9 months before we headed east. I bought the Holden with the insurance from my Ford Escort. Geoff hated comps so I didn’t go in many more after that. He believed surfing is a spiritual thing, not a competitive ego thing. Wise man Geoff. 😀
Geoff has a reputation for riding big waves at Margaret’s Main Break, with a beautiful casual style. Poetry in motion to watch him surf.
Image# 11. 1980s Jacqui with surfing trophies at Craigie. Jacqui pic
Geoff hitchhiked across the Nullarbor from the east coast and lived in the cave up at the Bluff with ‘Bushie’ his brother before he moved to Scarborough and met me in the early 80s. We were together for 25 years.
In 1982 we travelled to the east coast. In Queensland I surfed and painted my first surfboard.
Images # 12. 1983 Jacqui in Queensland. Jacqui pics.
Left: Jacqui surfing Agnes Waters
Right: Jacqui’s first surfboard painting done in Bagara.
I’ve lived in Margs since about1983. Built two mud brick houses and dug lots of mud and footings and slabs and bricks. The second house, we used a cement mixer. Luxury!
I did most of the wheelbarrowing as well. I’ve mixed and pushed and shoveled and dug about 10 million tons of mud and sand in my life, my wrist and elbow are not the same anymore.
In the following mud brick photos with me are my youngest son Ashden (age 2), he’s 23 now, playing in the mud as he did every day on the building site and my ex-husband Geoff Garrett.
Images #13. 1995 Jacqui, Geoff and Ashden making mud bricks at Margs. Jacqui pics.
I used to hide three surfboards on a property that backs onto Boodji beach. So I could jog for a surf check and if it was any good, I’d grab a board out of the bush. Had an old wetsuit hidden there too. I’d trim the track every year because of all the snakes. Then the 2011 fires at Margs burnt everything. Luckily, I bolted down and grabbed the boards & wettie. Then heaps of cars started using my track and the Ranger put rocks everywhere and the war continues.
Images #14. 1980s Jacqui surfing on her own at Noiseys near Gracetown. Jacqui pics.
In 2017 I painted a surfboard with an image of John Dutton surfing the Boat Ramp at Margs.
Image #15: 2017 Jacqui with surfboard art of Duttsy surfing Boat Ramp Margs. Jacqui pic.
Jacqui thanks for sharing your art, near death accident, mud brick buildings, surf history and love lost with us.
Click on Jacqui Brown Art to view Jacqui’s art page on Facebook. Lots of surf art in there!
Talented Artist Painter Jacqui Garrett-Brown has lived and surfed at Margaret River since about 1983. She paints varying subjects including fantasy, portraits, seascapes, landscapes and animals.
Jacqui has exhibited her art work at the Margaret River Readers and Writers festival. Marg’s Independent School charity art auction. And in the 90s she did two solo exhibitions ‘VISIONS of Fantasy’ in Margaret’s and ‘MERMAIDS’ at Yallingup. Both exhibitions took two years to complete the works.
The former Craigie surfer also paints surfboards for friends and Bill Gibson’s & John Dutton’s Foamlust Surf Festival in Margaret River.
Image #1: 2017 Jacqui painting a surfboard for Foamlust Surf Festival. Jacqui pic
These are Jacqui’s comments and images.
Jim it’s Lucky you came to Bill’s factory at Foamlust or I’d still be Bill’s best kept secret. I’m a bit of a recluse and only come out the woodwork at Foamlust time. I’m hiding again now, till the next Foamlust. The only social event of my year. Lol.
Gosh so many stories to tell. I grew up in Craigie when the road ended at Mullaloo. The only large shopping centre was at Karrinyup. I loved surfing Triggs.
Images #2. 1980s Jacqui surfing Trigg Point. Jacqui pics.
I liked the recent Martin Boffey letter on Surfing Down South. I used to leave my surfboard at the side of his house in the early 80s. His parents were so beautiful to me. I’d hitchhike from Craigie before school in the dark for a morning surf, turn up to school late n wet n sandy.
Brent Stewart’s living next door to the Boffey’s now, in one of my favourite houses there. I recently dropped a painted surfboard off to him. I hadn’t seen Brent for about 35 years. Time flies! He saw my surfboard art on a surfboard site on Facebook and very, very kindly ordered one over the internet, so I didn’t get to see him again until this year. It was in the plans for at least two years as I was painting a big vineyard for someone. Brent was a friend when I was surfing in the late 70s at Triggs.
Image 3. 2018 Jacqui’s surfboard painting of Brent surfing deep in an Indo barrel. Jacqui pic.
Albany surfer Jodie Cooper used to stay at my house when she came up to Triggs for comps.
Jodie and I got Tom Blaxell up early one morning for a surf at Triggs, when he had just bought a house there. I think he had had a late night and was shocked when we knocked on his door. But he said we could, so we did. Lol.🤤. It was Jodie’s idea. She is such a goer, whereas I’m more reserved and quiet.
Image #4. 1981 Jodie Cooper and Jacqui at Triggs comp. Media image.
I had a green Ford Escort and on Whitfords Ave and Wanneroo Road before traffic lights, I had an awful accident. I was on my way to work and got hit from behind. My car did 2 somersaults, 3rolls and wrapped around a telegraph pole. The car landed upside down and the radio was still playing Steve Miller’s “Abracadabra I wanna reach out and grab ya”. It took a while to get out the car. I had to climb out the window and squeeze my body round the pole. I was unscratched and unscathed. But felt like Ide been in a bubble through the whole roll. I Hitch hiked home. We did it tough in those days, no hospital inspection. Every day we have our health is a beautiful gift.
Image #5. 1981 Jacqui with her green Ford Escort (pre-accident) at Craigie. Jacqui pic.
In the early 80s I was sponsored by Blaxell Surfboards and won the Women’s Division in the State Surfing Titles in 1981. We (State Team) went to Bells (Vic) for the Aust titles.
Image #6. 1981 Blaxell Surfboards advertisement featuring image of Trigg surfer Paul Cunningham. Jacqui is named on the right. Image courtesy of Tom Blaxell.
Blaxell team rider Paul Cunningham was my first love. We had matching surfboards for a while!
When I was with Paul, we went on a day trip to Rottnest in Tom Blaxell’s boat with surf photographer Ric Chan, to shoot surf photos of Paul.
Image #7. 1980 Tom Blaxell’s Surfrider boat jumping waves at Transits on Rotto with Tom and Paul on board. Ric Chan pic.
Ric Chan got the cover shot of Paul surfing Rotto on a 1980s West Coast Surfing Magazine. Ric stood up to his knees in water at Strickland Bay, with his tripod getting shots. And I’m not sure if his camera would have been waterproof.
I had the matching coloured board to Paul’s board in the photo. See told you girls were just a second thought in those days! I got no photos taken. Maybe I just wasn’t good enough. Lol.
Image #8. 1980s Cover shot of Paul Cunningham surfing Strickland Bay Rotto. Ric Chan pic.
In 1984 I had a Blaxell bat tail surfboard that Benton Moran designed. I loved that board. Someone in Hillarys bought it about 37 years ago.
Images #9. 1984 Jacqui with her Blaxell bat tail surfboard. Jacqui pics
L-R Jacqui with bat tail surfboard in Craigie and surfing Trigg.
In 1985 I trained with WA state surfing team members for the National Titles held at Bells Beach Vic.
In the following photo of us girls, that is Sue Moran in the black wet suit, her brother Benton Moran designed my Blaxell bat tail.
Image #10. 1985 Jacqui (far right) with surfing friends at Trigg. Image courtesy of Stirling Times.
I was State Women’s Champion for more than one year. But girls surfing was just a second thought back then. We were like the pioneers back then. Now days there’s so many girls out in the water. Sometimes the men are more generous out in the water I find!
In 1982 I think it was, I was in one of the State rounds held at Lefties. Anyway no girls turned up so they put me in the Men’s Masters Division. Murray Smith was being very caring and advising me where to sit before we paddled out, it was rough and biggish. Anyway I’d been surfing three times a day, every day, so was quite fit at the time and I came second to Barry Young. Ric Chan was there too! They didn’t give me the Men’s 2nd trophy. I got the Women’s first trophy. We used to have the announcements at Rob and Di Conneeley’s Country Kitchen down the bottom of town.
At the time my partner Geoff Garrett and I were living on the cliff north of Moses Rock in the back of our Holden HQ car and tent for 9 months before we headed east. I bought the Holden with the insurance from my Ford Escort. Geoff hated comps so I didn’t go in many more after that. He believed surfing is a spiritual thing, not a competitive ego thing. Wise man Geoff. 😀
Geoff has a reputation for riding big waves at Margaret’s Main Break, with a beautiful casual style. Poetry in motion to watch him surf.
Image# 11. 1980s Jacqui with surfing trophies at Craigie. Jacqui pic
Geoff hitchhiked across the Nullarbor from the east coast and lived in the cave up at the Bluff with ‘Bushie’ his brother before he moved to Scarborough and met me in the early 80s. We were together for 25 years.
In 1982 we travelled to the east coast. In Queensland I surfed and painted my first surfboard.
Images # 12. 1983 Jacqui in Queensland. Jacqui pics.
Left: Jacqui surfing Agnes Waters
Right: Jacqui’s first surfboard painting done in Bagara.
I’ve lived in Margs since about1983. Built two mud brick houses and dug lots of mud and footings and slabs and bricks. The second house, we used a cement mixer. Luxury!
I did most of the wheelbarrowing as well. I’ve mixed and pushed and shoveled and dug about 10 million tons of mud and sand in my life, my wrist and elbow are not the same anymore.
In the following mud brick photos with me are my youngest son Ashden (age 2), he’s 23 now, playing in the mud as he did every day on the building site and my ex-husband Geoff Garrett.
Images #13. 1995 Jacqui, Geoff and Ashden making mud bricks at Margs. Jacqui pics.
I used to hide three surfboards on a property that backs onto Boodji beach. So I could jog for a surf check and if it was any good, I’d grab a board out of the bush. Had an old wetsuit hidden there too. I’d trim the track every year because of all the snakes. Then the 2011 fires at Margs burnt everything. Luckily, I bolted down and grabbed the boards & wettie. Then heaps of cars started using my track and the Ranger put rocks everywhere and the war continues.
Images #14. 1980s Jacqui surfing on her own at Noiseys near Gracetown. Jacqui pics.
In 2017 I painted a surfboard with an image of John Dutton surfing the Boat Ramp at Margs.
Image #15: 2017 Jacqui with surfboard art of Duttsy surfing Boat Ramp Margs. Jacqui pic.
Jacqui thanks for sharing your art, near death accident, mud brick buildings, surf history and love lost with us.
Click on Jacqui Brown Art to view Jacqui’s art page on Facebook. Lots of surf art in there!
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