Interview with Son of the Sea, Inc.

Today we are excited to introduce you to a very talented duo from Son of the Sea, Inc., Drew Brophy is a surf lifestyle artist and Maria Brophy is a professional art marketing and licensing agent.

Meylah: Maria/Drew, can you tell us a little about your business and your passion for surf inspired art?

Drew: I've been surfing and drawing since I was four.  They were the only two things that I was good at, so it was natural to become either a pro-surfer or an artist.  I tried both, and art was what worked.  Being a surf artist, I can combine both of my passions.

Maria: We're both in love with the beach life so we designed a business that would require us to go on trips to beautiful beaches all over the world!

Our business model is to have multiple streams of income flowing from Drew's art and experience through:

1. Licensing art
2. Original artwork sales
3. Public speaking, live painting and workshops
4. Design, Illustration and painting objects (motorcycles, helmets, murals)
5. Development and sales of "how to" videos and books

Drew always says "It's my job to make things look cool."  We take Drew's vibrant lifestyle art and license it to companies to make their products appeal to youth and action sports markets.

Meylah: Drew, this is such a unique style, how did you get started and do you have a favorite product that incorporates your designs?

Drew: My style came from painting my own surfboards as a kid, and that progressed into painting surfboard for other people, and then multiple companies around the world.  Painting surfboards is what I'm most famous for, but that gradually expanded into what I'm doing today.  Now I have my art on clothing, screensavers, skateboards, guitar pick guards, balance boards, shoes, skins, and about 100 other quality products.

Meylah: Maria, you mentioned Drew has a line of Converse Chucks out, can you tell us a little bit about the process of licensing and selling artwork to companies?  And, where can we find Drew's new line of Converse?

Maria: Converse is the largest company that we've had a license with, and we are thrilled over it.  Like many of our deals, this one came about through networking.  We knew one person who worked there and started talking about this Brophy/Chuck line three years ago and now we have the Brophy/Converse Chuck summer collection!

Many of our licensing deals come to us because we've been doing this for so long.  Some we seek out through e-mails and phone calls, and others stumble upon us at trade shows.  We just had a book published through Walter Foster Publishing called How To Draw with Drew Brophy.  This was a deal that we got from exhibiting at the License Trade show 3 years ago.

For artists just considering getting into licensing, here's a few factors that were crucial for our success with Drew's art:

• Drew has always kept ownership to all of his copyrights (he's never signed a work-for-hire agreement or sold rights)
• He has a distinct style that is remembered and unique to him
• He's insisted from the very beginning that his signature be printed on all items bearing his art
• He's found ways to get his art and name out into the world in mass quantities through partnerships with other companies
• Consistency and determination and never giving up

Meylah: Drew, How do you come up with new ideas for your designs and do you sell any of your pieces individually or is it all through licensing?

Drew: I have so many ideas rolling around in my head that I usually can't sleep at night. Most of my paintings are inspired by beach lifestyle.  I sell a lot of my original artworks, both online and at shows.

All of my licensed images begin with a painting.  I like to paint big, so most of my originals are 4' x 6' or larger.  Once the art is scanned, I'll put the original up for sale online or in a show.  We sell a lot of paintings right off of my website.

Meylah: Maria/Drew, which social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Blog, etc.) do you use and how have they impacted your business?

Maria: I'm addicted to Twitter, love Facebook and I write at my blog for artists.  And, having a Drew Brophy Artist page on Facebook helps us to stay in touch with fans and to get the word out on new paintings and projects.  One thing that surprised us is how many artists go on Drew’s fan page and post photos of their own work after watching one of Drew's inspiring videos.  It's become a cool little hotbed for inspiration and stoke on art.

Drew: Facebook has shown me just how much the sharing of my information has influenced people.  It feels good to know that someone watched my DVD and now that they know how to paint using some of the techniques I showed them, and that they are making money painting.  It's awesome.

Meylah: Maria/Drew, it seems that traveling the world is a key aspect of your business, how do you juggle traveling with managing your business and raising your child?  Is there a particular place that you love to visit?

Maria: I'm so glad you asked this!  Because people look at us and see how much traveling we do and wonder if we're rich.  We aren't - we just live very simply and we've made travel a priority in our lives.  Sometimes we have to take work on the road with us or shut the business down for 6 weeks while overseas.  The price we pay is losing some money on opportunities that we have to turn down, but the reward is a rich and fulfilling lifestyle.  As for our 8 year old son, he goes everywhere with us, even on business trips, and he's learned a lot from it.

Drew: I love to go anywhere there's good surf and warm waters. One of my goals is to travel someplace different every year.  Last year we went to Canada, Montana, New Zealand and Western Samoa, as well as drove across country to Florida.  Every place has its own beauty and I want to see it all.

Meylah: Maria/Drew, do you have any final words or advice for creative entrepreneurs?

Maria: Decide what you want to do and commit to it.  Choose how you want to live your life and design it accordingly.  Take advantage of all of the great information that's out there from other artists and blogs, like Meylah! Do not have a plan B.  Stay on one path without diverting.

Drew: First decide then write down what you want. The hardest part is deciding - a lot of people are wandering around without a plan.  When I was in my 20’s I wrote down everything I wanted as an artist and for my life.  By the time I was thirty, I accomplished every goal on the list and had to re-do it.  There’s something magical about writing down your goals and what you want.  Write it down. Make a plan, then stick with it.

ABOUT DREW BROPHY: Drew Brophy is a surf lifestyle artist based out of San Clemente, California.  He’s been a professional artist for over 20 years.  It’s his job to make things look cool.

ABOUT MARIA BROPHY: Maria Brophy is a professional art marketing and licensing agent and consultant. She maintains a blog that helps creative people to design the life and career of their dreams.

Thank you both for such great information and sharing your story with us!