Original coastal artwork
Surf Paintings by John Lasonio
Bring the color, motion, and clear-air feeling of the coast into the room with artwork made by hand, one acrylic-marker layer at a time.
Made for the wall you live with
More than a beach scene.
A surf painting can hold a lot in one frame: the pull of a clean wave, the glow of an early drive, a favorite break, or the simple relief of an open horizon. The piece you choose does not need to turn a room into a theme. It needs to give the room a feeling you want to come back to.
John Lasonio makes every original solely with acrylic markers. The material keeps color bright and lines direct, while each layer carries the hand of the artist. The result is coastal artwork with crisp detail, saturated light, and enough movement to keep changing as you live with it.
The material matters
Painted with the clarity of acrylic markers.
John's approach begins with a simple constraint: every original is made solely with acrylic markers. Rather than treating the material as a detail in the background, he lets it shape the character of the work. The marks stay visible. Color can arrive in clean, concentrated layers. A sharp line can describe the edge of a wave, while loose repeated strokes can make water feel like it is still moving.
That directness is part of what makes these surf paintings feel alive on the wall. From a distance, the image can read as a clear burst of ocean light or a familiar coastline. Up close, the surface rewards a second look. You can follow changes in color, shifts in the water, and the hand-built energy that does not come from a flat reproduction.
It also makes each original personal. The painting is not an image selected from a catalog and applied to a surface. It is the object itself, built by John around his response to light, water, weather, and the feeling of being near the coast. For a collector, that means the work can bring both a recognizable subject and the presence of a real process into a room.
John is an Official Posca Marker Influencer, but the point is not a logo on the materials. It is the visual language the materials make possible: bright color, graphic definition, and a rhythm that keeps the subject from feeling static. That is why a wave can feel less like a decoration and more like a moment caught in motion.
From the collection
Find the wave that stays with you.
Start with the image that creates a reaction. A painting has staying power when it keeps giving you something to notice after the first look.
We Ride At Dawn
Fine art prints from $19.78
Sunrise
Fine art prints from $82.68
Barrelled
Fine art prints from $68.90
Diamond Head Barrel
Fine art prints from $68.90
The Beast At Night
Fine art prints from $21.45
Beach Bug
Fine art prints from $16.08
Choose your format
One original, or a favorite image in the right size.
An original surf painting is a singular object. Every mark, color decision, and layered edge is part of the actual work John made. It is a natural choice for the wall where you want the art to set the tone, whether that is over a sofa, in an entry, or across from the chair where you slow down at the end of the day.
Fine art prints offer another way in. You can choose an image that connects with you, then select a size and presentation that fit the room. Prints work especially well when you want to bring a favorite wave into a smaller space, make a gift personal, build a pair, or carry the same coastal energy through more than one room.
Choose with confidence
Let the room tell you what it needs.
Choose the energy first
A steep barrel or breaking wave brings immediate motion and a strong focal point. It suits a living room, entry, creative workspace, or any wall that needs a little charge. A distant horizon, glowing shoreline, or open-water view can bring a quieter kind of lift to a bedroom, office, or reading corner. There is no better subject in the abstract. The right one is the piece that gives the room what it is missing.
Give color a job
Ocean blues and sea greens can make a warm room feel clearer and deeper. Gold, coral, and orange can wake up a neutral space and bring the late-light feeling of the coast indoors. You do not need to match every color already in the room. It is often stronger to let the painting introduce one vivid note that changes the whole composition, while still feeling at home with the wood, fabric, and light around it.
Make scale feel intentional
Above furniture, a larger painting can become the center of the room. On a narrow wall, a shelf, or a small landing, a compact piece can feel more collected and personal. Before choosing a size, think about where your eye lands when you enter the room and where you will see the artwork most often. A surf painting should have enough space around it to register. It is meant to be encountered, not squeezed into the background.
Follow the image that keeps calling you back
It is easy to make a quick choice because a piece matches a wall color or fills an empty space. Give yourself a little more time with the images. The best sign is usually repetition: one work keeps returning to your mind, even after you have looked at several others. It may be the curve of a wave, the color of the sky, a flash of a familiar coastline, or the way the composition makes you feel. That kind of pull is worth trusting, because it is what turns artwork into part of everyday life rather than a finishing touch.
A place made personal
Have a break, shoreline, or memory in mind?
The best surf painting is sometimes one that does not exist yet. A commission gives you the chance to start with a place that matters, such as the wave where you learned, the beach road from a favorite trip, a view from home, or a moment you keep replaying.
Bring John the reference, the feeling, or even just the first spark. He will work with you on the direction, size, and color so the finished original belongs to your story as much as it belongs to the wall.
Start a commission
Bring the coast closer
Choose the work you will want to see every day.
Browse the current collection to find a surf painting with your kind of color, movement, and light. For something tied to a particular place, start with a commission.
Frequently asked questions
Are these original surf paintings or prints?+
Both are available. Original paintings are one-of-one works made by John with acrylic markers. Fine art prints let you choose a favorite image in a size and presentation that suits your space.
Can I commission a painting of a specific surf spot?+
Yes. A commission can begin with a favorite break, coastline, trip, board, or memory. Share the reference and the feeling you want the work to carry, and John will talk through the direction, size, and color.
How do I buy a surf painting?+
Choose a work from the collection, then follow its link to John’s art store for the current options and checkout. You can also contact John directly with questions about a particular piece or a commission.
What makes a Posca marker painting different?+
John makes each original solely with acrylic markers. The process creates layered, crisp color and expressive line work that keeps the energy of water, weather, and changing light close to the surface.