Welcome back to another episode of the Daydream Case Study series where we take a deeper dive into the lives of our community members. Ford Archbold is one of our dearest and oldest friends - Daydream shop owner, Kyle Kennelly, has been friends with Ford since they were groms so this video is very close to our hearts. We also want to welcome you to check out Ford’s art installation at the Daydream Surf Shop gallery that will span from January through March of 2025, his first Opening Reception is on Friday, January 11th from 5-8pm
If you have never heard of Ford Archbold before we have some research for you to do… Ford is firmly rooted in the global surf scene as a free surfing bad ass who’s made a career for himself by abstaining from surf contests in favor of punting airs here in Newport Beach. He’s an artist and musician who played in several bands and toured around the world in Tomorrow’s Tulips. Eight years ago he started Spun Spirit which is kind of a brand but more so an outlet for creative expression and art through the medium of screenprinting where Ford forages vintage clothing to screenprint his artwork onto and sews alterations and modifications onto various garments. You should take a moment and listen to Tomorrow’s Tulips songs while you peruse the Spun Spirit website and maybe pop over to Ford’s instagram too all linked below:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3fJJsYstFG9inMDfRcEqhC?si=mT_Sm3RaRd627tm8GYxXBg
https://www.instagram.com/ford_archbold/
Ford has been a prominent surfer in the alternative realm for his whole life; however, over the last five or so years people have been seeing less of Ford’s surfing featured and the question sometimes arises, “What’s Ford up to these days?” We hope this Case Study answers that question but essentially, Ford has fallen in love with art. He’s gone deep down the rabbit hole of painting, printmaking, collaging, drawing, and learning about art in a way that is obsessive yet somehow seemingly healthy. This passion pushed him away from surfing in favor of this fresh, new feeling he gets from making art. He has been locked away in his studio honing his craft and we are excited to be displaying what he’s been working on at the Daydream Gallery.
As of recently, there seems to be a rebalancing in Ford’s life. He’s still hell bent on making art but he’s reincorporated surfing into his regular life and his performance hasn’t skipped a beat. In fact there seems to be a renewed interest in surfing that’s inspired by switching up surfboard styles and breaking out of Newport Beach and venturing to some new waves. He’s still hunting punchy, beachbreak wedges and mining tubes and air sections in the same stylistic way he always has, yet there seems to be a new spark, one that can only be explained by the distance he put between himself and surfing that made his love for the recreation grow stronger.
In this Case Study, Ford provides a glimpse into his life showcasing some archival footage from Newport Beach courtesy of Matt Tromberg as well as recent sessions in San Clemente from Fall 2024. In between art studio spaces at the time of this shoot, Ford has been painting nomadically. One of his favorite places to paint is at the beach where he forages for found objects to use as brushes, shells for watercolor palettes, sand and ocean water for thickening and diluting paints. To him, it’s an experiment in improvising and an ideal environment for creative randomness to flourish. To further highlight the fact that Ford enjoys customizing everything himself, you’ll find that all the music used on this short was composed and produced by Ford Archbold and his bud Joe Frey.
Film by Daydream Surf Shop
Editor, DP, Editor, Photographer: Josh Walker
Additional Cinematography: Matt Tromberg & Isaiah Beasley
Music composed and produced by Ford Archbold & Joe Frey
Writer and Producer: Kyle Kennelly