Jamie Browne: Do It ’til You’re Dead

Growing up on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia, Jamie Browne is an ideal transplant artist into Costa Mesa’s lifestyle and culture. Jamie is an exceptional human being both in ability and character. He upholds a humble demeanor despite his diverse talents and success in the art community. We had the pleasure of digging a little deeper inside his mind to find out how he ended in our little corner of California.

Jamie was originally into rugby during his earlier years; however, as he approached high school his interests started to divert. All of his friends began skateboarding and surfing, therefore, organized sports became less appealing.

“I grew tired of getting hurt playing rugby—skateboarding seemed like the safer bet,” he chuckled.

Skateboarding was a primary focus throughout his teenage years, but it did not take away from his first love of art. Despite his more athletic ventures, Jamie had developed his artistic talents throughout his whole life. Both his mother and grandmother were artists—which allowed him to learn firsthand.

“I have been drawing and scribbling for as long as I can remember,” Browne explained. “All throughout school, I would fill up my note pads with doodles.”

As Browne neared high school’s bittersweet finish line, he realized that skateboarding might not be his most successful career pursuit. He started to see the bigger picture—his art stood out in a crowd more so than his skateboarding. After graduation, Jamie traveled to the states for four months to visit New York, North Carolina, Kansas, and most importantly—California.

“Australia was smaller and low-key. I fell in love with California and its endless opportunities,” he explained.

Jamie was still holding on to skateboarding being a possibility until he injured his knee in San Diego. 7,500 miles from home at 19 with a bum knee was a silver lining for Browne—it was time to fully pursue his art.

Upon Jamie’s return home, he applied to design school. Despite his original relationship with school, he was ready to give his new venture a new outlook.

“I was motivated by the fact that my acceptance was dependent upon my work instead of my grades,” Browne went on. “I would twist any assignment I could into an illustrative project.”

While in his early twenties, Jamie was heavily influenced by Jim Phillips and Vernon Courtlandt Johnson [VCJ]—who were wildly impactful in the skateboarding industry. Phillips was best known for Santa Cruz skateboards’ “Screaming Hand” graphic, and VCJ was responsible for the iconic Powell and Peralta illustrations. It was at this time that Browne realized not only could he make a living with his art, but do so through the industry he yearned to be apart of his whole life.

Face Melter: Classic Meets Psychedelic

Jamie started sending his portfolio around, and designing skateboard graphics along the way. Once Volcom Australia caught wind of his talent, they gave him an internship.

“The internship turned in to part time work that eventually snowballed into a full time graphic design position,” Browne shared.

Reminiscent of his times in California, Jamie put in for a transfer to Volcom HQ in Costa Mesa after three years of being with the Australian branch of the company. All the while Jamie had been dating his now wife [Jess Browne] whom he met in design college.

“I found out that my transfer was accepted the day after I proposed to Jess,” Jamie explained. “They [Volcom] wanted me to move in July, but I asked for a two month extension so that we could continue with the wedding.”

Down for Life: fans taking matters into their own hands

They got married in August of 2013, and Jamie moved to California the following month to further his career with Volcom. Much to their dismay, due to visa complications, Jess was unable to move for a daunting 18 months. They made it work by visiting as frequently as possible and keeping a brighter future in mind. Now, they both happily reside in Eastside Costa Mesa working as graphic designers.

Peace Out: Jamie giving paper new life

Jamie is best known for his surf and skate related artistic puns. As his role was expanding at Volcom, his workload quickly multiplied.

“I was doing a lot of time consuming, detailed pencil illustrations, and I wanted to find a way to simplify my pieces and revolve them around what I would rather be doing,” Browne shared.

Jamie started doodling his artsy puns on post-it notes and sticking them around the office. His peers fell in love with the depictions, and what was once comic relief on post-its, was now printed on Volcom t-shirts distributed globally. From there, he started growing a massive following through Instagram, people around the world were getting Browne’s artwork tattooed, and he was able to put on an art show with Otis Carey at Open House Creative in Costa Mesa.

Another Day in Paradise: T-Shirts bringing you one step closer to the beach

“I started getting a lot of freelance opportunities. From doing a band poster for Weezer, to now working with the beverage industry doing graphics for a beer and rum company,” Browne shared.

Jamie is currently working on growing his personal company and continuing to do more freelance projects. He created an online store to sell his prints and enamel pins; however, that developed into starting his own line of signature t-shirts.

Pin-Pin Situation: Hard to lose with a Jamie Browne signature pin

“What better place to start my brand then in the birthplace of skateboarding and surfing?” Browne went on. “There’s an energy to it that proves to be the perfect location for my business—the palm trees don’t hurt either!” Jamie laughed.

We are pleased to see good humans doing good things in our community. Jamie Browne is an exemplary Costa Mesan, and an even better artist. Check out his website to support his iconic art, and stay updated on what he is doing next. ♥