Jessica Lehr: Making Waves with Surf-Inspired Art

Jessica Lehr, known to friends as Juice, is an LGBTQ+ artist and visionary behind Surf Joose, a California-born collection of bespoke surf art inspired by the movement, beauty, and abundance of the ocean. Originally from the Bay Area, she has spent over 18 years living and creating in San Francisco, where the city’s art, community, and coastline continue to shape her work. In addition to her artistry, Jess bartends at concert venues throughout the city and is an award-winning professional brewer, recognized for crafting innovative, high-quality beers. Her work is driven by a blend of art, science, philanthropy, creativity, and connection, all of which converge in the unique vision of Surf Joose.

Community shows up strongly in your work and values. Why do you feel chosen  family and community are so important in your creative process? 

One thing that continues to shine through is the incredible souls who make up the creative world. When I “came out” as an artist, an entirely new love for San  Francisco opened up to me, one grounded in art & community, and how abundant it truly is here!  It’s a chosen family, filled with some of the most brilliant, relatable, expansive people on the planet. I believe we’re all born creators. Somewhere along the  way, many of us either forget or are taught to forget. 

To rediscover that creativity, and to be met with support, vulnerability, and real connection, is powerful. It’s that unmistakable aha moment of “these are my people.” I feel incredibly fortunate to have this community in my life. They’re the reasons I can move through the daily trials of being an artist and keep showing up, still following the calling, still trusting the knowing. 

"Without community, there is no path forward. Together, we are everything."

How did your relationship with the ocean and art begin, and was that always part of your life growing up? 

The ocean has always been a muse and a part of my life. It’s been in my  backyard for as long as I can remember, both a constant presence and an intentional destination. It’s my roots. It’s where I learned how to surf while living in Australia. It’s where I go to stare at the most beautiful thing on the planet, have fun, nestle in peace, feel grounded, to heal, to remember perspective. There’s something about its rhythm, its depth, and its power that mirrors life  itself. It is literally a massive metaphor for life and for me. Don’t even get my started on the sea life community. 

Art was always in me, even if I didn’t fully claim it. For years, I experimented quietly with different mediums. I was creating, but privately. Surf Joose began from a place of love. I started working with eco-friendly resin and wood, and something just clicked and an endless creative faucet started pouring. Originally, I set out to create a deeply personal gift for a former partner and something inspired by our shared love of the ocean and surfing. I wanted to  make something meaningful for her, something that would resonate for years. I  had no idea that project would become the beginning of something much bigger.  When the relationship ended, I was heartbroken-shattered. My love had nowhere to go - but that experience became a turning point. What felt like loss, became space. Space to heal. Space to grow. Space to finally own that I wasn’t just experimenting, I was an artist. 

Leaning into that identity required vulnerability. It meant stepping through fear and sharing my work openly. But once I did, everything shifted. Opportunities  opened. Community found me. And my calling became undeniable.  Surf Joose wasn’t just born from creativity... it was born from transformation. 

Surf Joose pieces are handcrafted and unique. Can you walk us through your creative process from inspiration to finished work? 

Oh, how I wish words could fully explain the phenomenon but I’ll do my best. Inspiration moves through me in a few different ways. Sometimes it arrives as a vision, from me or from the divine, and sometimes it’s sparked by something tangible: a love of mine, a texture, a color gradient at Ocean Beach.

I love and am obsessed with Wood! I begin by selecting and preparing the wood canvas often cutting, sanding, and sealing it by hand. From there, I build layers intentionally.  I work with sustainable epoxy resin to create wave movement, depth, and texture. Each pour requires patience and precision. Timing matters. Temperature matters. Energy matters.

Every Surf Joose artwork is one-of-one. Even if I tried, I could never recreate the same piece twice, just like the ocean itself. 

What did it mean for you to build Surf Joose as a queer-founded business, and why was it important that your work feel inclusive and welcoming from the start? 

I came out a few years before Surf Joose was born, and stepping into my  queerness felt like catching the best wave of my life. It was raw expression, ownership, discovery, and curiosity all at once. When Surf Joose began, my art  and my identity felt completely aligned and a new. Fresh canvas baby! 

Being a female founder, and a queer one, carries weight. Representation matters. Visibility matters. For so long, voices like mine were minimized or told to take up less space. This was very loud to me when I was in the Brewing industry where females are 4% of the industry let alone being queer. I took this power  with me and building Surf Joose was, in many ways, a declaration: we are here,  and we are not shrinking!!! 

I’ve always been someone who speaks up, and my art became a natural  extension of that voice. It’s a way to celebrate identity, empower others to step  fully into themselves, and create space for people who may not have always felt  seen or had a mic. Inclusivity was never a marketing decision, it was foundational. The creative world thrives on freedom and authentic expression, and that’s the energy Surf Joose lives in. I want my work to feel welcoming, expansive, and safe - a space where people can feel connected, represented, and proud. 

You donate a portion of your sales to the Surfrider Foundation. How did that  partnership come about, and what impact has it had? 

Oh my, this is one of my favorite parts of Surf Joose!  My love for the ocean didn’t just spill onto canvas and it expanded into a responsibility to help protect it. I discovered the Surfrider Foundation while researching California-based ocean conservation organizations, and everything they stand for aligned with my values. 

Surfrider is dedicated to protecting our oceans, waves, and beaches through grassroots activism. They lead beach cleanups, fight plastic pollution, protect  public beach access, advocate for clean water policies, and work on climate  resilience along our coastlines. I began attending local beach cleanups, and that’s when it became clear: I didn’t just want to create ocean-inspired art, I wanted to create art with purpose. I wanted Surf Joose to help be a voice for protecting these sacred waters. 

What has been the most rewarding moment since launching Surf Joose, whether  creatively or as a business owner? 

There have been so many grateful moments since launching Surf Joose, but the one that truly takes the best wave thus far was being selected as one of the artists for San Francisco General Hospital’s Art Heart Series. 

The Hearts are iconic in San Francisco. For decades, these large-scale heart  sculptures have been displayed throughout the city as part of a major fundraising initiative by the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation. They’ve  become a symbol of love, resilience, and community and all proceeds go toward supporting patients and critical care services at the hospital. 

Over 500 artists applied. I submitted my application just three months into working with this medium, still healing from a breakup, and still finding my footing as an artist. I almost didn’t apply. But I did. I was selected as 1 of 22 artists!!  I was crafting the Heart while mending my own - and it became one of the most  powerful ways I’ve ever healed. 

And then there was a fancy Gala where the hearts were auctioned off-my Heart sold for $15,000 at the silent auction!!! 

Knowing that my piece alone raised $15,000 to support people in need through  San Francisco General Hospital was surreal. It felt like everything I care about: art, healing, community, philanthropy- came full circle in one moment. 

Surf Joose has always been about more than creating something beautiful. It’s  about impact. That experience solidified that my art can contribute to something  bigger than myself. 

And that is the most rewarding part of all. 

What advice would you give to aspiring artists who want to build a business  around their creative passion? 

Do it. Jump in. Everything you want is on the other side of fear. Start before you feel ready.  Learn as you go. Pivot when you need to. Get curious as hell. Get comfortable with rejection. You’ve already criticized yourself more than anyone else ever will.  Catch the waves!! Keep returning to yourself and those sources. That’s where your authenticity lives.  And build community. Surround yourself with people who energize you,  challenge you, and support you. You don’t need permission to be an artist or anything you want to be. You just  need to begin.

Looking back, what kind of representation or sense of belonging did you wish  you had earlier in your life, and how do you hope your art helps create that for  others now? 

Honestly, when it comes to my art- I wish I had represented myself sooner. 

I wish I had stepped out of my own way earlier claimed my voice, my creativity, my queerness, my ambition without waiting for permission or perfection. For a long time, I was capable of so much expression, but I kept parts of myself small and dimming my light. 

That said, I also know it took every version of me to arrive here. Growth isn’t linear. It took life experience, heartbreak, courage, and community for me to fully step into who I am now. 

If there’s something I hope my art creates for others, it’s a sense of freedom and the feeling that you don’t have to hide the parts of yourself that feel different,  bold, or expansive. I want my work to feel like an invitation: take up space. Be loud about what you love. Trust your calling. We got this one lucky chance to spin around on this beautiful rock, so do what you love to do with those minutes. 

Belonging, for me, isn’t about fitting in. It’s about standing fully in who you are and realizing there are others doing the same. Together we can change time and the world. If my art can help someone feel seen, empowered, or brave enough to step forward, then it’s doing exactly what it’s meant to do. 

Follow the journey:

Personal Instagram: Jessice Lehr

Business Instagram: Surf Joose Instagram

https://www.surfjoose.com

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