Kilauea Iki Trail

Kilauea Iki Trail, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park; oil on canvas, 6"x6", (SOLD)

After speaking with many people familiar with Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, every person cited the Kilauea Iki Trail as their favorite hike. It's a little over 4 miles and a loop trail that can begin and end at just about any point you choose along the trail, taking you from the edge of the crater all the way down across the crater and then back to the rim. My favorite starting point is the Kilauea Iki overlook and heading to the right of the crater along the crater rim first before heading into the crater itself. To enjoy the calming and relaxing hike, I think it helps to appreciate the powerful eruption that occurred here in 1959 to create such a spectacular crater. The amazing video by the U.S. Geological Survey and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park can be seen here. The video continues on to the Kapoho eruption.

Here, I painted a scene after just crossing the Kilauea Iki floor where the trail starts to head up the east side of the crater. It was fun trying to use color, atmosphere, and chroma to create depth. I am really glad that it was the first painting sold at the art sale. It is near and dear to my heart and now has a home with wonderful friends. :)

THANK YOU! Mahalo Nui Loa!

Thank you to those of you that braved the wet and chilly Volcano weather to visit me and the other artists at the Volcano Village Artists Hui Art Sale! This was the very first time I've sold my artwork in such a venue so it was a great experience and I enjoyed it immensely. Meeting the visitors was the best part and I'm glad 9 of my original paintings got to go home with awesome people. Thank you for making this first sale one that I won't forget!

I'd like to thank Emily Herb who was so kind to have me as a guest artist at her studio. If you haven't seen her artwork before, please check it out here.

If all goes well, I'll be at Emily's again next year so please mark your calendars for next Thanksgiving weekend!

Volcano Village Artists Hui Annual Studio Tour and Sale!

If you're free Thanksgiving weekend, Nov 25, 26, or 27, come and enjoy a walk through Volcano Village and visit artist studios and check our their wares at the 2016 Volcano Village Artists Hui Annual Studio tour and sale! Visit the website for a map of open studies in the Village. Please support local artists and maybe even find a gift for the holidays!

I'm honored to be a guest artist at Emily Herb's studio on Keonelehua, between Haunani and Wright Road. I'll be selling the original paintings and drawings that I've posted on my blog, plus prints (It's the first time I've had my art for sale like this so I'm very excited … and a bit nervous :)). Emily Herb makes beautiful ceramic works featuring native plants and animals and all of them are exceptional. Charlotte Forbes Perry, long-time guest artist at Emily's studio, will also be there selling her beautiful one-of-a kind ceramic tiled trivets, ornaments, and stained glass pieces. All of our works honor the native plants and animals found in the area. Please stop by and say hi!

Volcano highlights

Kamehameha butterfly, oil on canvas, 6"x6" ($80 USD)

Impressions of Kilauea Iki, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, oil on canvas, 5"x7" ($100 USD)

The specialness of living a mile from one of the most beautiful national parks in the world is not lost on me. I live in a native forest so there are wonderful native creatures about. This Kamehameha butterfly, one of only two native Hawaiian butterflies, was flitting around my neighborhood so I painted it. And the bottom one, is my impression along the Kilauea Iki Trail, my favorite trail in the park. There is always that section of the trail that suggests there might be an even better view up ahead. This painting is a bit more painterly but I like the lightness about it and I'm glad I didn't ruin the painting by rendering it in detail. 

Sleeping Marm

Marm, oil on canvas, 5"x7" (NOT FOR SALE)

I love him. He came to join our home a few years ago when his 94 year old owner passed away. His name is Marmalade and he's about 13 years old. I like to think that Ray, his previous owner, is keeping an eye out for Marm and knows that he is loved tremendously, hugged every day, and is the king of the household. He is offered every preferred spot in the house, including my pillow (or head (!)). This is the first painting I've ever done of Marm because I was concerned I'd wouldn't be able to capture his likeness to do him justice but in this case, I'm glad I painted him because this is exactly what he looks like when he sleeps next to me. I love this little guy to bits!

Ohelo (Vaccinium reticulatum), oil on canvas, 5"x7" (SOLD)

Ohelo is my favorite plant and as a botanist, it's usually hard to choose. Ohelo is a low-growing shrub much like blueberries on the mainland. They're more tart but no less delicious. They are only found in Hawaii and if you've visited Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, you might have seen them growing along the road to Jaggar Museum and the Halemaumau Overlook. 

I do love painting them, because they reflect light in such a way that makes them look so luscious. When the light hits them just right from behind, they even glow. The fruits of ohelo can range in color from deep purple-red to red to orange and even yellowish so that'll give me options in painting them.

Alala (Hawaiian crow) returns to the wild!

Alala, oil on canvas, 5"x7" (SOLD)

I've steadily checked items off my bucket list. One item, however, still eludes me but it may come to fruition this year! It is to see the Hawaiian crow (alala), which has been extinct in the wild for over a decade, fly freely in the wild again. I work with colleagues who remember the calls of this bird in the forests of South Kona, even in Volcano but by the time I started field work, there were only several remaining and slowly the numbers dwindled and I never got the chance before the last few were moved into a facility for captive propagation. The folks at the San Diego Zoo Global at Keahou Bird Sanctuary have been working tirelessly to bring this species back from the brink of extinction. Their efforts have paid off and there are over 100 birds bred in captivity and some of them are ready for release this year! My heart is full with pride in the work this group has done and so glad to know some of the members of the team personally. If you'd like to know more, please visit the Alala Project website and consider supporting them with a donation. In support of this awesome conservation effort, I will be making prints and notecards of the alala (top image) available for purchase and 100% of the funds will be donated to the Alala Project. I figure we all need to do our part to save this precious species. If you'd like more information, please send me an email or stand by for more information.

UPDATE: Thanks for those of you that purchased the Alala notecards at the Alala Project VIP and public celebrations at Mokupapapa Discovery Center in Hilo and my art sale in November! We raised at least $400 for the Alala Project! Mahalo Nui Loa!

The dogs have it!

Sleeping Wilson, oil on canvas, 5"x5" ($80 USD)

Pug, oil on canvas, 6"x6" (Not for sale)

Pugs, French Bulldogs, and Boston Terriers are just fun dogs to paint. I love their distinct look and their funny-when-trying-not-to-be-funny faces.

I got the reference photos from Draw my Photos, which are royalty and copyright-free images. Thanks Christine C!

Melon and mushroom fun

Hamakua mushrooms, oil, 5"x7" ($80 USD)

Watermelon slice, oil, 5"x5" (SOLD)

Honeydew slice, oil, 5"x5" (SOLD)

Cantaloupe slice, oil, 5"x7" (SOLD)

Melon seeds are HARD to paint! So, I took the melon scoop by the handle (or bull by the horns, whichever) and had at it. It did force me to take the painterly approach, which I sort of liked. I couldn't get too hung up on accuracy and it did flex my creative muscle so in a way, it was a good exercise ... tho' I won't be doing THAT again anytime soon. I painted the cantaloupe first and then the mushrooms last. Notice the pattern? Loose, less loose, kinda tight, and back to really tight again. My mantra this week ... flex that muscle ... flex that muscle ... flex that muscle ... Lord help me.

Barn owl and peaches

Barn owl, oil, 5"x7" (SOLD)

Peaches, oil, 7"x5" ($100 USD)

Here are a couple more realistic paintings, where I tried a limited palette and the use of a single brush. In both of these paintings, I used a size 3, Series 77, Rosemary and Co pure sable bright brush (which I HIGHLY recommend) and just burnt sienna, raw umber, cadmium yellow, bright red, soft mixing white (and some titanium white) and mars black. I might have had some leftover cadmium yellow pale left on the palette. I haven't used mars black much and instead prefer the less harsh Payne's gray but I think in this case, it really needed the oomph of a rich black to create the stark shadows since the shadows were as much of the painting as the other colors.

 Napping Buddha, oil on canvas, 6"x12" (NOT FOR SALE)

Green apple, oil on canvas, 5"x5" (SOLD)

 

Fish escape, oil on canvas, 6"x6" ($100 USD)

... still happily painting along and testing my ability to render things accurately. I think my next exercise will be do paint more painterly and impressionistically. It's a struggle with me ... I'm as tight as they come. Hah! 

I've been using images from "Paint my Photo." It's a source of copyright-free photos, posted by the photographers themselves. The only request is that if you paint from the photos, you post them in a gallery on the site and acknowledge the photographer in the post. Otherwise, you're free to use the photos in any way! 

I've been busy painting!

grapes, 5"x5", oil ($80 USD)

Cabbage and onions, 5"x7", oil ($100 USD)

mangoes, 5"x7", oil ($100 USD)

koi, 6"x6", oil ($80 USD, watermark is not on the original)

Kanoe, 5"x7", oil, (NOT FOR SALE)

Kilauea Iki trail, 5"x7", oil (SOLD)

Mauna Kea from Hakalau, 5"x7", oil ($80 USD)

Limes, 5"x5", oil ($80 USD)

I've been busy painting almost every day and thoroughly enjoying the process of learning a new form of expression. I've just been enjoying learning new things, stretching my limited understanding of oil paints and different media. It has been a little over 2 months since I first picked up my oil brush so these are just works in progress. The smell of stand oil reminds me of my days in college, when I took my first art class. And the sound of a brush laden with oil paints against a canvas is like music to my ears. At the time, I am so glad for the advice my art teacher gave me when she knew art was my passion. She said, "Joan, focus on getting your science degree. You can always do art." I took her advice and have loved my career in natural resources management. It took me decades to find my creativity again but I'm glad I did. It's never too late to rediscover your passion. I love what I do (as a rare plant botanist ... now an administrator) and it's never too late to find your other passions and invest in them too. Seeking balance in life has been tough these days but I definitely believe it's worth it.

Here are several paintings I've done recently, with the oldest at the bottom. I'll try to post more frequently once I get a new computer (my old beast is ready to retire and refusing to post anymore ... she's a good girl and needs her rest). For now, I hope you enjoy the barrage of images.

Oils!

`Ohelo, 6"x6", oil (SOLD)

Dash, 5"x5", oil (NOT FOR SALE)

Kilauea Caldera, 6"x6", oil ($80 USD)

`Ohi`a, 6"x6", oil (SOLD)

Dax, 12"x12", oil (NOT FOR SALE)

Oils are a BLAST! Where have you been all my life?! Graphite and watercolor have been my media of choice for most of my adult life and only recently found a new medium I'm enjoying. Oil painting is a totally new endeavor with odorless paint thinner and new fangled media. Granted, I do miss the smell of stand oil and turpentine (Ah, takes me back to college days when I'd sneak back into the art classrooms to paint through the night ... rather than doing what I SHOULD have been doing in the Botany Dept!). 

These are some recent oil paintings I've been dappling with. The one of Dax is my first and the `ohelo at the top is the one I finished last night. :) Discovering a new medium is like learning a new dance. It feels awkward at first and you're just fumbling about; by the second time, you see the prospects; by the third, you're trying new flourishes, by the fourth, you're moving about with more confidence; and by the fifth, well, you just want to DANCE!

Mamane

watercolor, 5.5"x9.5" (SOLD)

I made two discoveries today. 

First, I can listen to dozens and dozens of Greek radio stations on my phone and when combined with my little Bose speaker in my right ear, I almost feel like I am in a Greek taverna sipping ouzo watching waves of the Aegean Sea lap its shores. 

Second, depending on whether I view the same file of this mamane painting on my mac or PC, the colors are way different! The colors should be slightly greener ... more sap green, less Payne's gray. Regardless, this painting leaves me chuckling to myself. Mamane leaflets aren't quite opposite (should have remembered this as I'm a botanist after all). Ooops! Still, I'm happy with it. I have a bit more tweaking to do but I'll leave it for awhile and finish it up with fresh eyes down the road.

Wet on wet

At this point, I think I need WAY more practice with wet on wet techniques. It's something that I admire most about watercolor artists ... to be loose and yet suggest a whole background scene ... something I admittedly suck at! I'm fighting (yeah, really, literally fighting) my tight tendencies. I haven't used any masking fluid so I'm trying to get around the mamane leaves and flowers. I found out quite quickly that I can't do wet on wet on the entire painting at once because it dries too fast so I'm painting in logical sections, which seems to be working. Catch 22 tho' because I lose the looseness I long for. So yes, I feel challenged ... but at the same time, I feel very much like I'm finding myself ... like I'm getting to meet the artist that's inside and this is our first introduction.

Getting started

The Hawaiian flora is spectacular and I really don't have a good reason why I don't spend more time painting it. It really is a curious thing, especially because I have spent the majority of my life getting acquainted with some of the rarest plant species on Earth, Or, maybe in my mind it's just impossible to replicate that kind of beauty in a static medium ... or I haven't yet figured how. So, I'll give it a try and do my best to map out a painting of mamane (Sophora chrysophylla), a Hawaiian endemic plant that grows nearby. It's in the pea family so I'll have fun painting those yellow flowers and gnarly pods.

Now: With the wind blowing through the hapu`u (tree ferns, Cibotium glaucum) outside and Dax snoring at my feet, I can barely hear apapane chirping through my window. I'm feeling a little nervous because I haven't painted seriously in a long while. I just hope that mamane gods are with me.

JKPP: Kevin Henry

scratchboard, 2.5"x3.5" ($20 USD)

Another addition to the Julia Kay's Portrait Party. This was the first time I've ever tried scratchboard and OMG, it was so much fun! This is another artcard of Kevin Henry, another member of the portrait party. Couldn't quite get the detail I was going for but I finally realized that the idea is not photorealism! If you want to check out my Flickr page, it's here.

I have a long way to go to capture a person's likeness. It's super challenging, faces, I mean and I feel pretty good if it sort of looks like him/her. Sometimes I wonder what Henry must think of this. "Good God woman, you made me look like an old man!" or "Damn, my nostrils aren't that big ... are they?" But, I hope that my art, no matter how much I need to improve, will honor the person in some way and the subject will know that by trying to capture their likeness and essence, I welcome them into my life and brain ... because for a short time, they reside there. I mean, how many other people are gonna spend THAT much time staring at your left ear?!

Pugilicious!

watercolor, 7.5"x9" ($100 USD)

I couldn't resist painting this little guy because he was just too cute. And admittedly, I had more time so decided to paint a little larger this round. I was even able to bust out my larger paint brushes that had been neglected for so long.

I don't know about you but now I want one!

And about being creative ... I sure wish I could share with you what I feel inside when I paint or draw. It's like my insides are doing a happy dance and I get all jiggly inside. I forget to eat and just smile. I catch myself sometimes ... smiling, I mean, as if everything is right with the world.

Small format artcards

`Akala, Hawaiian raspberry, watercolor, 2.5"x3.5" ($20 USD)

Chicken in a window, pigma micron .005 and watercolor, 2.5" x 3.5" (Not for Sale)

Marmalade in the sun, watercolor, 2.5"x3.5" ($20 USD)

Water lilies, pigma micron pen .005 and watercolor, 2.5"x3.5" ($20 USD)

These little drawings and paintings remind me that I need to slow down, because I seem to be able to carve only bits and pieces of my day to do something I love. These take relatively little time to do and I can finish one in a couple hours, or less.

I mean, I love my job. I really do and I work with amazing people and I know I'm destined to be a botanist and conservationist. It's my life's work and I can't imagine a better mission ... but it does take its toll. Perhaps everyone in this middle age stage goes through this. Busy with kids, work, obligations, etc. Maybe it's just important to know what you love and fix our busy lives to keep doing the fun stuff along with all the harder stuff. Celebrate the bright spots, you know?

Duck in watercolor

Watercolor, 2.5"x3.5" (NOT FOR SALE; matted prints available $15 USD)

I love Duck, my silkie chicken. I hatched her in my incubator and "hand-raised" her. She was a squidgy little thing that barely made it while in the incubator but she's a survivor, being the only one of four eggs that hatched. She's a beauty now and quickly becoming the queen of the coop. 

I really enjoyed painting this watercolor of Duck The paining is tiny, the size of a baseball card, but I think I was able to capture her very cute face (yes, I'm officially smitten and won't balk if you call me a chicken lady). The red stamp in the corner, while kind of crooked, is my family name in Japanese. I'm quite liking the look of it and am considering stamping all of my works with it. What do you think? Thanks for stopping by!

Marine Barbaroux

Graphite, 2.5"x3.5" art card ($15 USD)

Tiny graphite drawing of Marine Barbaroux (Miss Embe) for Julia Kay's Portrait Party. Picking up the pencil after many months is like welcoming home an old friend. I do believe that a pencil and paper will be my friends for life.

The Hiker

Super Sculpey with oil paint, approx. 6 in. tall ($85 USD)

Tried my hand sculpting with oven-bake clay and been having a blast! This sculpture was inspired by my hope to set off on new adventures this year. I have a feeling it's going to be a great year!