New paintings for the Volcano Village Art Sale

`ohelo (Vaccinium reticulata), oil on canvas, 6"x8" (SOLD)

Palila on mamane (Sophora chrysophylla), oil on canvas, 8"x10" (SOLD)

Come and visit us at Emily Herb's studio on Keonelehua Rd;  Volcano Village (Hawaii); November 29-Dec. 1, 2019;  10 am - 4 pm for the annual Volcano Village Artists Hui Studio Tour and Sale. I'll be there as a guest artist, with Charlotte Forbes Perry too. I'll have new oil paintings, giclee prints, and notecards and Charlotte will have stained glass and beautiful ceramics that are uniquely Hawaiian. Emily's home and studio is in the heart of Volcano Village and she'll have her gorgeous ceramics featuring native birds and animals. If you're a die-hard fan of Emily's, you know she will have her seconds on the table on the back porch so come early to get the best bits. We'll even have demonstrations throughout the day so you can see how we create our art. Homemade chocolates will also be on sale to keep your artistic and gastronomic appetite satiated! You can pick up a map to the studios from any of the stores in Volcano; get a stamp from each studio to enter to win great prizes! The sale is a great place to get one-of-a-kind gifts from local artists!

Halema`uma`u and koa`e kea

 

Halema`uma`u and koa`e kea, 8"x10", oil on canvas (SOLD)

Living within a mile of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park provides me with lots and lots of opportunities to visit the summit of Kilauea and watch koaʻe kea (white-tailed tropicbirds) fly around Halemaʻumaʻu crater. We usually see them flying around so far away (like the distant one I painted) that they are merely blurs so I decided they deserved a closeup. I mightʻve chosen a better pose but I enjoyed painting a different view of the bird.

This painting also tasked me to paint believable steam/smoke and I have to admit, it was a bit challenging. I viewed Wilson Bickfordʻs video on YouTube a while back that created a beautiful foggy scene by applying a thin coating of gel medium over dry paint and always wanted to try it ... until I realized I didnʻt have the gel medium he spoke of so I gave it my best shot using the medium I mixed myself. Light circular brushstrokes using a soft clean brush created a bit of wispiness that I was looking for. I think I need to use more medium next time. I'm working on a new painting so I'll have another shot at it.

The reference photo for the koa`e kea is, by permission, from Randy Bartlett who is not only a great biologist and program manager but also a professional conservation photographer. You can purchase his photographs or make a donation to his non-profit, Endangered Hawaiʻi. Heʻs also on Instagram: Endangered Hawaiʻi. A portion of the proceeds of this painting, including any of my other drawings or paintings of endangered species, will be donated to local conservation programs as well so they can continue to protect the species that make Hawaiʻi so unique. 

Nene goose (Branta sandvicensis)

Nene, 8"x10", oil on canvas ($120 USD)

Going bigger to 8"x10"! I'm still working on this painting but was just feeling happy about how it was going that I figured I'd post it now before I do the final touches. I just think these geese are so pretty. I think they're a favorite bird to paint in Hawaii because they tend to stand still and allow you to take pictures or paint them. So, not wanting to be typical, I opted to try something new and put this goose in front of a simple background, just to show off its adorable face.

JKPP (thvedl/Lisa) ... "Blue"

"Blue" (Lisa), oil on stretched canvas, 8"x10" ($120 USD)

S-T-R-E-T-C-H! Lisa provided a wonderful black and white photo for us to draw and paint on Julia Kayʻs Portrait Party. I didnʻt take the plunge to translate it into a color painting so decided to do a monochrome but with blue instead. It did stretch my brain but I loved the challenge. I also jumped to a larger size, 8"x10", this time. Feel free to leave constructive feedback!

"I thought this would be an art journey but it was actually a heart journey."

Anacamptis pyramidalis, watercolor on 140 lb watercolor paper, 8"x10"

Being back for 2 weeks from a wonderful stay on Paros, Greece, I still feel the pangs of homesickness.

As I painted this native Anacamptis orchid, I was filled with gratitude to have experienced a very special month on a very special island and to me, it captures something even more subtle. These orchids are out for a short time during Spring, are rather obscure in form but showy and delicate and just plain beautiful in my humble opinion. And, it represents my stay on Paros. I was blessed to have filled my days in the company of amazing friends who I miss every day, to revel in sunny days in Kamari peppered with dog and cat kisses, surrounded by beautiful plants and birds and the hum of thousands of bees, taking in the sweet smell of honey in the air after a brief spring rain ... all this wrapped in antiquity that I still have trouble wrapping my head around. My stay was brief and memorable and just plain beautiful.

This painting lives on Paros with a sister friend. :)

Cymbidiums - completed

I used my HB, 2B, and 5B graphite pencils for this drawing of some Cymbidium orchids I received from my close friend Charlotte. I used Strathmore Bristol Vellum paper that takes graphite better than any other paper I've used (except my moleskine sketchbook, of course). This drawing is about 8"X10".