Hula at the Gallery!

With very short notice, Kumu hula (teacher) Ehulani Stephanie agreed to bring members of her halau (hula school) down to the gallery first Friday evening April 3 to perform for our art opening. Cosette, Tuko and I created some new work to celebrate the month of Merrie Monarch, which of course is a huge Hawaiian cultural event in Hilo. We hope to add to our collection of new paintings as the actual week approaches.

I found inspiration for my works in some photos taken by my friend Nikko at one of the halau's performances, so it was especially wonderful to have them dance in the gallery. Another source: last year's opening night performance by another great halau, the Halau o Kekuhi, excited me with their incredible bright yellow pa'u costumes with twisted tapa belts.

Sketches for a Legend

I did some sketches for a hotel project I might get to do. The painting would be a large one for behind a reception desk, so a Hawaiian legend was proposed. I enjoy doing sketches of this sort because one can give free play to the imagination within the bounds of what one knows of the tradition. The hard part comes later when you have to make sure everything fits in with some accuracy and with no insult to the culture. These images are from the story of Pele and Hiiaka, where Pele travels in her spirit body and dazzles the court of Lohi'au, prince of Kaua'i. Later Hi'iaka, Pele's sister, must bring Lohi'au back to life from where his body has been hidden high on the Napali cliffs. Then finally I sketched the two of them descending back to the shore on a rainbow, which is one version of the story.

In the Garden

There's a part of me that likes to just plunk down in front of a plant and draw it. I never think this is a very sale-able artform but Mary Philpotts ASID occasionally makes use of dense and subtle drawings of botanical subjects. I guess they link to an art tradition in Hawai'i that goes back to a time when tropical florals were new and exciting subjects for Westerners. Here are some I did recently in Davis Dalbok's garden and one from the garden at Ramashala, a nearby retreat center.

The Art of the Frame

I've had this show up at the gallery for a month so it's about time I blogged about it. Mostly it's about the woodworker Kevin Sulgit who lives nearby, who has undertaken the saint-like task of framing my work in native hardwoods (and some soft ones, i.e. coconut)

Kevin brings an artistic eye to this task, agreeing to respect my "frame liner" which is the black lathe frame I use to make sure the edges of my work are not covered, a personal idiosyncracy. This is often a lot more difficult than it would seem, since my own hand-made liners are often tilted in cross section. Also Kevin combines woods in a very novel way, placing contrasting types in concentric bands or other laminated designs. Wherever possible Kevin references the painting subject in his choice of woods.

Various Big Island Adventures

Here is my most recent portrait, of John Ballentine who lives in Oakland, CA.

My dear friend Pamela Stevenson visited for a week. After a strenuous year of creating a gigantic wood firing kiln in British Columbia she was here for a bit of down time, relaxing in my studio and at the beach. We visited the volcano briefly, where the goddess Pele enters the sea with much heat and light, and the amazing sight of glowing rocks floating on the waves. We drove up the Hamakua Coast to Ahualoa, passing a stunning view of Mauna Kea in its snow-capped glory. On the Kohala coast my brother took this picture of me sketching at Beach 67, under the keawe tree shade, where we went to check out the huge waves. On the way home we stopped for a swim at Honoli'i Beach just north of Hilo.

Yesterday Tuko and I painted botanicals in the gorgeous garden that Davis Dalbock has created up the Opihikao Road.

2 Portraits & a Puppy

About four weeks ago I was driving up Highway 130 when I spotted a small batlike creature running down the middle of the road. Sensing danger I pulled over, crouched down and called to it. It came crawling as fast as it could on its spindly, weak and starved little bow-legs. This was the beginning of the Story of Bugsy.

Here for the first time on the internet are photos of this rare creature, a cross between a bat, a bug, and a small Doberman Pincer, hence the name Bugsy.

Here is a photo of our Christmas bamboo branch, laden with my hand-painted ornaments.

Here also are photos of my recent portraits. One is of my glamorous computer lady, Dawn Hurwitz. The other is of my neighbor Doug.

HPP artists' studio tour

Esther, Arthur, Yumiko-san, our hula friend from Japan, and I went art studio tour hopping last Sunday. In a way it kind of reminded me of going to open houses. One house in particular was quite gorgeous and met Arthur's approval. In fact, we all wanted to move there...
Please go to my blog to see more photos.

Eric Johnsen: Master Builder

I'm very proud of my brother Eric. A master builder to me is someone who doesn't necessarily have a degree in architecture, yet brings an enormous amount of creativity and beauty to the structures he builds, whether they be a small bathing shed or a magnificent mansion. Inspired by the house we grew up in above Honolulu in Nu'uanu Valley, a modernist 50's style house designed by Alfred Preis and constructed by the finest Japanese craftsmen, Eric creates the most beautiful structures and furnishes them with exquisite cabinetry.

The latest of these masterpieces to be finished is a house for Gwen and Ray Chaiken, on a knoll overlooking Hawaiian Homesteads pastureland near Waimea, with a grand view of Mauna Kea. Eric invited me to fill the empty walls with my artwork in time for the open-house-blessing party they threw yesterday. I wouldn't go to this effort for just anybody but since it was Eric I brought up 32 paintings and prints and managed to find wallspace for every piece, although none of what I brought were large enough for some of the big walls.

Installation was amusing and painful as both Eric and I had matching rotater-cuff shoulder injuries on opposite sides, our working arms (he's left-handed). Together we struggled as a complete human being and managed to get everything up.

I wish I'd taken more photos of the building itself, and actually my photography petered out after one or two rooms since it seemed too dark. But here are a few shots; maybe I'll take more later in the week.