Anne's Art

These are actually from our gallery website: www.arthurjohnsengallery.com.

Arthur has also posted photos of Anne on the gallery blog.

Video of Kehena Beach

Someone posted this on youtube.com of our little beach. I thought it was well done. The spider was a nice touch.

Anne Whitmore

Our dear friend and gallery mate Anne Whitmore passed away last night after a hard fought battle with cancer. She was our watercolor artist, a jewel among us oil painters with a wonderful style that said she was in command. I love her work, I love work that is simple yet strong, no extra frills, just whatever was needed to convey what she saw. I regret that I didn't paint with her. I saw her last Friday night at the abstract show opening. She had a piece in the show as well. She was so joyful, throwing kisses and big smiles. I'm glad that's my last memory of her.

This photo of one of her paintings is one she had in our recent SMALL Show. Sorry the quality of my photo is so poor. I'll try to get something better up next week.

Abstract portrait

I thought I'd try a blend of this abstract thing, my new "thing" and portraiture. This is from a photo of a friend who lives here part of the time and part of the time on the mainland.

Lava smoke

Meanwhile, the lava keeps on flowing. Huge plumes of smoke can be seen from miles away and hundreds of visitors are still making a pilgrimage there daily. I took this photo a couple of days ago and upon uploading onto the computer thought hmmm, the cloud looks kind of devilish. What do you think?

More Abstract Art

So now, thanks to the juried show, which Arthur and I did get into, I'm on this abstract art roll... It's fun which I think is reflected in the art. It's my 'play' series. The opening is tomorrow (Friday, 08-08-08--a very lucky day) at the Wailoa Center in Hilo, from 5 to 7 or something close to that.

abstract show

This Saturday the Wailoa Center is taking in art for their biennial Abstract Show. I've never really painted an abstract before but Arthur thought we should just experiment and see what we could come up with (yesterday afternoon). I don't know if it will get in the show but it was fun to do. My boyfriend thinks it should be a vertical, I'm just not sure.

My perfect day...

Yesterday was absolutely one of my best days. It started with a life drawing session at Richard's at Kalani (kalani.com) from 9 to 10:30. We had a beautiful model, someone visiting the islands for a week, I'm sure she was a dancer or a yogi. Then Kehena beach was warm and easy, a quick swim to the rocks and back and then painting in the afternoon with a group of painters taking a plein aire class from Saim Caglayan from Kauai (great painter and nice guy). I was kind of crashing. It was their last day and he was kind enough to let me hang... they were painting on my turf afterall. The volcano has been going off like fireworks lately and a giant plume could be seen from our vantage (we are only about 5-6 miles from the flow). Draw-swim-paint, life is good...

Model session

Arthur and I had a life painting session with an Hawaiian model a couple of weeks ago. She's agreed to come back tomorrow. Should be fun.

Meanwhile, we went to the coffee tasting show in Kona, representing the gallery. I sold my heliconia painting which was gratifying, affirmation is always nice.

We actually did a little plein aire painting before heading back to the east side.

Oahu trip part 4 - Chinatown

Day 2 of the Paintout was in Chinatown. It's become kind of an arts district with lots of galleries in the neighborhood. The hard thing about painting plein aire here was all the noise and big busses that would come by and block our view. Not to mention the smog. Still, artists are pretty typical in Chinatown, though maybe not this many at one time...

Oahu trip part 3

After Kailua (morning) it was a mad dash to Makapuu Beach, a body surfer's haven.



























Here's Lynne again with Jan Bushart, PAPOH prez, down in front of some crashing waves.

I love that Oahu has so many islands off of it. That's Rabbit Island in the distance.

Oahu Part 2

The point of our trip was to paint with PAPOH (Plein Air Painters of Hawaii) and AHA (Association of Hawaiian Artists?--I think). First day was at Kailua Beach. Arthur and I perched ourselves under the closest tree cover to the beach. If you click on the photo you can see that I used the sand as a convenient brush holder.

Here's a painting start by Mark Brown of Oahu. He also teaches on the island, there was a small contingent of his students who were a part of the paint out.
And here's my friend, Lynne Boyer, painting her fave, the ocean. (I miss those gentle Oahu waves too, now that I'm back in the land of Kehena Beach where the swells are 6-7 feet at times and it loves to grab your ankles and pull you back out to sea... thanks to the full moon action.)

Arthur of course had time to start another painting.


A group of local girls came to practice their hula while we painted.

Oahu trip part 1

Some people can be so creative, even in their gardens. We saw this in Lanikai, where we were staying. Just a neighbor's house.

We spent the first day running errands, picking up supplies (like mineral spirits, something you can't fly with). Then we passed the time doing a little sightseeing...





We went to the Hawaii State Art Museum. The only free museum.

It was great, they showcased contemporary island artists.

Making assumptions

It's amazing to me sometimes how people just make an assumption with no information other than what they see at that moment... I was spraying the plants outside our gallery when a woman came walking by and told me to water it, very directly, like an order. I just had and was now just spritzing it for a little more moisture (even though Hilo is a very humid place, it's a pretty warm day today). Anyway, I guess she was just trying to be helpful, but it seemed a rather rude way to do it... am I being overly sensitive?

The Small Show

Here's the beginning of our Small Show... we decided to make more affordable art for these tough economic times.

Follow Your Bliss

These are words to live by. Arthur and I went on a painting trip to Oahu and we stayed with his grandfather's 81 year old friend. It was the first time I spent any time on that island off the tourist track. I have a new appreciation for an island that is the most developed of all the islands, yet still with so many unspoiled areas and so much beauty. I'll load photos later. I didn't realise there were so many small islands off it, many that you can canoe to. Swimming is an option to some but there are shallow waters with coral all around so a kayak would be better.

I titled this entry Follow Your Bliss, wise words that I first heard from Joseph Campbell, the philosopher from the Bill Moyer series on Myths. That is because the 81 year old friend used these as her parting words to us after a very productive week of painting, seeing lots of art at galleries and museums, not to mention an infusion of culture, and making contacts.

Then, yesterday a man came into the Arthur Johnsen Gallery (it was my once a week shift) and started telling me about his life. I guess he didn't really start by telling me about his life, I kind of pulled it out of him as he was going through the gallery and talking to me about different things. What struck me was how happy he seemed. At first he told me he used to grow roses. I found out that he had actually studied oceanography. That he actually had a Ph.D and even had been a college professor. But he didn't like the pressure of the academic life, of always having to publish papers (or lose your job), not to mention that he didn't enjoy teaching that much. So, even though he had all this training, he was able to put it all aside to pursue something he would rather do. Why spend the rest of your life doing something you don't enjoy. He figured he cut his losses. So he grew roses for twenty years. I don't think I met anyone so content as this man.

Market in the Hood

Our local juggling community called Belly Acres started a school for the performing arts. They call it S.P.A.C.E. (Seaview Performing Arts Center for Education). It's just about a mile away and every Saturday they host a little farmer's market. This ties into the gas pricing thing because it is so close. I hadn't been there though until today because I always had to put in my time at the gallery on Saturdays. But now we are open M-F and closed on the weekends which frees me up to do weekend things (nice).

The bearded guy is Graham Ellis who is one of the founders of this community. Over 20 years ago he and fellow jugglers bought 12 acres in the back of the community of Seaview. These are world class jugglers (Graham is from England, there are members from Germany and France and of course the U.S.). Coolest thing is that every so often they congregate and then put on an amazing show for us locals.

It was always Graham's dream to also start a school for young jugglers and other types of performers (like silk aerialists). I love the rainbow beams across the ceiling...

Anyway, we got there a little late so I could only score some arugula, avos, and a giant sapote which I heard makes a good bread.

Price of gas in paradise...

I meant to put this up last week when this was taken. Now of course the price of gas at my local station has crept up even higher, which is why I hardly ever drive into Hilo...

I'm thankful that the volcano didn't block the road to town last summer, that would have meant a 125 mile deter. Can you imagine?

Studio Painting

Finally decided to come inside and do some studio work. Here's my Heliconia in G major, the G standing for Georgia O'Keefe of course, who came to the islands and did some gorgeous florals.

Merrie Monarch Parade 2008

Well, it happened over 2 weeks ago so don't come here for up to the minute news flashes, but here are some photos from this year's Merrie Monarch Parade.

Once again, our Mayor, Harry Kim...

Councilwoman for our district, Emily Naeole

The gang...

in front of the gallery...

Here's a tiny clip of one of the floats...