impressions of isis

winter sky

artist isis godfrey-byrne recently sent along samples of her work and i just love the soft and dreamy quality found throughout her paintings. isis was raised on the big island and left for the uk as a teenager where she studied at some of london's most prestigious art schools. it turns out isis comes from a long line of artists and one branch of her family tree actually founded the contemporary museum in makiki heights.

since returning to hawaii a few years ago, isis's impressionistic take of quiet spots around the islands has popped up at local galleries and museums to offer us all a momentary escape from the whirlwind of daily life.

many of the paintings remind me of taking an early morning walk while still sleepy when the world remains a bit out of focus. then there are the wide open vistas and country roads that seem to document isis's childhood on the big island along with the happy cloud studies that remind me of laying in the grass and watching the big fluffy wisps dance across the sky.

cotton candy

sanctuary

misty road

be sure to stop by fishcake during the month of may when isis will be the design showroom's featured artist. you can also find her work at cedar street galleries and nohea gallery.

• where: fishcake, 307c kamani street

small and cool on the big island

just a quick note to nudge you over to apartment therapy's ongoing small cool contest which has a fantastic entry from the big island. the cozy pahoa bungalow (480 square feet, natch), euphemistically titled where poverty takes a holiday (hoot!), is a lesson in how to maximize a small space despite the limited resources on the big island.

if you think your space has got what it takes to represent the islands, click over to at's small cool 2008 page for contest details.

{mahalo to the at/la editors for letting me share the photos!}

block printing 101

tree of life

frustrated artistes take note: renowned big island illustrator/artist caren loebel-fried will be holding a workshop to help you become a block printing whiz. the class will cover all the steps required to turn the doodles in your mind into printed paper goods and textiles of your own design.

space is limited so hele over to volcano garden arts for registration details.

• when: sat, feb 9th - 10:30a to 3:30p
• where: volcano garden arts
• cost: $80

sig zane anniversary sale

espresso pa hoaka

just because you live somewhere other than the big island doesn't mean you can't enjoy this weekend's 22nd anniversary sale at sig zane. markdowns on sz's bold screenprinted designs have been extended to the online shop with everything in stock, including new arrivals and the luxe leather goods collection, anywhere from 22% to 50% off!

the hilo shop will also have extended hours to coincide with tonight's 7th annual black & white night.

the online sale kicks off on fri, nov 2nd @ 9:30a hst and ends sat, nov 3rd @ 4:30p hst.

visitor aloha society of hawaii

chances are the visitor aloha society of hawaii does its good work below the radar of most folks unless you happen to be one of its ambassadors of aloha or a grateful recipient. the program was started to extend the aloha spirit to travelers in need should misfortune strike while on vacation. help ranges from donating goods when belongings are stolen to making arrangements when an unexpected illness or death occurs far from home.

training sessions for new volunteers happen a few times a year and the next one is set to take place on oahu later this month. you will need to send in a completed application form to reserve a spot, and vash especially needs volunteers who are fluent in chinese, french, german, korean, japanese or spanish.

• when: sat, oct 27th & sat, nov 17th
• fyi: must be 18+

a peek at a few traveler testimonials reveals just some of the people who have been helped by vash's kokua over the years. learn more about the program here.