handmade block party

love

one of the best things about etsy is how it has made art more accessible. caren loebel-fried, the big island artist who creates some of the most spectacular lino block prints (and who happens to be one of my favorite island artists), has joined the etsy ranks to showcase her beautiful interpretations of hawaiian legends and culture.

my fella and i both agree that the storyteller deserves a spot in our living room's little gallery of block prints. and for those romantic souls who keep the lost art of written correspondence alive, i must insist you take a peek at caren's lovely notecard sets.

the storyteller

the romance of lauka'ie'ie

artwork is archival quality and has been individually printed by hand on handmade paper from japan. both color and b&w prints are available and prices are quite reasonable ($15-$260).

when on the big island, you can admire (and purchase) caren's work at the volcano art center. you can learn more about about the artist and how her journey to this age old art form came to be on her website.

fyi - nyc readers who wish to learn the art of block printing can attend a one day workshop with caren & her mom scheduled to take place on oct 27th. more details can be found here.

weekend sales sheet

join the sig zane ohana on the big island this weekend to celebrate the unveiling of an exclusive limited edition design created just for tiffany & co. (yes, that tiffany's). the pendant's debut will take place during celebrate moku o keawe (part fashion show / art auction / marketplace / good eats) to support the foundation's upcoming hula festival in november.

• when: sat, sep 22nd at 6:30pm
• where: waikoloa beach marriott resort

lan from fighting eel sent along word that readers can scoop up styles from the beloved local designers all while saving a cool 20% off. download the coupon before stopping by fe's chinatown headquarters on fridays when the design house is open to the public.

• when: every friday from 10am to 5pm
• where: 47 north hotel street
• fyi - cash & credit cards only
• expires: oct 31st

pacific home is in the midst of their fall special order event so if you have had your eye on a particular mitchell gold + bob williams design now is the time to take the plunge. save 10% on in stock fabrics and 20% on special order upholstery.

• when: now to sun, oct 7th
• where: 420 ward avenue

{update} whoops, forgot to mention earlier that tamara catz is commemorating international day of peace today by donating a percentage of sales to war child int'l. if you have a chance to stop by the paia boutique this weekend, you can take a peek at the resort 2008 collection and score 15% off your purchase (just let them know a little birdie told you about the deal online).

• when: today & sat, sep 22nd
• where: 83 hana hwy, maui

once upon an ipu

ipu hale

yet another traditional hawaiian art form is receiving some love in the press far beyond the ocean borders of the islands. case in point: the latest issue of craft to hit the newsstand features the big island's ipu hale which is part of a tiny community of local artists reviving an ancient hawaiian technique of decorating the humble gourd. while most of us are familiar with the curves (and beats) of the ipu, the decorative process is not well known outside the world of historians and artisans and so a quick overview to get you up to speed.

back in the day when the ni'ihau method was practiced, intricate designs were created by carving a relief into the gourd's skin which would then be filled with coffee to slowly dye the gourd from the inside out. time was allowed to take its course and, after patiently waiting for weeks or months on end, the design would eventually emerge. since the natural dye reacted differently with each specimen, a bit of alchemy occurred which resulted in the creation of a one of kind vessel.

and, with modern day artisans looking to the past for inspiration, traditional polynesian patterns à la tatau and tapa designs are making a return to elevate the ipu from a swap meet souvenir to something that reconnects us to a once forgotten art form.

elroy juan & georgia sartoris

alas, ipu hale is without a website so you will have to make your way to holualoa to admire their craftsmanship in person. while on the big island, you may also want to stop by the volcano art center and check out the work of noted gourd artists elroy juan & georgia sartoris who create hue wai pawehe (aka decorated water gourds).

learn more about this fascinating process along with a step-by-step tutorial in this excerpt from craft.

slice of island life

these lovely 'ilima notecards are taken from a series of work by big island artist eve furchgott who was commissioned by the hale kuamo'o center for hawaiian language & culture at uh hilo as a teaching aid for students enrolled in hawaiian immersion programs across the state. the images of what are essentially hawaiian word cards are so evocative of life in hawaii that they make me just a little bit homesick (but in a good way).

eve, who is primarily self taught, has a way of capturing the little moments that make life in the islands so unique. her plantation children monoprint reminds me of photos of my mom & aunties as small kids in their homemade dresses back in the day.

plantation children + the want ads

take a peek at eve's website to see more of her work (the want ads shown above) and to kick start the ordering process (email, phone & usps orders welcome). and you can feel good that you are helping to make a difference since a portion of the proceeds from sales of the 'ilima notecard set goes to further the efforts of hale kuamo'o.

see more from the series (which is numbered at over 300 images) via art in the iron works' website.

make it a sig zane summer

punahoa coin purse

sig zane's online shop has been restocked with fresh goods for summer. i'm loving the sz punahoa coin purse which is such a pretty way to keep all the little things in your bag in one place. and it's a virtual steal at only $12.

hilo one bag

sig zane's latest take on the breadfruit can be seen on this season's hilo one bag with its lovely uluwehi keaukaha design. the warm orange sorbet colorway adds a juicy splash to your accessory closet that will easily transition when autumn rolls around. plus, the ability to wear it messenger bag style means you can get up & go with all the essentials at your side.