greatest show on earth

winter storm

the first time i saw christie shinn's winter storm, a memory pulled up to the surface . . . not a specific one per se, but something about it was evocative of times spent on the beach when the sun skipped behind the clouds and the whole world seemed to stop for just a moment.

you might not expect that a self-taught artist from canada, who caught her first true wave while on a visit to england, would become one of the emerging artists documenting life on the north shore. during her hopscotch journey around the world, christie eventually found her second home in the islands where being both an insider and outsider allows her to catch the small moments that slip by unnoticed by most folks.

it is these glimpses of everyday life, be it an after school surf session or an informal gathering on the shore, in the world's most renowned surf spot that christie artfully captures on canvas in a way that seems familiar if you have spent any time on hawaii's beaches

greatest show on earth

yellow board

christie's work is expanding beyond the traditional confines of the art world with her colorful graphics popping up on everything from tees to skateboard decks. you can take a peek at her artwork at deep ecology on the north shore as well as wyland's haleiwa outpost which is hosting the second annual surf art show next month as part of the festivities surrounding the vans triple crown.

• when: sat, nov 24th - 6p to 10p
• where: 66-250 kam hwy (north shore marketplace)

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.

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.

a day at the museum

hisam's elegant facade

we had a bit of an adventure finding the hawaii state art museum on our trip home (which i find a tad ironic considering i walked past the building every saturday morning in my youth). the museum opened in 2002 in the former ymca (and prior to that was the original royal hawaiian hotel) and houses a wonderful collection of work by island artists.

the walls are filled with artwork (herb kawainui kane, jean charlot & madge tennant are just a few of the artists represented), photography of hawaii's past & present, sculptures, and some of the nicest benches to sit upon and ponder the art before you.

our time inside the gallery was a bit of a whirlwind since the parking meter was ticking away, but even with the time crunch we managed to find a photograph snapped by my mom's high school chum on display.

a few tips:

• admission is free (but donations are welcome)
• be sure to check out the events page before you go (especially if your little ones enjoy art making)
• save time cruising the streets for a spot for your car with the very helpful parking guide

as for downtown, the museum's spanking new café by the folks behind kaimuki's town, while my lunch companions were underwhelmed with their selections i was happy with my salad made of local, organic ingredients. the space is airy and filled with light and, of course, artwork making it a pleasant spot to meet friends for lunch or grab a bite before you wander through the galleries.

despite our uneven experience, i would give it a second try considering they had only been open a little over a week when we visited and still had a few details to iron out. and, worker bees looking for something new for lunch should check out downtown's weekday quick service asap menu which sounded, dare i say, even yummier than the sit down side. check out nadine kam's review for her take.

{photo credit, no.2 : hawaii state art museum}

{update | jan 2010: the museum may be reserved for private events and makes a lovely site for a romantic wedding!}