peter wise surf exhibit

surf book * surfer (23)

on maui and looking for something to do on friday night? hele over to the letarte flagship which is hosting a show for ny painter peter wise who has made a splash in the art world documenting surfers and their favorite breaks.

peter will also be signing copies of a special maui edition of his book, surf, an anthology of his work through the years.

• when: fri, jan 30th - 6p to 8p
• where: 24 baldwin avenue, paia
• fyi: rsvp details can be found here

p.s. a portion of sales will be donated to the surfrider foundation.

inauguration day roundup

it's inauguration day! let's savor this moment in history with a presidential roundup of obama goodness with nary a commemorative plate to be found! i only hope everyone gives the man some time to tackle all the issues facing our country and that me, you and everyone else does his/her part to help fix it so that we all live in a better world four years from now.

1 - the obamas get the superhero treatment with this fabulous celebrate change greeting card.

2 - crazy shirts jumps aboard the obama love fest with new tee designs.

3 - kona joe coffee introduces their barack o blend made with beans grown in hawaii, kenya, and indonesia.

4 - secret service won't give you clearance to drop in to the oval office and talk story with uncle barry? invite the president into your home with a custom wall decal.

5 - oahu artist mark chai (who designed these lovely plywood lamps) is making 10 limited edition "light of hope" table lamps from recycled plastic and koa (a portion of sales will go to feed hawaii's homeless). [update: mark just wrote in with news that one of the lamps is currently being auctioned off on ebay]

and, as expected, the official hawaii tourism website has a page devoted to president obama's hawaii.

p.s. to celebrate this happy, happy day, i scooped up 44 of shepard fairey's yes we did stickers just for h|h readers. email your name & mailing address to aloha [at] hapahale [dot] com by fri, jan 23rd and you just may find a presidential surprise waiting in your mailbox.

p.p.s. watch president obama's inaugural address here.

'ohana night at 'oiwi ocean gear

a quick fix for checking off the remaining peeps on your gift list can be found tomorrow night in kailua when 'oiwi ocean gear welcomes one and all to its 'ohana night sale. deals include 50% off all w's swimwear, 25% off m's tees, 15% off keiki surf shirts & more!

• when: thu, dec 18th - 5p to 9p
• where: 130 kailua road, suite 130, kailua

happy hale*days 08: nalu edition

1 - towel off with raymond pettibon's whimsical design (part of the art basel 09 series at target) then hang this oversized delight out to dry for all to see.

2 - surfer girls get the letterpress treatment via byvik ink's cheery holiday greetings. (m's design here; p.s. wed, dec 17th is the last day to order for holiday delivery).

3 - coola's sport sunscreen sports a high spf, an endorsement from the american lifeguard association, and organic extracts (hold the parabens and paba) to pamper parched skin while it protects. (fyi - everyday spf can be had in mango and plumeria scents)

4 - local artist john c elliott's handpainted tubetops put a wearable twist on original surf art.

5 - paddlers will heart the graphic pop of 'oiwi ocean gear's stand tee.

6 - heather brown's delightful birdies make a happy appearance on her very merry chocolate trees surfboard (available at chinatown boardroom).

7 - hit the surf in old school style with sig zane's kai palaoa waiuli board shorts.

8 - a groovy rainbow of sorbet waves channel a retro polynesian pop vibe in phoenix artist jason hill's limited edition screen print.

the life aquatic

bracelet

you may have noticed i slipped away unannounced last week to enjoy my fella's short but sweet hiatus. in between visiting friends and a quick getaway to san diego, life stood blissfully still for a few days filled with all the little things in life that sometimes pass by unnoticed.

while i reacquaint myself with the real world, enjoy this peek at the work of kaua'i artist carol bennett and her series depicting quiet moments floating just below the surface of the sea. honolulu magazine selected carol as one of their artists to watch earlier this year which served as a timely reminder that a show and tell of her paintings was long overdue. 

after studying fine arts at the art center college of design, carol went on to become a scenic artist in hollywood and her work on movie sets (and the huge backdrops that stand in for a location) certainly helped her to imagine life on a grander scale. she eventually ditched los angeles for a quieter life on kaua'i which has served as her muse since her arrival 25 years ago.

 

leash

girl

carol's artwork ranges from intimate portraits (leash, shown above, is just under 11-inches square) to supersized commissions incorporating a mix of mediums that you just may have walked past at the honolulu airport, hawaii convention center, or one of the many islands resorts that are fans of her work.

alas, no exhibits are on the horizon, however carol's artwork can be viewed at fine art associates (by appointment only), timespace gallery on kaua'i, and online at elisa tucci contemporary art.