Lanikai Pillboxes

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

-Johnny Nash

The weather this afternoon made for the perfect day for a hike to the bunkers high above Lanikai Beach on Ka’iwa ridge. These bunkers were built during World War II and served as lookout stations since their location gives a 360 degree view of the entire area.

Once we got started, I knew why Matt suggested we stretch. The first part of the trail is very steep and a strenuous climb. It wasn't long before my legs were feeling the strain. But after a brief rest at the first level spot, it really wasn't that bad.

The trail head to the bunkers. Check out how steep it is!

The trail is pretty rocky. If you look at the top of the ridge you can see the first bunker, just to the left of the highest peak.

The views are stunning from the trail and I stood in awe and wonder at the beauty that surrounds me. The ocean is on one side and the mountains and lake on the other. The terrain changed from forest, to dry, red dirt, to almost desert-like complete with cactus. The sky was filled with fluffy white clouds and the temperature was perfect.

A beautiful view on the way up with much more to come.

We continued our ascent to the first of two bunkers. I was surprised to feel a bit of queasiness in my stomach as I climbed onto the first first graffiti cover structure. The view was just breathtaking as I fought the butterflies in my stomach. This was just too spectacular to miss.

Yeah! I made it.

Some of the graffiti inside the bunker.

After enjoying the panoramic view and resting our legs, we continued up to the grand finale, bunker number two that is at an elevation of approximately 600 feet. From this vantage you can see in all directions. I felt as if I had a bird's-eye view of the world. As we sat atop the bunker, a large sea bird came floating by, riding on the thermals. What a surreal sight.

Standing on top of the second bunker...uh, do I look nervous?

The only way in or out of this bunker.

The look out window where the gun turrets were.

Me and Matty.

Matt did a great job composing this photo.

All good things must come to an end and we began our descent which in some ways was a bit more challenging. Because of the roughness of the trails, you really have to pay attention to your footing. We made it down without any problems and I was pretty pleased with myself that was able to make this trek with very little difficulty. Guess all that walking I've done has paid off.

On the way down.

These cactus flowers were beautiful and so unexpected.

I haven't forgotten about my art either. However, with a nice break in the weather and the kids' having a bit more time off, I've been enjoying exploring and spending time with them. I do have one more piece of art to share with you. I created this design from my imagination, then painted it with watercolor on paper.  I have also continued to explore my fascination with mermaids. My desire it to be able to carry all of this enthusiasm with me as I journey home in a couple of days. Thanks for reading!
 

Plumeria wreath - watercolor on paper

Thanks For The Memories

“Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot.”

— The Hausa of Nigeria

Thanksgiving is for giving thanks and I have lots to be thankful for, the most important being family, friends, and especially my health. This was a holiday of firsts for me - the first time I would be spending Thanksgiving at my oldest son's [Matt] home along with this girlfriend Allison and three other friends [Sonja, Kenny and Lindsey]. It would also be the first time in 22 years that I didn't spend the day with the youngest son Daniel. Sweet and bittersweet all at the same time.

Preparing and choreographing a Thanksgiving meal is quite a creative process in itself. The turkey needs to be in the oven at just the right time, while all the side dishes are prepared, to all come together in a delicious feast of shear indulgence.  It's funny how after all those hours of preparation, one's stomach is full to bulging after only what seems like a few minutes of eating. Oh and let's not forget the desserts ...  hmmm ... I always manage to find some extra room homemade pumpkin pie!

Let's eat! [Allison, Matt, Kenny, Sonja, Lindsey and me]

And if that wonderful meal wasn't enough, Sonja and Lindsey had other plans. After clearing the dinner table, they transformed it into an ornament decorating work station full of colorful bulbs, glitter, glue, sequins, stars, felt, popsicle sticks, paint, and other assorted craft items, to share with us their family tradition. Time to let the imagination run wild. It was so neat to see all these young people dive in without reservation and start making memories. Not sure if they saw it that way but I did.  I wonder if years from now they'll dig out one of those ornaments out and remember the time we spent around the table making them? Will they know how much they touched my life and how very proud of am of all of them? By the way, four of them are on active duty serving in the US Navy.

Time to get creative!

Now that we are officially in the holiday season, I hope that you will take the time to make some memories, share a tradition, and be a spark of light in someone's life. Oh and don't forget to be creative!

"Melia" Beautiful Plumeria

From the first day I arrived here in Kailua, I have been intrigued and drawn to the plumeria. As a matter of fact, they were the subject of some of my very first sketches [Life in Kailua]. Flowers are something I love but until now, haven't had much success painting them. 

Plumeria are called 'melia' and is pronounced as 'may-lee-ah.' They possess a very lovely and delicate fragrance and are often used in leis, or as a decoration tucked behind a woman's ear. Plumeria come in a multitude of color combinations including pink, yellow, white, and red or any combination of these colors. They can be large or small and have glossy, green leaves.

Plumeria, Kailua

So, in keeping with my renewed enthusiasm and focus, I decided it was time to revisit my attempts at rendering these beautiful blossoms. With my cute little art assistant [Kaz] I sat down and began to draw out my design. Since I'd looked at just about every plumeria bush in town, I felt pretty confident that I would design an appealing composition. 

My art assistant Kaz

The next step [and of course the most important most challenging to me] is the painting process. This time I approached this phase with a definite plan and with my limited watercolor selection I just went for it, but in a very methodical and unhurried way. I allowed time for areas to dry before attempting to add the next color. I held fast when I felt my mind beginning to wander and overtake my plan. 

My tenacity was rewarded with a successful piece that I would be proud to say I painted. I know there are some areas that really work, and areas that need a little work. I decided to call it done despite that knowledge since fiddling with it any more would probably result in disaster.

Plumeria, Kailua

With this success under my belt, I look forward to painting my second sketch of plumeria that I decided to arrange in a wreath configuration. That will undoubtedly be better now that I know what to do and what not to do.

I'd like to to this opportunity to also wish you a Hau’oli La Ho’omakika’i (pronounced how-oh-lay la ho-o-ma-key-kah-ee), that is Happy Thanksgiving. May you be surrounded by family and friends feasting around the table.

Until next time .... aloha!

Glass Blowing

April Rain Song

Let the rain kiss you
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops
Let the rain sing you a lullaby
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk
The rain makes running pools in the gutter
The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night
And I love the rain.

-Langston Hughes

I awoke Sunday morning to the sound of heavy rain. Actually it was more like a torrent of rain. The weather had been cloudy with the threat of rain for a couple of days, but today is by far the most steady and intense day of rain since I've been here.

Today will be my very first glass blowing class at Island Glassworks in Kailua. My only mode of transportation would be via bicycle. With some trepidation, I headed out. The possibility of getting wet was high and I wasn't far from home before I got caught in a downpour that didn't stop until I got to my destination. At least I wasn't wet and cold, as the temperature was still in the mid 70's.

Our group of 4 were given an introduction to the entire process before we would take our turns. By the end of the workshop, everyone will have hand-crafted a Christmas ornament with the help of the professional glass artists.

First we all decided on which type of design we wanted - spiral, spotted, clear, opaque, or some combination of all options. Colors were were also selected and then the fun began.

The glass furnace is 2000 degrees! [BTW my wet clothes dried in a hurry]. That's where they get the melted glass for the ornament. It's "gathered" on the end of a long rod and comes out looking clear and molten, the consistency of lava. The glass artist then does some shaping before rolling it in the colored glass chips. It is then placed in a different furnace that isn't quite as hot, to melt the color chips. After picking up the second color it goes in again to melt the next layer of color.

"Gathering" the molten glass from the 2000 degree furnace

Shaping the molten glass and picking up the color

After that the blowing process begins. After the artist blows the first bit of air into the hot glass glob, we got to actually blow the rest of the ornament. We were coached to blow more or less and to watch the glass as it expanded. Fascinating. At this point the true colors don't really show. They won't until the ornament is completely cooled.

Glass blowing process - beginning

Glass blowing process - end phase

The blown ornament is then cut from the rod and placed in a special holder where another artist puts the glass loop on top from which it can be hung.
 

Adding the hanging loop to the ornament

The final step in the process is the cool down phase. The ornaments are placed in a special oven [called the annealer] where they will be cooled down in a process that takes 12 - 14 hours. If the glass cools too quickly it can crack or break and the ornament would have to be remade. Tomorrow will be the unveiling. Hopefully I chose a color and style combination that will be awesome.

tick, tick, tick.... 24 hours later....

Monday, November 21st. I am very excited to pick up my cooled-down ornament and see what the colors really look like. When Allison and I arrived at the studio, we were allowed to watch two artists finish a pitcher they were in the middle of making. Fascinating is all I can say. What a great experience to watch these talented glass artist work.

Here is my glass ornament. I'm very happy with the way it turned out and as a surprise I have gifted it to Matt and Allison for their first Christmas together.

This workshop was very interesting and I am glad to have had the experience. Funny that it took coming all the way to Kailua for me to finally give it a try. My goal going forward to to continue to experience other art forms to keep the creative mind active, engaged and growing. Until next time, Aloha!

Imagine That

But it was just my imagination
running away with me.
It was just my imagination
running away with me...

-Temptations

After my creative meltdown the other day, I decided it was time to just chill-lax and let imagination rule my world. Maybe some "non-thinking" and unplanned work would do the trick to get me out of the creative doldrums.

Giving myself the freedom to allow my pencil to wander at will across my sketch pad was just the answer I was looking for. The following sketches came completely from my mind and I actually think they are successful.

Here's why:

• They met my creative goal
• They are different than my usual subjects
• They are interesting
• They have inspired me to create similar works
• They freed my mind

My first "doodle" Imaginary Lady

"Mermaid" just appeared out of nowhere. I think it's because my mind was just free to be.

With my mind recharged, I felt it was time to go back and revisit a previous drawing (Hawaiian Beauty -Art Day 101 posting) and try my hand at a water color rendering of her. I wanted to test myself at being able to develop a plan, redraw the image, and paint it without trying to change it in the middle of the process which I often do. I was happy with myself for accomplishing those goals. Reviewing the finish piece, I learned that I can take it a bit slower and stick with a plan. I know that her Marilyn Monroe lips didn't need to be so cherry red, and maybe her hair is painted more than I wanted, but overall I feel it's a success and a great lesson. Remember, people have not been my subject of choice, but lately I have been intrigued with the human form. I'm excited to see where this road leads me.

Hawaiian Beauty [watercolor on paper]

Time to Regroup!

Sometimes you're the windshield
Sometimes you're the bug
Sometimes it all comes together baby
Sometimes you're just a fool in love
Sometimes you're the Louisville Slugger
Sometimes you're the ball
Sometimes it all comes together
Sometimes you're gonna lose it all

-Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Bug

Well the past couple of days, art wise, I've been the bug! Just when I thought that all the stars had aligned and the powers that be had shown down on me, I had a little crash. Not a big one, but big enough to put me in a funk. Bad enough to make me not want to share. Bad enough to make me listen to that voice in my head that Van Gogh said wants to yell "you can't!"

Solution #1
STOP and go to the beach! And that's what I did. Of course it was windy as heck and the surf was high. Oh and I got a blister from walking in my flip flops. But it was the correct remedy. I came home with a new sense of awareness and re-examined my work that I thought was a disaster. In doing so I realized that by cropping out certain areas, they actually weren't that bad. The other revelation was to remind myself that without trying (and possibly failing) I would in fact BE failing. 

Solution #2
Email my sister [Pen] and fellow artist to whine, moan, and vent all of which I did quite eloquently I must add. However, after the dust had settled from the pity party, she politely reminded me of what I had posted in my last blog that "without pushing through the difficulties~~~there would be no growth!!! Hmmm...I can always count on her to keep it real.

Solution #3
Stop thinking that everything I try to create has to be a masterpiece!

That being said, here for all the world to see are the pieces that nearly drove me to fall to pieces.

Tropical Moonlight #1 [water color on paper]

Tropical Moonlight #1 [cropped]

Tropical Moonlight #2 [watercolor on paper]

Tropical Moonlight #2 [cropped]

Tropical Moonlight #3 [acrylic on paper] ack!

Tropical Moonlight #3 [cropped]

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some of you may really love these and other may wonder what the heck I was thinking. That's really not my point. My point is really directed at myself to keep sharing what I'm doing through this blog.

Later that evening I felt the need to try one more little painting to regain some confidence. Here it is.

Sea turtle [acrylic on canvas approx 2" x 3"]

Hope you've enjoyed this blog that almost wasn't. Now that it's done I feel better knowing that I can share not only my successes, but my failures as well. After all they're all learning experiences, right?

Aloha until next time!

Art Day 101

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."

"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?"

-Vincent Van Gogh

I find it quite interesting that even an artist the caliber of Van Gogh was plagued with insecurities and uncertainties in his work and artistic ability.  I have always struggled with my art, never feeling it was ever good enough. Art, I have learned, is really a series of "happy mistakes" that result in greater skill simply because of trying.  By never trying I'd never know where my talents lie. Without pushing through the difficulties there would be no growth. I'm learning to understand the creative process.

Yesterday was the day I set aside to just work on my art. I drew a series of watercolor sketches of sea turtles. Working from various photos in travel magazines and relying more on instinct instead of over-thinking, I produced three entirely unique sketches. Although none of them are masterpieces,  each taught me something valuable. The creative process was fun instead of frustrating. None of them are right and none of them are wrong. They are simply what I saw and felt at the time.

Sea turtle sketch #1

Sea turtle sketch #2

Sea turtle #3

After feeling inspired by my progress, I challenged myself to an even higher level by trying a figure. Taking inspiration from a calendar of vintage Hawaiian posters, the following rendering emerged. I learned that hands are bigger than you think [ha, ha] as hers are really too small. Test it yourself by holding your hand over your face and you'll find that they are about the same size.

Was all this worth my time - absolutely yes!

Hawaiian beauty - colored pencil

Dancing in the Moonlight

I'm a thousand miles from nowhere,
Time don't matter to me.
'Cause I'm a thousand miles from nowhere,
And there's no place I wanna be.

-Dwight Yoakum, Thousand Miles From Nowhere

I heard this song on the radio the other day, and it seemed fitting for the mood I'm in right now, especially the part about time don't matter to me. What I mean is that I have time to just be. Be creative, be lazy, be anything I want to be. Time has no hold on me right now therefore I am free to experience everything fully without the constraints of feeling like I have to do something else. Time is one of those things that we all want more of but instead of using it, we pretty much just waste it. It's been so awesome to have open-ended time to really live.

Oh but I digress. Last Sunday our plan was to go to an art fundraiser downtown. The lure was art, music and $3.00 drinks..lol. It's an easy stroll to get there so we wouldn't have to drive. Upon stepping out the front door we were awed by the sight of a beautiful, golden, full moon. It didn't take us long to make 180 degree change in plans [this is that time thing I was talking about] and we loaded up the cameras, a stool to serve as a tripod and headed to Kailua Beach to take some moonlight photos.

After many days of crazy, windy Trade Winds, this night was calm and peaceful. The moon was an incredible sight rising up over the water. As the night darkened we saw tiny stars begin to appear. The Big Dipper was right there and showed up in some of the photos.

This was one of those moments when everything just seemed right. Matt, Allison and I thoroughly enjoyed "dancing in the moonlight" so to speak, just having fun, goofing of and really taking in the beauty of the moon, the stars, the ocean and each other.

Here are some of the images we managed to capture. Carol, if you are reading this, I wish you could have been there to give us some pointers for all that technical stuff. All in all we had a fun couple of hours making memories that will certainly last a lifetime.

A beautiful moonlit night on Kailua Beach

Playing with the camera settings - almost looks like a sunset

Matt - notice the Big Dipper in the upper right side

Matt

Yours truly

Matt striking a warrior pose

Allison flexing her warriorette style

Matt and me defying gravity

Shadows against the sand and a beautiful night sky