 Today is my last day of recovery and I feel great! Got the approval from my doc to do all normal activities:)
I am loving my plump little 'Amakihi with Lehua blossoms. The 'Amakihi is more prevalent than most Hawaiian honeycreepers, listed as "Least Concern" on the Species Conservation List. They are adaptive birds who feast on a wider variety of plants and insects. 'Amakihi live on the Big Island, Maui, Lana'i and Moloka'i. For some reason, my camera captured a dark blue color for the background, in person the canvas is more blue-grey-purple. We just got through the stormy days of Flossie, so I guess I subconsciously painted darker skies full of rain that the Big Island desperately needed! For more information on purchasing kto ARTwork, go to my CONTACT page or visit Genesis Galleries Hawaii. For more information on helping the conservation of Hawaiian bird species, check out: http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/oceansandislands/hawaii.html If you would like to help out with donations, check out: https://www.abcbirds.org/membership/donate.cfm make sure to scroll down to "Bird Conservation In Hawaii" on the "I wish my donatation to support:" line.
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 Tropical Storm Flossie has come and gone from Waikoloa without more than a healthy dose of afternoon rain. With a piggy party already planned, we weathered the storm and had a great time with our friends that made it over for dinner:) I took a little break from the Ke Aloha series today to feature my little Gold-Crowned Kinglets. I just love these birds with their tiny yet rotund bodies and flash of bling on the top of their heads. The male has a little orange in the center of his crown, but you can only tell if you get really close up. I chose Ben Harper's "Gold To Me" for this song because of the obvious "Gold" connection between song and bird name, but also because the lyrics and beat are perfect for these little fatties. Just check out the the lyrics:
You look like gold to me and I'm not too blind to see you look like gold you make me wanna sing with all the joy you bring you look like gold like the rays down from the sun when a new day has just begun you look like gold I've been fooled before but now I know I've made the mistake in the past but now I know the difference from gold and brass not the kind of gold you wear but the kind that can feel my care you look like gold some shine when the day is new but fade when the day is through but you look like gold I've been wrong before but now I know I've made mistakes in the past but now I know the difference from gold and brass you look like gold to me and I'm down on bending knees you look like gold and I just want you to know to me you mean so much more than all the gold you look like gold  Today's Ke Aloha is the Mamo, an extinct species that still revered in Hawaii. Their long curved beaks were perfect for digging out nectar from flowers like these lobeliads (and makes them perfect for the Ke Aloha series).
These Mamo remind me of a reverse Charlie Brown a little with their yellow stripe in the middle. Ke Aloha is all about soulmates and cherishing the loved ones around you. Every morning I say to my husband, cat and dog, "You know I love you? I do!! I do!! I do!!" and they all look at me like, "Yep, we know you crazy lady." Oh well, I think its important that the people (and pets) that I love know for a fact that I love them very much:) You can never give too much love and kisses! For more information on purchasing kto ARTwork, go to my CONTACT page or visit Genesis Galleries Hawaii. For more information on helping the conservation of Hawaiian bird species, check out: http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/oceansandislands/hawaii.html If you would like to help out with donations, check out: https://www.abcbirds.org/membership/donate.cfm make sure to scroll down to "Bird Conservation In Hawaii" on the "I wish my donatation to support:" line.  I think it's official: 'I'iwi are my favorite Hawaiian birds to paint in the Ke Aloha Series. (Although I do adore the tiny heart that the Palila pair makes!) It might be because they are similar to hummingbirds, so their bodies and beaks are just perfect for the heart shape. So just like the native Hawaiian birds, there are native Hawaiian plants that are in need of conservation. The Hawaiian lobeliads are some of the most amazing plants with striking colors and a variety of flower shapes including tubular and what I call the curly-Q. My little 'I'iwi couple are nestled in a stem of Lobelia Grayana known as Haleakala Lobelia. There is so much love in the air, it's making the flowers curl up in delight:) For more information on purchasing kto ARTwork, go to my CONTACT page or visit Genesis Galleries Hawaii. For more information on helping the conservation of Hawaiian bird species, check out: http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/oceansandislands/hawaii.html If you would like to help out with donations, check out: https://www.abcbirds.org/membership/donate.cfm make sure to scroll down to "Bird Conservation In Hawaii" on the "I wish my donatation to support:" line.  The Palila is another critically endangered species in Hawaii. Males have bright, golden yellow chests and head with olive/grey bodies, white bellies and black lores (eye masks). Females are basically a duller version of the male.
These sweethearts are kissing under the Mamane tree, the Palila's favorite nectar hotspot. Their beaks are thick, finch-like in shape... (making it a little harder to paint the heart) I decided that I am going to make a whole bunch of the Ke Aloha series and donate a percentage of my profit to the American Bird Conservancy's projects : Bird Conservation in Hawaii. So if you like my Ke Aloha series, you can order an original painting and help out the native Hawaiian birds in the process :) It's a win-win-win situation! For more information on purchasing kto ARTwork, go to my CONTACT page or visit Genesis Galleries Hawaii. For more information on helping the conservation of Hawaiian bird species, check out: http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/oceansandislands/hawaii.html If you would like to help out with donations, check out: https://www.abcbirds.org/membership/donate.cfm make sure to scroll down to "Bird Conservation In Hawaii" on the "I wish my donatation to support:" line.  I am going heart crazy with this "Ke Aloha Nukupu'u"! Bear with me everyone, I'm preparing a series of heart-kissing bird paintings...
Nukupu'u are listed as critically endangered, but researchers conclude that they are probably extinct or functionally extinct (unable to produce more babies with such low numbers, etc). The last recorded sighting was in the 1990's, but Maui and Kauai conservationists have started programs to essentially quarantine off certain forested areas for endangered native species. The volunteers have removed bunches of invasive species from the designated areas in hopes that native species will be able to bring their numbers back up. Most native birds are somewhere on the endangered list due to the introduction of foreign species in Hawaii, habitat destruction and disease-carrying mosquitoes. It is such a shame that these beautiful and unusual birds will possibly never be seen in the wild again. For more information on helping the conservation of Hawaiian bird species, check out: http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/oceansandislands/hawaii.html If you would like to help out with donations, check out: https://www.abcbirds.org/membership/donate.cfm make sure to scroll down to "Bird Conservation In Hawaii" on the "I wish my donatation to support:" line.  Hooray for kisses, hearts and love birds!
It's the beginning of a new series: "Ke Aloha" (meaning "beloved") featuring Hawaiian birds giving kissy faces with their beaks forming the shape of a heart. I know some people out there might be gagging from the cheesy cuteness, but I love them! Hawaiian honeycreepers are perfect for this series because most of them have the long curving beaks made to slurp out hard-to-reach nectar from tubular flowers. I've already drawn out sketches for Mamo, 'Amakihi, Nukupu'u, Palila, 'Akepa and 'Akohekohe... oh yes, let the love rain down :)  Mamo Time! As I have mentioned before, the Mamo is one of many native Hawaiian bird species that is now extinct. They were beautiful birds with jet black bodies, golden yellow underbellies and yellow/white banded wings. I chose "Back In Black" from AC/DC as their song because I wish they could come back from extinction with some attitude. These Mamo are hanging out on a yellow Ohia Lehua blossom. The left one is singing, "Back in black, I hit the sack, It's been to long I'm glad to be back." The right one is doing some head bobbing and singing the last lines before the final guitar solo, "Back in black, yes I'm back in black, outta sight!"
 "Hey Me, Hey Mama!" is named after the Ray LaMontagne song of the same name. I was listening to the song while painting this larger canvas (22"x24") and the birds looked like they were dancing to the music. These birdies are 'Akepa from Hawaii. I love painting 'Akepa because the males have that brilliant orange plumage. Of course, the females are duller in color, but they are just as cute. My 'Akepa couple is perched in one of their favorite nesting trees: the Acacia Koa (shortened to Koa by most people). I imagine the male 'Akepa finding this perfect abode for his lady and she loves it so much that they do a bouncing happy snuggle dance (with the song playing in background). Happy wife, happy life!
 I have to say, painting pet portrait commissions are a lot of fun! It can be a little scary creating a 2D representation of a loved one, but the challenge makes the work more exciting. With Olive, I almost finished all the detail work and realized that I had painted a really pretty portrait of a black lab, but it wasn't Olive... So I had to clear my canvas and start from scratch.
Being an all black dog, I had the option of going the predictable route and painting literal black with white/grey highlights or adding some unusual colors. Obviously, I chose the latter option. Fortunately, Kristin (Olive's mama) loves color, so everyone is happy:) Olive likes to play at the beach near Kristin's house, so it was a natural choice to have her hanging out cove-side in her portrait. Good fun, Kristin! Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to capture Olive's personality in paint! |
AuthorKaren Obuhanych (kto ART) is a Hawaii-based artist who relishes in the simple, happy moments of everyday life. Archives
May 2019
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