I'm in Maui for a few days, so no paintings, but I did draw some fun sketches... The first one is a quick sketch that I did at the Genesis Gallery a few days ago as I was in a bird conversation with a coworker art consultant. I like Big Mama! The second sketch is a guava tree plantation. In Maui, there are plenty guava trees especially on the Road to Hana. One of my favorite memories growing up was picking the wild guavas on the hiking trail. One of my least favorite memories growing up was the Road to Hana...
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Every once in awhile, I feel the itch to adjust a painting. With "Hey Good Lookin'", this little voice kept prodding me... Actually it started off with my mom. She said, "the birdies are so cute but the tree looks sad" and that's all it takes to start a whisper in my ear. I'm stubborn though and one of my favorite lines is "don't tell me what for do!" So I held out for a few weeks... In the end, mama's always right, and I had to add a little life to my tree. Now everyone's happy:) A little brown sugar never hurt nobody! This little sweet Birdette is a Volcano (Hawaii) 'Elepaio. When searching for the best Koa trees to use in their canoes, Hawaiians would watch the 'Elepaio flit from tree to tree. If the 'Elepaio showed interest in a tree, the Hawaiians would not use that tree because it had bugs. Therefore the 'Elepaio is known as one of the 'aumakuas (ancestor guardians) of Hawaiian canoe builders. The most telling feature of the 'Elepaio is its tail which pitches straight up almost all the time. This Birdette is too small to have a fully functioning tail, but that will soon come! No painting today, instead I submitted a design for my first art catalog book:) This is the cover. It's going to be 65 pages of individual pictures featuring my birds, pet portraits, fruit trees and flower fields. Very exciting! Now back to painting! We have a huge mango tree in our backyard that produces the smallest fruit. Though small, the fruit is still mighty tasty. Everyday on my dog walk, we pass a house with a mango tree in the front that has huge mangoes dripping off it's branches. Those mangoes are so plump and deep purple in color, it's almost indecent. So I guess I had mangoes on the brain from constantly walking by that house and building up a complex. This mango tree landscape makes me happy:) I know this look all too well from my cat... It means, "Feed me" or "Play with me" or "Who me??" (after chewing holes in my bikinis). Basically this look is the golden ticket for cats. They take one look straight up at you while you are focusing on something else, like cooking dinner or writing an important business email, and it's over. You must pay attention to kitty. I know, it's a tough job, but somebody's got to give the love.
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart."
Helen Keller This is a painting for my Auntie and Uncle. I love you very much. Your strength of character and unconditional love will survive the toughest of times. Thank you for always being there for me, and know I am here for you. I love when a project comes together:) Big mahalo to Russ from Martin Ray for commissioning this painting!
My husband works in wine and when Russ came over, my husband showed Russ some of my bird paintings. They started talking about a wall in Russ's house and before you know it, they are composing a 30x40 painting with sunset waves and Martin Ray. Russ says, "Could she paint that?" And of course my husband/agent says, "Sure!" So here we are and I am so happy with how it turned out and more importantly, so is Russ. my only complaint is that it cane together so quickly that I have to find another project! Any ideas out there??? PS- more mahalos for all my FB buddies for your support! Love you guys! My 'Apapane pair was giving me trouble today. Actually, I started painting this one on Thursday and I kept walking away from it, hoping the space would help me work it out. At one point I was ready to black out the whole painting, and almost did, until I looked into my sweet little 'Apapane's eyes and knew I couldn't be the one to separate them!
So I worked around the birds and made it happen. Now I am so glad I didn't giive up on this pair! They look so happy. That's just how it is sometimes. When the going gets tough, you gotta stick together, work out the rough spots and love each other "whether, whether... Times are good or bad, happy or sad!" 'Akohekohe is the funniest looking Hawaiian honeycreeper, in my opinion. They are so funky with their white crest puffs and orange eye patches.
As with all of my Ke Aloha Series, "Crazy In Love" features a native Hawaiian bird that is protected under the Endangered Species Act. The 'Akohekohe only survives on Maui in small numbers. Conservationists are working hard to bring up the 'Akohekohe numbers. One tactic is hatching eggs in the conservation center and releasing them into the wild. When a nesting bird's clutch is taken, that bird will usually lay more to fill up the nest again. In this way, the conservationists are trying to increase the chances of more babies surviving to adulthood. Check out all the good Maui is doing: http://mauiforestbirds.org/ And the San Diego Zoo's blog link: http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/tag/maui-bird-conservation-center/ |
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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