Two Jack Russells, one of which is a cute little baby? Yes, I will paint them! I got to meet Daisy and Lehua a week or so ago and I was in Heaven!! Daisy is the most hyper little furball. She was running around licking and biting our toes while Lehua tried to get in the mix too. Lehua is a little calmer, but she kept coming up and licking the lotion off our legs.
It's always fun to meet new pet friends! We will have to do that again soon, Sheila:)
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I am currently on a hibiscus kick. My friend is heading to Japan soon and she wants to bring a few paintings over to give to children who survived the tsunami of 2011.
These paintings will need the happy, bright colors and recognizable Hawaiian flowers like hibiscus, plumeria and gardenia. And the birds will be cute, fluffy and full flavored in the plumage department. Lots of work to do... Off I go! "Some are cuter than others." That's my mom's brutal honesty for you! And I agree with her most days, except when I don't and I sulk and I pout. Then I realize I'm acting that way because the reality is that she's right, but I still don't agree...
All of my bird paintings are my little babies. I create them and nurture them, try to give each one of them everything I can in order to succeed in finding their new home. So when my mom says that phrase so bluntly, it makes me defensive although I know what she says is true. "Top of the World" is one of my favorite paintings, although I always felt it was missing something. After painting my last 5-10 paintings with all those brilliant colors and loads of flowers, it hit me: color and flowers. "Top of the World" should be a celebration with an array of electric color. And, although I think my "before shot" White-Eye was adorable, he looked lonely at the top, not victorious. The new version feels triumphant and my White-Eye is looking out to us as if to say, "I did it!" He also has all his flowers around to celebrate with and they look like little fireworks commemorating the event. So glad I made the adjustments. It's hard to change these guys sometimes because I love them from the start. But sometimes change is for the best, and in this instance, my birdie looks much happier at the top! My little Saffron Finch is waiting for you to visit him in Hawaii! He almost looks like a postcard, hence the title. The pink hibiscus seems to be awaiting a visitor's arrival as well. That's the Aloha Spirit at work here in Hawaii. It is easy to be happy and inviting when you live in a warm, picturesque place with sweet smelling flowers, beautiful landscapes and brilliantly colored creatures basking in the sun.
Thanks to Karen and Gary! This painting started as their idea for a commission and we went from there. Lately I have been going super bold in the colors and I must say, I am really liking the brilliant colors! K&G also chose a few more to display as a grouping, and they will look happy and lively together:) As for our Flying Anna, these little hummingbirds love to flit around Bird of Paradise flowers and taste the sweet nectar from their blue petals. Karen told me how she enjoys watching the Anna's speed sip from one flower to the next. They move so quickly, they are just a big blur. I had to make sure this Anna's was nice a plump with his cute little feet and bright pink crown. Sometimes creating someone else's idea can be challenging, but this painting was so much fun and everything fell perfectly into place! Mahalo K&G! Also a big THANKS! to Linda and Michayla for choosing to take home "Ke Aloha 'I'iwi 2" last night. I am always happy to meet a budding art collector. I feel very priviledged that my painting is Michayla's very first piece of artwork. Enjoy your new painting and come back to visit my birdies and me soon! Mahalo! Great news: I will be sending artwork to Maui to sell in the Maui Hands Hyatt Regency:) So if you are visiting Big Island, come see my collection at Genesis Gallery in Waikoloa and check out the Maui Hands Hyatt in Ka'anipali/Lahaina coming soon! I created "Steal My Kisses" last week to send to Maui, but our Genesis Gallery client told me, "we want it!", so I had to make a replacement cardinal pair... Twist my arm! Basically, this is the same Northern Cardinal couple in the bougainvillea, maybe they are doing a couple's photo shoot? I love painting the male showing his lady some love. Sometimes us ladies have to force snuggles and really squeeze the affection out of our men. Nothing finer than a man who can express his devotion without being guilt tripped;) Here's to PDA in a PG way! Javas! These sparrows are popping and bouncing, hopping and chirping all over my backyard. Ever since I hung up black sunflower seed feeders, my house has been a haven for lots of little birds. The Java Sparrows have made my home theirs too. We have yellow hibiscus in the front yard and I saw one perched there the other day and thought, "that would be a good painting". Of course I had to make it a pair though, and I rounded them out a bit too... I'm in the mood for pure happiness! Nothing says it better for me than a fluffy, electric feathered birdie, plenty perky flowers and lots of saturated color. The 'Akepa is one of my most favorite birds to paint. I realize I say this about most of the birds I paint, but I really mean it this time! The male 'Akepa's brilliant plumage doesn't happen overnight. Color like this takes years, sometimes over four years to be exact. Ladies, you know how it is when a something shiny and wonderful draws your attention. This little guy knows the way to grab a lady's attention is with something sparkly or bright. I know he's smart too, because pretty only gets you through the door... Everyone needs a little passion in life. This 'Anianiau is intrigued by the squigglies protruding from a lilikoi (passionfruit) flower. He's so enraptured with the flower that he doesn't even notice the big fruit looming above.
I remember hiking on Maui when I was in school and finding trees full of lilikoi begging to be picked and devoured. Hiking actually became more about what we could find and eat than the walking... One time we went on a guided college trip to another island and we went on a hike to the waterfall. I picked some lilikoi for my New York and Boston friends, thinking they would totally love it. Instead they made sour faces and basically just said "Blahg!" Oh well, I guess it's not for everyone after all... Just means more for me:) There is something about owls. They are adorable and formidable all at once. Pueo are the Hawaiian Short-Eared Owls that can be found on all the main islands of Hawaii. In recent decades, the pueo's numbers have been declining rapidly due to construction bulldozing (they nest in grassy areas), pesticides and car collisions. Efforts to curb the decline and gradually raise the pueo's numbers are in effect and hopefully we can better protect these amazing birds. As for my two love birds, I can imagine the male hooting his way through this tune for his lady. Maybe not as melodic as the original, but us ladies don't seem to mind a few sharp/flat notes when we are being wooed in song. |
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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