There's extra passion in this painting... Between the heart kissing 'I'iwi and our passionfruit and flowers, it's getting downright steamy! As part of my Ke Aloha Series, the subjects of this painting is a pair of native Hawaiian bird species kissing in the form of a heart and surrounded by the beauty and nature of Hawaii. The 'I'iwi is Hawaii's version of a hummingbird. They are not related and the 'I'iwi does not hover, but they are quick, cheery and easy to spot in their natural habitat.
For every Ke Aloha painting, I donate a percentage of the profits to help conservation efforts in Hawaii. To find out more about the conservation efforts going on in Hawaii, check out the following websites:
www.abcbirds.org/hawaii
www.restoremaunakea.org
www.kohalawatershed.org

Nothing is cuter than a rotund little baby, especially a baby Chickadee! This little guy rolled in to say hello and join us for some quality time together. A little ball of sunshine and love. Not a bad way to start the day:)

It seems as though you can never get close enough to the one you love. These two Japanese White-Eyes certainly feel that way. Snuggled tight in the blooming red hibiscus bush, our little love birds are completely content to pass the day away. If only every day could be so full of joy!

My little yellow birds are usually inseparable, but every so often, somebody's got to run errands! So when one leaves, the other cleans house... or at least that's what is supposed to happen. Fortunately the errands didn't take too long, so our pair can be together again in their birdie house of love. 

At the beginning of the year I met Brooks, long time supporter of the conservation efforts for the native Hawaiian birds and a new fan of my work:) We started this commission from an idea he came up with a while back as he was helping to restore Mauna Kea's habitat for the Palila, a critically endangered indigenous bird.

His idea was to have an upside down Palila reaching for Mamane flowers or pods and collecting snow on his backside in the process. With Mamane shrubs scattered about, Pu'us (cinder cones) set behind the action and an edge of the mountain in the distance.

I was a little worried that not everything would it on our 9"x12" canvas, but made it all fit with lots of snow to cap it off. Our Palila pair look so very happy in the snow, with still enough to eat and a fantastic view.

Thanks Brooks! Enjoy your painting:)

I love how this little lei shack came out. I based the house on an actual house in Hawaii with bright red steps and lanai floor leading to the front door. Complete with a plumeria tree to supply sweet smelling flowers and the sound of rolling waves behind, who wouldn't feel welcome on this island paradise? Kitty is totally enjoying her sleep on the front lanai too.

A favorite treat after a hot day in the Hawaiian sun is some shave ice! There are popular shacks all over the islands featuring tropical flavors with an option of vanilla ice cream on the bottom and/or azuki beans which is a Japanese sweet bean. When I'm feeling extra indulgent, I have to get both with my three flavors shave ice. I could go for one right now: lilikoi, pineapple, strawberry for me. What you getting?