Collections

Collections

My work is based on observations of nature and organic forms in a supernatural world.  They are created using a variety of media such as casein, oil, encaustic, monoprints, mixed media and my passion: watercolor. The most satisfying works are those where I can connect a mo’olelo or story to a particular place–plugged into my artistic heritage reaching back to the cave painters of tens of thousands of years ago.

Color Bridges. These are calligraphic abstract paintings that I create after a meditation upon a given theme and are visual prayers for the viewer.  The color are painted intuitively to create a harmonic color dance that relaxes and refreshes the owner of these cheerful spirits in your personal space. I’ve began making them privately for almost 20 years now. They began and continue as playful and prayerful connection using intention and intuition to create happy harmonic colorful cheerful paintings. I’ve been sharing and teaching my method to young and old to make their own Color Bridges since 2014.

Wahipana landscape paintings. Many of my watercolour landscapes are painted ‘en plein air’, or on site, so they tend to be a bit smaller because I need to carry everything in and out and work fast with the available light. However, I can and do work much smaller (2.5×3.5in) and bigger (33x42in and larger).  Nature is a book of revelation which I believe will continue to be a source of wonder, awe, and inspiration enriched by stories of human experiences in specific locales over time. With these series, it is a collaborative process of listening to local families share their stories so I connect and see the landscape through the lens of their history meeting in time with mine.

Encaustic is an ancient technique using wax that is very spontaneous and gives beautiful clear color.  I paint with a heated palette and soft brushes, using a hand torch to seal layers onto the support so I can scrape and melt off and rebuild layers and add textures.

Hand-built forms. I love working with porcelain–that is high fire clay which when it is finished in the kiln has a melodic tone. The decorator urchin series I make each have their unique voice and adornment with their intrepid personalities. They make me smile at their earnestness. In 2011, a million of them were released into Kane’ohe Bay, my hometown, to help combat invasive seaweed and restore balance to the bay. I love to think of them gathering down on the sandy bottom whistling while they work.

Scrolls, vessels, books, they are the human culture capital that transcends all ages, in the past, present, and future. The latest set was shown in 2022 at Hawaii Pacific University in a group show focusing on food, a potluck of our relationship to food and all that means to us.