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As I drove to Makaha, I felt a sense outside of my self, a synergy of knowing. I could feel the mana of so many artists creating works of art (at the same moment) with a knowledge of our Hawai’i-Past. I took time to be with our aina before I began to create. This painting embodies my Wahi Pana Of Ka’ena and Makaha. I let my mana be carried by the Wahi Pana Of Makaha and, more specifically, Ka’ena beach. I created two separate etching plates that I later created prints from at the Honolulu Printmakers’ studio at the Honolulu Museum Of Arts School, formerly know as Linekona. I felt the Wahi Pana that day too as I was only across the street from Thomas Square park. The sense of place touch me even now as view my paintings and as I share both the paintings and this documentation of events and emotions for all to witness.
I ask a question of you, my viewer: is it acceptable to tell you that right now as I write about my experience of Wahi Pana at Ke’au beach, I love my painting, Mana o ke’ano more and more as the days pass? You might be wondering why and I will share with you that I have learned more than solely the Wahi Pana of Makaha. I have learned that I my mana is strong. This beautiful sense of place has given me strength of knowledge which n turn has given me breath and therefore ife.
I felt a sense of synergy as I made my way to Makaha. I first traveled to the caves and spent some time on the cliffs and then proceeded to Ka’ena beach. As I set up my place to work near the fire that my ceramic artist friend, Peter had built, I was propelled by a natural force of discovery to learn in that moment how I would create and paint in this outside atmosphere. Painting with Encaustic is a very technique driven art form and is generally painted indoors in a studio setting. New and exciting things happened that day and I have developed a technique that I have now researched and have found that no one else utilizes. There’s almost a pointillist look to the encaustic paintings. At first I wanted to say that this day and this weekend and Wahi Pana in general has changed my life, but I have come to realize only today that it turned out to be more of a reinforcement of my way to be.