Ending the Year with a Blue Moon

A blue moon has nothing to do with the color of the moon tonight- so don't be disappointed on that account.

A blue moon is a Full Moon that is not timed to the regular monthly pattern. Most years have twelve full moons which occur approximately monthly, but in addition to those twelve full lunar cycles, each solar calendar year contains an excess of roughly eleven days compared to the lunar year. The extra days accumulate, so that every two or three years (7 times in the 19-year Metonic cycle), there is an extra full moon. The extra moon is called a "blue moon." Different definitions place the "extra" moon at different times.

• In calculating the dates for Lent and Easter, the Clergy identify the Lent Moon. It is thought that historically when the moon's timing was too early, they named an earlier moon as a "betrayer moon" (belewe moon), thus the Lent moon came at its expected time.
• Folklore gave each moon a name according to its time of year. A moon which came too early had no folk name – and was called a blue moon – bringing the correct seasonal timings for future moons.
• The Farmers' Almanac defined blue moon as an extra full moon that occurred in a season; one season was normally three full moons. If a season had four full moons, then the third full moon was named a blue moon.
• Recent popular usage defined a blue moon as the second full moon in a calendar month, stemming from an interpretation error made in 1946 that was discovered in 1999.^[1] For example, December 31, 2009 would be a blue moon according to this usage.

The term "blue moon" is commonly used metaphorically to describe the rarity of an event, as in the idiomatic expression, "once in a blue moon."

SO ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, WE GET TO HAVE A BLUE MOON PARTY ON NEW YEAR'S EVE!!!

ENJOY!

Wistful

Bates Portrait - watercolor

Maybe one day I will find myself looking at it 

not just painting it

Egypt

*sigh*

I was just looking at photos of the Sphinx festival in Cairo, that again I have missed.

This year I really had my hopes up to attend because I got a call from some bank that some CDs my grandfather had bought me back in the 80's were finally mature.

I didn't even know he had done this, he passed away when I was 15.

The first bank rep I talked to said they were for the exact amount that I needed to fly over and participate in the Sphinx Festival.

Well, Grandpa had been to Egypt... surely he wanted me to go, right?

Well, perhaps not... the second bank rep calls to say that the CD amount came to substantially less than the original guy had told me... not even enough for the airfare.

But I had my passport renewed anyway, even paid the express shipping fee

... you know, just to tempt Fate... 

perhaps a third banker would call and triple the amount- hey anything could happen right?

...but it didn't work out.

Unfortunately the second bank rep was the intelligent one that didn't habitually add zeros to the sums written on his computer screen.

Hate it when that happens!

Family Secrets

There is something kind of funny about this painting- shhhh- it's a secret!

The current family consists of mother, father, and two boys.

In mother's arms was a stuffed animal, I used my artistic (con) license to make it look like a baby....

a stuffed animal of the fuzzy green grinch who stole Christmas to be exact.

Why?

Because mother is pregnant with a special new edition...

they are going to find out whether it is a new brother or sister on Christmas day!

New Painting

You gotta feel good about what you do when something like this materializes on a blank white canvas.  I am really happy with how this painting turned out.  It has a lot of layers, motion, three dimensional elements that add real texture- not just suggested texture- it is just fun.

Can't you hear the ziller?

This is a portrait of Zanbaka.

THE versatile dancer.

She writes the most sensational bellydance practice books on the market.

Check out www.zanbaka.com to learn more about her & order her books.

Well worth the investment.

And fortunately, for the Bellydance community- she is writing MORE!!!

Halloween in December

I guess you can never be too prepared, right?

The Latest

This is Lillinoi Bach.  

She lives in Thailand.  

She just turned three years old this October.

Her Daddy adores her.

This is what the painting looked like when I finished.

Of course, since then, it has been signed and sealed.

Something odd happened though, after I sealed the painting.

The kids had been in my studio and the usual brush I use for varnish was not on its usual nail.

I searched and searched but I couldn't find it.

Laying on the window sill was a sponge brush.

I picked it up... "...suppose this will have to do."

And I sealed my painting.

Well, as time passed and the varnish was drying the painting began to grow progressively bluer and bluer.  And the varnish began to crackle and crackle. 

Evidently there had been residual crackle paint from my last project still in eery depths of that innocent looking black sponge.

The painting now looks like it is about a hundred years old.

I was so upset I could hardly sleep.

The next day I was supposed to present it to the father.

But I told him what happened and decided to show him...

He loved it. 

It is now on display at Divine Goods Gallery till Christmas.

He'll be taking it back to Thailand with him after the new year.

So you have any curious interest in seeing what happened to the painting, 

visit Divine Goods at Mango Court.

If you go on a Saturday, you will catch the Christmas Faires that are going on till Christmas.

Henna art, Natural Cosmetics & treatment, Watercolorist Lynette, Craftmaking with Lisa, Jewelry, and more.

And on Saturday 5th from 10:00am - 1:00pm you can make wreaths with MAAZ.

The workshop is $60.00 for all the materials.  These wreaths are true works of art and people fly here from other islands to make them because there are special plants that only grow on the peaks of our mountains that are used for these special Christmas wreaths.

16 years or older- bring your own clippers if you can

everything else is provided.

Happy Thanksgiving!

So Grateful...

I wanna be an Ex-Patriot when I grow up!

Why do ex-patriots seem so much more alive than the rest of us?
Is it because they take nothing for granted?
It is all fresh and new, no matter how ordinary?
Is it because there will always be new words to learn, new expressions to be explained?
Is it because everyone who meets them treats them like some rare & special exotic fascinating novelty just because they have an "accent"?
Are they rebels who get some odd thrilling sensation out of being where they "aren't supposed to be"?
Does it make them feel privileged?
...or perhaps sneaky cuz they are "getting away with it"?

For a while I was trying to make an effort to live where I am at,
through the eyes of a foreigner- trying to appreciate each ordinary tropical plant, flavor, activity, as though it were something unique & truly exciting...
but it isn't as easy as I thought it would be.
It just isn't the same when you have to "try".

It often seems to me that I attract ex-patriots... or am I attracted to them...
well, however that happens I seem to be around them often...
not a terribly difficult achievement on an island in the middle of nowhere, since most anyone who is here, isn't from here.

I think what I am jealous of the most is that they chose to be where they're at.
I think I've been most happy in places that I chose to be. It isn't that those places were better than where I am from but they were selected at will.

I'd love to live in a town where I was one of an impossibly small handfull of Americans. But these days... where would that even be?

Second Place!

At the Coffeefest Art Exhibit I was excited to hear when the announcers took the podium, that Luana Farms won second place for the coffee label competition...
not only because I love Tim & Karen's beautiful family & top notch products
but because
I designed their coffee label!!!!
This was the first time that anyone has entered any of my working designs into that contest so it was really thrilling to place amongst the huge sea of incredibly cool local coffee labels.

Also, cause for great excitement
(not that it hasn't happened before but all the same)
The Kona Coffee & Tea Company (my family's farms)
won FIRST PLACE in the coffee cupping competition!
Malia Ohana (my cousin's personal organic farm) also received an
Honorable Mention.

And Rita Cowell asked if I would like to be in charge of running the Art Competition for next year. I was a little surprised but after a little thought realized that if I bring some of my experience working for Reynolds Gallery's Annual Angel Art Show in Montecito to this art contest I might actually be able to add some nice behind the scenes organization to the event.
At that show artist drop off their entries and the judges come select the winners before the show is even hung & without the artists around, so they get to take their time and not feel like the artists are watching them.
Also that way people coming to check out the show can see which work won, since most of the show-goers don't typically hang around to the very end when winners are announced.
I think it would nice too for the artists not to all have to come and find a place to hang their work, having to move things around as new artists show up with work that has to fit in somewhere... if the director sees it all prior and heads up the hanging- the artists can just come to the event and relax- enjoy the show.
More work for the director but certainly less headache for everyone else.
And for judges I was thinking it would nice to find

A well known Professional Artist
- who could apply a fellow artist's perspective

An Art Professor/Instructor
-who could offer an academic view

A Gallery Owner/Art Dealer
-who might give market-appeal opinion

Perhaps the artists could even be given the judges notes afterwards, so the event could offer some learning/growing advice for them. I know I always wonder if I was close to being on the winning side of things or if I totally bombed, so I can try to do better next time. It is hard to know where (or if) you went wrong when you aren't sure exactly what the judges' criteria had been.
Perhaps to help artists make appropriate submissions the judges criteria could be printed with the entry instructions.

I would also like to set the show where people are aware at entrance that they get to be a part of the judging and can grab a ballot, then after they have flowed through the show be able to spot the vote box easily upon exit.
And I say- let people choose their 1st, 2nd, 3rd favorite choices for 2D & 3D.
Because a lot of show goers are there specifically to see their artist's friend's work and want to be supportive- but if they get two more choices, we would likely see a more impartial list of who did the most audience-pleasing work.

I also think we ought ask for little artist bios & contact info to place beside their work instead of just a nameplate- so that if the artist isn't around, potential buyers can still contact them about purchasing a painting they liked very easily.

Anyhow- just thinking out loud now... but yeah, I think helping organize the show would be fun.

Eating paint

I once read this art instructional book that instructed the reader to

"never eat your paint"

- I guess they figure when times get tough, some starving artists might go to desperate measures to nourish themselves?
...yeah, I thought that was pretty stupid at the time.

Well I just tried to open a particularly awnry watercolor paint tube, resorting to using my teeth to clench the cap and as the cap twisted off a whole glob of blue paint squirted right into my mouth- blauk!
Gross beyond measure! Now can see where the warning might come in handy!

Sometimes artists Do end up eating their paint... however unintentional the gesture might be.

Kona Coffee Stroll

Sorry I don't have any pictures but we had a good day with a constant crowd. Sold lots of prints & postcards and Malia cleaned out her coffee inventory.
I love being right next to the crepe lady- she is just plain awesome!
And Shai had his awesome green Papaya Salad- my buddy John just flew in from Jersey & fed me some yummy malasada-type-donuts. Got to see my fav coffee scientist/author & his beautiful sweetie! We were busy non stop and it was really a good time.

Looking forward to the Keahou Sheraton Hotel Recipe Contest going on tomorrow from 12-4pm in the convention center.
More good food, great coffee, & fun times!

Happy Halloween

After the haunted house, trick-orptreating Kilohama, & Mindi's fab-spook-u-lous Halloween Party- the transformers went to grandpa's house & Mommy & Daddy went to the downtown block party.

This is me & my transformers!
Christian (Mega Tron), Journey (Bumblebee), & Makaio (Optimus Prime)... er, I think that is how it went.

Divine Goods Opens at New Location Tomorrow!

www.divinegoods.com

Divine Goods Hawaii will be opening at their new location at Mango Court just beyond Kainaliu Town beside Island Naturals health food store & the Bookstore.
Island Naturals is celebrating their birthday also so there will be lots of fun and entertainment in the parking lot.
I hope you will make an appearance & check out the new space- it is really fun!
Come in costume!

Coffeefest time again

This year I am just submitting one painting- I know, it is shocking!
It isn't even a dip, trip, or anything like that- just one single canvas.

The Discerning Eye
30x24" acrylic on unbleached linen canvas

The Art show will be at the Keahou Beach Resort on Alii Drive
Nov. 11, 9am-12 & Nov. 12, 9am-12
This is a juried show but YOU get to be the judge!
Come on Nov. 11th to be a part of the judging & vote for your favorite artwork!

During this event the Kona Coffee Cupping is also taking place so you get to enjoy free samples of Hawaii's most sought after coffee & a complimentary breakfast of pastries & sometimes fruit.
Nice location overlooking the surf, great place to meet friends for a chat.
There are lots of nice places to sit and enjoy the view & artwork.
Hope you can make it!

Moving Artwork

The day started out nicely with a phone call from my ol' college roomie and then My mother-in-love took me out for coffee & scones at Borders and then watched my boys for me all day so I could help the girls at the store.

Spent most of yesterday packing boxes & moving store fixtures to the new Divine Goods location at Mango Court Mall just outside Kainaliu.
We did lose one glass shelf when a clothes rack went rogue.
And my one paint-free pair of jeans got paint on them- I wasn't even painting!
I was kneeling on a freshly painted floor that hadn't completely dried yet.
There goes my last "good" pair of jeans!

But I did come home to a husband cleaning the kitchen... though this morning I realized he filled the sink with bleach water, wiped down one counter... and that was pretty much the extent of it.
Oh well, the thought was a nice one.
He did take me out to dinner though with our very well behaived boys.

I also came home to flowers from my Dad.
(Irises! Can't wait to see them open!)

So, it was no trip to Egypt but not bad as far as birthdays go.

Today is my Birthday!

selfportrait. journal page. Age 23.

I am not 29, much to everyone's disappointment. Only 28.
My eldest darling son woke me up this morning and asked if he could make me coffee- but alas, he could not- not a bean in the house worth grinding.
Oh well, perhaps I will get to go out for coffee this morning.
After the Gallery Director picks up her new additions and before I go help the other gallery director take down fixtures she is moving from one location to the next.
I have the smallest glimmer of a hope that someone will take it upon themselves to kidnap me tonight and take me to do something fun.
That would be ever so welcome!

we shall see if anyone takes the hint ;)

It's officially OCTOBER!!!

Turn up the DJango- it's pumpkin bread time!
We boogie woogie-ed in the kitchen last night making our traditional October special- an army supply of pumpkin bread!
It's really good stuff. See My Kitchen for the recipe.

Some people have birth DAYs... but I prefer a Birth MONTH where I get to indulge in my favorite foods & activities all month long... starting with pumpkin bread filled with dark chocolate & cherries. Drink with orange juice to help your body absorb the iron! (that way you can pretend it is good for you)
We are interested in seeing if everyone who eats it develops a sudden urge to dance all over the room.

Sacred Cake

I won something!
I read Kelly Rae Roberts, blog
and she is always having these fun little give-a-ways. Well lately if you read her blog within two hours of one of her give a-ways- there will be over 200 comments already in the running for her prizes. It was actually very amazing to watch as her blog went from under 100 to I am sure well over 800 followers upon the publishing of her book Taking Flight.
Well, even though I never really feel like I have a chance at all, I like to participate. (the games are fun & I think it lets her know she's loved)
So I actually won a pair of earrings (those pictured aren't them those are some from the Etsy shop of the creator of my earrings... who is Kelly Rae's Sister, the mistress of Sacred Cake).

And the winning phrase in response to "three words about the best thing that's happened to you today..."

Light Filtering Through

(hey- it was still early in the morning... not much else had happened yet. I just looked through the window of my studio and saw streams of light jetting through the leaves of the upper maple orchard).

I'm so excited! It has been a long time since I won something.

...when I was little, it seemed to happen all the time. I felt like all I had to do was want something to win it. But growing up threw a wrench in all of that.

Okay Santa, just in case you're listening...

...in absinthe green...
These old wardrobe steamer trunks are the coolest!
Why don't they make luggage like this anymore?
How perfect would it be to just open up your suitcase and have everything easy to get to- everything in it's place in little drawers, ready to go?
Granted these babies were probably heavy but we could customize them- light weight materials, smaller size, stick some wheels on there & extendable handle for pulling and Voila! The perfect traveling companion.
I googled it- I figured someone MUST make them... *sigh*
couldn't find anything!
I want one... one I could really travel with.
How cool would that be?

running into your work

This is a label I did a little while back. I was stopping into the business center to meet someone, but I was a little early & it was HOT outside, so I stopped into Tropical Cafe for a smoothie.
And there was a sign with this artwork on it to greet me.
Here is their website if anyone wants to order some 100% Kona Coffee with this label.

teaching

Journey is 4 yrs old. He doesn't think he can draw or write.
So I told him to put his little hand in mine and we will do it together.

Field Study

Can you tell I'm having fun with my new "sketchbook"?
I LOVE the smell of old books- so this crusty old thing creates such atmosphere to work in. I took it out in the garden to try and get these mini bird of paradise in the sunlight... of course it got over cast as soon as I got my paints out.
oh well
I am thinking of adding some to a painting I am working on in the studio.
There seems to be a lot of interest in the upcoming Georgia O'Keefe movie airing on Sept. 19th on Lifetime. Since I have been pegged as a Georgia O'Keefe wannabe on occasion I wonder if it will boost gallery sales at all... we shall have to see.

Morning Exercises

Can you tell what I've been reading?
I am reading this book called 'The private lives of the Impressionists' and have gotten very interested in the romance between Berthe Morisot and Edouard Manet. She had a very striking beauty and he loved to paint her... although they didn't marry for a very long time (as he was already married when they met). But the two of them were large players in the Impressionists movement- I always thought in college, that it would be "so cool" to start a new school of art like they did. It is interesting how they were all buddies painting side by side- little rebels together. Would make an interesting & visually stunning movie.

What's bloomin' at Mauna Lea...

Magnolia

Haleconia

Hibiscus

White Ginger

Can't you just smell it?

Hair Implants!

This is our mermaid statue. Matt and I have been working on her off and on.
She is plumbed to be a fountain for our upcoming fish/lily pond for the front entry flower garden. We decided to take an organic approach top her hairstyle.
To check out the documented medical procedure visit
My Family Room.

True's Purse

This is an island peacock in a coffee orchard overlooking a waterfall pouring over a lovely sandy Hawaiian beach- JUST FOR TRUE!!!!
Soon be another Bolton-Sasaki Custom Handbag!
I'll be sure to post the end result after Barb gets a hold of it.
I hope you love it, True!

I want a peacock

Well, they are just so darn cool.
I took these at the Hilo Zoo (see more zoo pics here).

The gift that keeps on giving...

Matt bought me a rose bush for our very first christmas at Mauna Lea Manor and I was sure that I killed it because it never did look like more than a thorny stick. But look what greeted me upon walking outside my front door!
A beautiful orange rose- just like the ones we used in our wedding!

Strippers

Matthew calls these my "strippers" because of the way that I paint them.
I will paint a few scenes in strips across one page at the beach and then separate & frame them individually later in the studio.

I'M BACK!!!

I am once again with computer so the cyber musings may continue unhindered-
Oh Happy Day!
...just had to let everybody know!
....I'll try to update soon ;)

Computer-less

Public Service Announcement

I am without computer (I type this from a borrowed source)

My HP laptop croaked --- I know, I know "why didn't I buy a MAC"

So if you need to get a hold of me please try

75-5259 Mamalahoa Hwy #B

Holualoa HI 96725

or

808 329-5765

The email is no longer reliable, since I can't check it often.

I'm published ;D!

If you check out the third article in the July/August issue of Somerset Studio -looks like this:You will find a step-by-step article by yours truly!

It is 4 pages long & entitled "Sisters of the Sea".

You can find this magazine at most Borders Bookstores in the photography/crafts/art section of the periodicals.

This is my absolute favorite magazine! So excited to be a part of it!

The Golden Touch

I've always been of the opinion that stairs ought to be enchanting- make you want to get to the top of em. Imply & introduce & prelude to what you'll find beyond them...

So my studio stairs needed a little dressing up.

So I make a stencil modeled after the edge of a sari my aunt brought me from her trip to India a few years back.

The stencil began to buckle and curl from the spraypaint and the patterns are terribly haphazard and I made a horrible mess ...but fortunately the intial impact still achieved the excitement I was going for (and I doubt anyone is going to closely inspect it & criticize my whimsy). I added little shisha mirrors to compliment the motif on various stairs & they really catch the light impresively as you travel upwards.

The first day I went to the studio after I had done it with the boys, I had half forgotten what I had done and was just as taken aback as they were to see that sparkling colorful stairs...

"Mommy! Look what happened to your stairs!"

I wondered just why they thought my hands had been stained metallic gold for 2 days... from their remarks you would have thought the menehunes were responsible. hehe

Newly non-destruct-able paintings

You're listening to Filthy Mangy Gypsy Jazz

discovered on none other than www.blip.fm

I hope these guys make their way across the sea to Hawaii someday-

I would love to hear thm live!

It's finished, Amanda!

The nasturiums Morning Glories are a little artistic license, hope you don't mind.

This is what the winner of the Mother's Day contest asked to have painted for her mother who cared for her during the months she was ill.

Had a fun day painting today & discovered www.blip.com
Great for your own customized comercial-free radio- I like it!