Taking it all in - Hawaii Day 5ish

Early am sketch time... did a sunset sketch in Waikiki and
a family sitting near by on the beach purchased the small watercolor!

Our guys taking in Waikiki ... shortly after they ran back to the
car, put on their board shorts and went in.

The 3 Stooges and Ghandi in Waikiki

Artist Stephanie Syjuco and her Counterfeit Crochet Project at
The Pegge Hopper Gallery
 as part of this weekend's Find Art Festival
in Chinatown, Honolulu

Stephanie does Louie V in Pegge's elegant space

and today-  back on the North Shore for a slower pace.

Nate and a basking Honu (Hawaiian sea turtle)
Waialua 

Dangerous Current

Some things just "title themselves", and somethings just fall into place. Perfectly.

Dangerous Current
from Ranch Camp Revisited Series
©2012NanciHersh

This is a double exposure shot I took on a big surf day out at Haleiwa Beach Park, one of my favorite places to surf- on MUCH smaller days (!) with an image of the Waialua Sugar Mill
back when it was a sugar mill, and not a shopping destination.

Originally taken as a black and white slide, I love how the two line up- just like that perfect wave, with an ominous warning to keep in mind.

Visual Meditative Treat

Warm island thoughts on this frozen east coast day...

From the island of Kauai, this week's Artist as Collector post comes from A.Kimberlin Blackburn.

Michael Harada
Boy in Water, 1993
Acrylic on board
13" x 13"
©2010MichaelHarada

This is Michael Harada's Boy in the Water.

I bought it from a show in Honolulu in the early '90s
I was just taken with the contemplative feeling
surrounded by the ocean
feels to me like love

its a visual meditative treat especially when i can't get  into the ocean
as it reminds me how much i love just hanging in the water



Kim's work is my collection, as is Mike's. Great memories of art making, exhibiting and being in a critique group than met on a regular basis. Mike Harada also shaped and glassed my beloved longboard! 

Nanci & Her board, Wailalua, HI
Joe Solem Photography
Artwork on board by Nanci,
Shaped and glassed by Mike Harada

Note to Kim, Mike and Joe... Lucky you live Hawaii. (but you know that) and Mahalo, Kim.


What's on your walls that reminds you of where you love to be?


About this week's Guest Artist Blogger:
A.Kimberlin Blackburn is a painter, sculptor, bead, fiber and installation artist.  She also lives on the beautiful island of Kauai and grows things. We met many moons ago when we exhibited together on Oahu at the Art Loft and her work graces my home.

Made in Italy

Made in Italy 2
from the Walks thru Life: Shoe Portraits Series
Acrylic on Canvas
6"x 6"
©2011NanciHersh

Like these green and gold cork sandals, that were Made in Italy, the irregular cobblestone streets of Italy led me to new places on both sides of the Atlantic.

It was just 20 years (!) this summer that I spent 3 weeks studying printmaking at the Santa Reparate Graphic Art Center in Florence, Italy.  Not unlike Elizabeth Gilbert in her memoir, Eat, Pray, Love,  I embarked on an adventure to travel, study, and follow my passion.

Made in Italy
from the Walks thru Life: Shoe Portraits Series
Acrylic on Canvas
6"x 6"
©2011NanciHersh

 Those weeks were about all art; seeing, creating, and living it- with eating, walking, and some shopping in between.  Inspiration was everywhere and the time and distance also gave me clarity. Upon my return, I filed for divorce, finished the renovation of my plantation home in Hawaii, and began graduate school.

You just never know where a path may lead you.

What path have you taken that changed the direction of your life?

Answering the Call

Hawaii Calls... always, - to me.

So, this past June when two friends and mentors in Hawaii had cause for celebration - I was on a plane as quickly as you can say Kama'aina. 

That was when and where I saw one of the best art shows in 2010.

The Contemporary Museum in Honolulu honored printmaker Allyn Bromley with a retrospective titled 

Finding Latitude: the Work of Allyn Bromley.  Allyn served as chair of the Printmaking Department when I was a graduate student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

copyright2010AllynBromley

Always prolific and highly innovative,  the show included Allyn's ambitious, oversized screen prints that tackle issues such as aging, and the over development of her beloved paradise.

Green Piece
photo by Brad Goda
copyright2010AllynBromley

What Color is Invisible
Installation from Finding Latitude
copyright2010AllynBromley

The work from the last ten or so years, since her retirement from teaching is what resonates with me today.   We see the keen draughtsman that Allyn is, as well as her desire to address death, and homelessness in a contemporary conversation. Allyn moves off of the flat surface into sculpture and installation; recycling her old prints as she weaves them into mummy forms that are hauntingly beautiful.

The opening reception was a celebration of the work and of Allyn herself, who at the age of 82 is vibrant, active and engaged in her work and the community at large.

Truly an inspiration.

Allyn at her Opening

Artist Deb Nehmad, Allyn Bromly(with lei), me, Barbara Laustsen
on the grounds of The Contemporary Museum
June 2010

As you look back at on 2010, who or what has called to you and made a lasting impact on your life?