Move over Michael

As the 2012 London Olympics wrap up today several things have struck me.

Swimming Eye to Eye
acrylic, pastel on paper
42" x 60"
©2012NanciHersh

First, how about those bodies? Incredible. These athletes are ripped. Muscle after muscle. Beautiful to look at, to watch in motion, to aspire to (a long shot perhaps.)

Secondly, their discipline and commitment to their personal goal. It seems that you can have anything you want if you want it badly enough, are willing to put in the time, sweat, blood, and give up everything else.  Of course, not everyone is on the podium with the gold around their neck. We all know about "curve balls", life's lessons, and just plain- "it may not be your turn- or your path."

But it also occured to me, and reiterated something I believe, that we all have the ability to touch someone else in ways we may never even know.

Mr. Santiago & Pigeon Coop, 1991
Ranch Camp Series
©2012NanciHersh

 During lunch this week a friend shared with me that her 8 year old son was in summer camp. Petrified of swimming, he clung to the shallow end with dear life.  Watching Michael Phelps swim with ease, grace, power and superhuman strength, little Cary swam across the pool and back shortly after, because "he wants to be like Michael Phelps." Now there is only one Michael Phelps with more medals than anyone in Olympic history (22), but maybe you're a teacher, a neighbor, a friend (I bet you are at least one of those) and you just never know how something you do or say can touch someone or inspire someone in a wonderful way.

Last month when I was back visiting Hawaii, I went to see Mr. Santiago, my neighbor- and muse for my Ranch Camp Series while a graduate student at UH.  As a neighbor, he was warm, kind and generous.  I loved his stories, his smile, his animals and his junk (most of the time.)  All became part of this series in paintings, drawings, prints and mixed media wall sculptures.  Days short of his 80th birthday, when I stopped by recently for a short visit, he "kind of" remembered me,  

Mr. Santiago with Kaala, 2012

but I will never forget him. Michael Phelps? amazing, yes, but Mr. Santiago inspired me in ways he will never know. A champion in my heart.

Who has touched your life in a memorable way, knowingly or not?

Smell of Plumeria with Red Dirt

These kids have grown. The Waialua Sugar Mill is now an industrial park.  I took hundreds of black and white slides in a photography class that I took with Gaye Chan at the University of Hawaii while a grad student.

Keiki, Mt. Kaala & Clouds
©2012NanciHersh

 Here is one of many shots I took of my neighborhood kids, lined up with the majestic Waiane Mountain Range and  clouds in the distance in this double exposure print.  I can smell the plumeria... and the red dirt.

Carport Party

I didn't hang out with my neighbor, Mr. Hardin much. His chickens and roosters - and scary dogs were in his leased land, right in front of my house. Lots of noise, racket, even yelling. I think, he scared me too. One day though I walked to my mailbox at the end of my little road, and there he was, in his carport playing music with his friend, and - babysitting (!)

Ukele
©2012NanciHersh

I hung out with them for a while, took some photos, did a drawing, which became a lithograph, later.

All part of my Ranch Camp Series.  

Carport Party
©2012NanciHersh

After this, he would at least smile and nod to me.

What Do You See?

This week from Ranch Camp Revisited: Mr. Santiago's horse Kaala and friend...

Kaala and Wild Boar
Double exposure from
a black and white slide
©2012NanciHersh 

“It's not what you look at that    matters, it's what you see. ”

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862); naturalist, author, philosopher

Ranch Camp Girl in Light

This was one of a few images that I took of Mr. Santiago's granddaughter. I think her name was Crystal. 

She lived behind me and when I saw her I would run and get my camera.  She had a striking face... I can only imagine what she looks like now, 20 years later.

Girl in the Light
©2012NanciHersh
Ranch Camp Series

You can't see her face in this shot, but I loved the light coming through and behind her.  This is a double exposure from a black and white slide I took for my Ranch Camp Series.  I did a large drawing of this image with charoal and also a lithograph that was purchased by curator James Jensen for The Contemporary Museum collection just before I left Hawaii.   TCM has now merged with The Honolu Academy of Arts- looking forward to see what's new and what hasn't changed much when we go visit next month!

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.

Ranch Camp Revisited- Mr. Santiago

Mr. Santiago was my neighbor when I lived in Ranch Camp in Waialua, Hawaii.

A kind and photogenic local man with a great smile and an open heart, I took many photographs of him that also became drawings, paintings and prints.  His son David and family lived directly behind me, and David Sr. (I always called him Mr. Santiago) and his wife Candy, lived across the street from them.  

Mr. Santiago
Double exposure
2012NanciHersh

Mr. Santiago kept his animals on land on the side and back of my house.  So every morning he would drive by my house to get to his pigeon coups, his horses, goats and anything else back there.

Mr. Santiago and his pigeon coups
2012NanciHersh

If I happened to be outside, he would give me a big smile, a wave, tell me I looked beautiful and say God Bless.  What a way to start my day.

His father- Granpa Santiago, on the other hand, when he was alive, would drive by in his old beat up jeep, look at our small plantation house that we were in the process of renovating, and yell with a snarl, "You paid too much!"

May be true, but I loved my little piece of paradise.

Ranch Camp Revisited- Remembering Lamb

From 1992-94, I took hundreds of black and white slides of my community while I was a graduate student at the University of Hawaii living in a small home I had purchased and renovated in Ranch Camp, old plantation neighborhood located at the base of the Waianae Mountain range in Waialua, Hawaii. 

Lamb in my Front Yard
No Surf in Sight
©2012NanciHersh

The sugar mill has since been shut down and is now an industrial park for the North Shore with surf board shops and mom and pop enterprises.   Many of you may remember Lambchop- my "famous" surfing rabbit....  here - as a double exposure, he is on top of his cage out in my front yard with a plumeria tree and the moutains in the distance.

Rediscovering these images is like a wonderful treasure hunt - and one I will be sharing on this blog as I have them scanned into jpgs.