First, a surprise from Italy: a photo valentine made by our son-in-law of Miss Marvelous. I thought you’d like to see how she is growing up. She’s 4 now. What a great way to start my day. Thanks, Travis!

“Hydrangea Eyes” by Travis Hylton

I’m teaching today, then heading over the pali (mountains) to the annual Punahou Alumni Luau to sing with the alumni glee club. It’s our main gig of the year, and we’re pretty jazzed this time. We haven’t been this ready or sounded as good in a while. We’re almost 40 strong. School spirit rocks! I’ll likely miss the early sound check, as I’ll be honoring my summer teaching schedule that begins in about an hour.

“Grapes and Drapes” is the studio lesson for both the youth and adults this morning. As I’ve mentioned, under controlled lighting, this is how we learn to paint mountains and trees in the landscape later, where the light changes constantly. The pleats of the blue drape in the set are the same form as our  Koolau Mountains.

Grapes and drapes still life set-up, Painting II, Rebekah Luke, instructor.

“Red Trunks” © 2013 Rebekah Luke, 16″ x 20″ oil on canvas board

Some thank you gifts are in order for our glee club director and choral arranger/conductor who volunteer their time. Today’s performance marks the end of our season, then we go our separate ways for the summer. Where will I get my weekly music fix? Yesterday I prepared a giclée reproduction of “Red Trunks” for Vicky, and an edible creation I know he likes for Peter. I hope they will like them.

A full day and night awaits. I better close this post and get going.

When I get back to the studio I’ll be so high, I hope I’ll be ready to record a decent alto part for Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir 4. The piece is entitled “Bliss.” The lyrics: “Ooh, fly to paradise.” I’m flying all right. It’s perfect.

Copyright 2013 Rebekah Luke

For more information, please contact rebekahluke@hawaii.rr.com.
To read more about Reiki, click on the Reiki Healing by Oelen menu tab above. Thank you! ~ Rebekah

Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Hawaii. Native Hawaiian artists will gather here this weekend. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Good morning! It’s the beginning of a big weekend and I sincerely hope yours will be fine, as in the finest. I am getting things together for the Native Hawaiian Arts Market at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu where I’ll be on Sunday, May 26 – yikes, that’s tomorrow! – from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with my oil paintings. (It’s on today until 7 p.m., however I will not be there until tomorrow.)

Some of the paintings are newer than the ones pictured in “Paintings” and “Retrospective” – please see the menu tabs above. I will have originals and giclée reproductions too.

Miraculously, a space for me to exhibit was secured only yesterday after I got a call. But I’m a pro and I’ll be ready to greet you if you come. If you like my art, I will work with you so that you can own it! Special admission for kama‘āina residents is $5. If you have not visited Hawaiian Hall, where DH is a docent on Fridays, this will be a good time to do that too! Worth it!

The entrance to the Bishop Museum is on Bernice Street in Honolulu. I’ll let you know how it goes. I am so grateful for this opportunity at this venue. Thank you! Mahalo e ke Akua! See you soon.

Miss Marvelous enjoys the art show at the Bishop Museum in 2010. She lives in Italy now. The painting on the left is now with a private collector. I have new ones to show at tomorrow’s Native Hawaiian Arts Market!

Copyright 2013 Rebekah Luke

Each of us would bring heavy pupu which means hors d’oeuvres substantial enough for dinner. Wine would be served. Personally, I think it was an excuse to drink wine. Only people who drank wine would be invited! they said.

Grouping of paintings includes images of Moanalua Gardens. At left: Prince Lot’s cottage by Leinani Keppeler-Bortles. Center: Kamaipuupaa hula mound by Rebekah Luke. Bottom: Chinese Hall by Rae Gorman. Right: Lo’i kalo (pu‘epu‘e style) by Rae Gorman.

Some background: This is the first cohort of students, now in Painting III (Landscape En Plein Air). They completed Painting I and II  in the studio. Now students have graduated and are painting on location for the first time. They go out with me two times each to five locations, for a total of ten outings. After that students may finish their paintings on their own. It will be typical to repeat this course until they are comfortable in the landscape with its constantly changing light and weather.

Setting a show date turned out to be good incentive for finishing the paintings. We had paintings in progress from Moanalua Gardens, Byodo-In, Kapiolani Park, the farm at Castle High School, and Kaaawa Beach Park.

I kept out of the planning until about a week ago when Nani asked how best to display the art work.  I took interest because (a little ego here ) an invitation went out with my name printed prominently. I had not seen any of the finished paintings.

My reply was something like: “Usually a curator will look at the entire collection, and then decide where to place the pieces in the space. I will help you. Bring the work a day early so we don’t have to rush the installation. Hopefully the paint is dry, and your work is properly framed and wired for hanging.”

This is something I teach later, but in this case, students learned “on the job” by trial and error as we staged Nani’s home to look like a gallery. It reminded me of a restaurant opening, at which the carpenters are still hammering away as the first guests walk in the door.

About 50 people came to the show, expressing thanks, congratulations and compliments all around. It was a happy occasion, as you can tell by the smiles in the photos.

The students begged for a critique, so here it is. It will likely be the same whenever you ask:

Good work! I am so proud of you. Keep going! Continue to turn the form. Darker darks and lighter lights. Warm it in the light. Cool it in the shade. Avoid comparing your work to others’ because each artist has her own line. Paint what you see, paint what you know, paint what you feel. Oh, and drink wine!

Copyright 2013 Rebekah Luke

Linda Haynes Abbott with her artwork of Byodo-In at Kahalu‘u, a favorite location to paint en plein air (Jan McEwan photo)

Nani Ho captured the peacefulness of the Byodo-In with this wonderful composition. (Jan McEwan photo)

Leinani and her stylized painting of kalo and mai‘a (Jan McEwan photo)

Rae Gorman challenged herself to paint this view of the temple and the bell house, stream and hillside. Good job! (Jan McEwan photo)

]]> http://rebekahstudio.wordpress.com/2013/05/19/art-and-wine-inspire-us-to-keep-going/feed/ 4 rebekahstudio Grouping of paintings includes images of Moanalua Gardens. At left: Prince Lot's cottage by Leinani Keppeler-Bortles. Center: Kamaipuupaa hula mound by Rebekah Luke. Bottom: Chinese Hall by Rae Gorman. Right: Kalo (pu‘epu‘e style) by Rae Gorman. Linda Haynes Abbott 2013 Nani Ho 2013 Leinani Keppeler-Bortles 2013 Rae Gorman 2013 http://rebekahstudio.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/kids-and-me-at-the-filipino-fiesta/ http://rebekahstudio.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/kids-and-me-at-the-filipino-fiesta/#comments Sun, 12 May 2013 20:42:20 +0000 Rebekah's Studio http://rebekahstudio.wordpress.com/?p=6189 ]]> Anxious to finish another painting, I headed out to Kapiolani Park yesterday only to find the Annual Filipino Fiesta staged there. It’s Saturday. Duh. I didn’t care. It takes me an hour to drive there from the studio, and DH gave up the use of our one car, so I felt I had to take advantage of the opportunity.

I circumnavigated the park twice after deciding to not park illegally and before squeezing into a spot on Leahi avenue that my friend Pi‘ikea would term “in the next county.”

Plein air oil painters lug their French easels, paints, and what-have-you all over the creation. We need to be there for the light. So I hoofed it.

I visualized my painting spot empty as I walked toward the iconic ironwood-lined path, and it was! Right in the middle of a pedestrian aisle lined with two rows of tent booths and across from the food booths and their aroma, each with a long line of customers.

The tinikling and other Filipino and pop tunes from the bandstand blared, and I welcomed another of day of painting to music. The one I did at the recent Bluegrass Hawaii festival was successful.

“Bluegrass Hawaii,” 20″x16″ oil on canvas

As you might imagine there were a lot of spectators, photographers, and videographers who stopped to watch me paint. I’m happy to stop and converse. What I like the best are the children. Here’s a sample of their comments and questions (some adults ask the same things):

Kid: Are you going to be an artist when you grow up?

Older kid (punching the first kid in the arm): She IS an artist.

Me: Yup, when I grow up.

 

Me and Taxx, who I just met, with my painting in progress, i.e., it is not completed. I am revisiting some places I painted about 20 years ago and painting them again. This is one of them. I hope to mount an exhibit to compare the art works. Is there any growth? Have I grown up?  (Photo by Taxx’s photographer)

Copyright 2013 Rebekah Luke

My adult life work has been all about story—finding and writing it for the daily news, crafting ideas for a magazine, supporting college faculty with features, writing ad copy.

From the pen I gravitated toward photojournalism and photographic images to tell stories. Environmental portraiture, or people in their surroundings, became my forté for a time.

My Hawaiian landscapes in oil have no people in them. They represent scenes of which viewers may create their own stories. I paint pictures of places where you might have been and want to remember, and of places where you might rather be.

Three unrelated gifts support The Story, and I pass them on hoping they will inspire you as much as they have inspired me.

Tomorrow is Mark W. Travis‘s 70th birthday, and he is observing his big year with a trip around the world to continue his fine work as a film director and teacher of film directors and playwrights. Happy birthday, Mark! Hope to see you in the Islands.

Twice I took Mark’s Solo Autobiography workshop. I think he calls it Write Your Life now. Aside from drilling the class in clever techniques, Mark has the uncanny skill of listening to my lines and pinpointing the exact vulnerable spot in my heart that needs exploring. The real story. He stabs it right away, then twists deeper to that place where I don’t want to go. Unhhh. But that becomes the start of writing authentically. And it’s very healing.

I stopped going to his classes—too much crying—and he acknowledged, that’s okay, as long as you keep writing. I follow him on Facebook and read his blog, which is where I came across the second gift:

A story about an African tribe. It’s here: http://thegodmolecule.tumblr.com/post/48146343226/here-is-a-tribe-in-africa-where-the-birth-date-of

Since I’ve tuned in to my own music, writing down the melodies in my mind, this intrigues me. It suggests Song before Story. I hope you will click on the link to read the article. When Mark Travis swings by here in August, he will teach “Write Your Life/On Your Feet” for the first time, coaching the performance and delivery of autobiographical material. I’m on the waiting list.

Thirdly, I must point you to Playing Your Hand Right – Showing America How to Live, the funniest and sexiest writing I’ve ever read. Fact or fiction, seriously real or lovingly poking fun, it doesn’t matter, it’s hilarious! Oh, the stories! Definitely XX-rated. Damn educational if you’ve been sheltered and just read newspapers. Haha! Taylor Oceans is the author who “liked” and “followed” my blog (and everyone else’s) to attract readership to his. He says he needs to amass a following to prove to a publisher his work is successful, so he can make some honest money and buy his dream sailboat. At least that’s his story, and I say he’s there. Apologies if you find his writing offensive. It makes me laugh.

My take-away is that we always have Story. The best ones make you Laugh. But how about we listen more closely and tune in to our Song.

Copyright 2013 Rebekah Luke