Win win, Ruth says, but I call it bartering!

All of a sudden, things are starting to move around here, and everyone is tuning in to the new energy. Even Alice Brown and Ula feel the change.  But first, an announcement:

Rebekah Luke is the solo guest artist starting Sunday, Feb. 26, at the residence at 914 Kainui Drive in Kailua! I’m thrilled! My sister Ruth and her colleague Karyn have staged the home for sale with my oil paintings, and I must say, both the house and my paintings look great! Instead of seeing my work in my virtual gallery, people can now see what the paintings look like hanging in their frames and imagine what they will look like in their own home or office. There is really no substitute for seeing the original.

Ruth phoned and asked if they could borrow an easel to set up an area as an artist’s studio. Sure, I said. Then she asked if I had any paintings they could use to decorate the freshly painted walls. Indeed, I’m always looking for opportunities to show my art, and, really, no problem. Ruth, an equestrian, did help me out once by providing a horse I needed for a photo shoot.

DH and I loaded the paintings — nearly all my available inventory — into the car. I wanted a large enough choice from which Ruth and Karyn could select. I also packed up other props, like a palette, some paint tubes, some brushes, even some “leaners” (unfinished or unsaleable canvases).

When I reached the venue I could do whatever I wanted, in any of the rooms, to install an art show! The public would come to see the property, and at the same time they would view the art. The realtor associates needed interior decor, and I welcomed gallery space! “It’s a win win,” Ruth said, quite pleased with herself. I’m loving it too.

I arranged the paintings on the floor in front of the wall they would hang on, and the three of us concurred as to their placement. Naturally, I deferred to my hosts, and I’m so glad I did! All of the paintings are on display!

About the property: Conveniently located at the edge of Kailua, on an avenue lined with coconut palms. Renovated 3BR, 2B, single story, large back yard, new landscaping. The current owner is our mom Ivalee, and the home has been in the family since the 1960s (or earlier) when Grandpa and Grandma Haus lived in it. Ruth can give you the asking price.

About the paintings: My original Hawaiian landscapes and still life in oil. $125 to $800.

If you are on Oahu, I hope you’ll take the opportunity to meet us and see our work.

The Special Showings and Open House dates and times are:

Sunday, Feb. 26, 2-5 p.m.
Thursday, Mar. 1, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, Mar., 4, noon to 5 p.m.
Thursday, Mar. 8, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Sunday, Mar. 11, 2 to 5 p.m.
Sunday, Mar. 18, 2 to 5 p.m.

Thanks, Ruth and Karyn!

In the next post I’ll give an update on my teaching adventures, travel adventures, new energy, etc., Meanwhile, here are today’s snaps of the studio animals.

Alice Brown, our adorable puppy, keeps me company in the studio.

Ula, the bossy cat. Look out! She's old now.

Copyright 2012 Rebekah Luke

Latest artworks on view in Honolulu

Hello Art Lovers! “Banyan Shade” and “Lanikai Diptych” made it into the juried show of the Association of Hawaii Artists this morning. Ta dah! These are my most recently framed original oil paintings made this year.

Banyan Shade, 16" x 20" Oil on Canvas, $600.00

Having my work selected for a public exhibition encourages me to keep going, and I’m thankful a large audience will see it.

I installed “Banyan Shade” in a dark wood frame. I framed the two panels of “Lanikai Diptych” in a beautiful solid curly koa. (And when is curly koa not beautiful?! )

Come take a look. The art is for sale and will be on display through October 14, 2011. Here’s the rest of the 411:

Event—The 42nd Annual Contemporary Exhibit of the Association of Hawaii Artists; Antoinette Martin, juror.

Dates—Sept. 19-Oct. 14; M-F 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Sunday closed)

Place—Pauahi Tower, 1001 Bishop St., lobby level, downtown Honolulu.

Reception—4:30-6:30 p.m., Sept. 27. You’re invited! Recommended parking is at Alii Place (cheaper rates).

Please let me know if you wish to purchase my original art for your private collection, and I will work with you on a payment plan.

"Wa'a Kolu, Moku Lua," 16" x 20" Oil on Canvas, left panel of "Lanikai Diptych," $1,400.00 for 2 panels

"Julie's Coconut Tree," 16" x 20" Oil on Canvas, right panel of "Lanikai Diptych," $1,400.00 for 2 panels

Copyright 2011 Rebekah Luke

Seven island artists paint and show works at Ho‘omaluhia

Our “If it’s Thursday, it must be Ho‘omaluhia!” public exhibit of paintings opens today at Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden visitor center and extends to August 30, 2010. The show displays the works of local artists Alex Weinstein, K.Y. Lum, Naomi Weinstein, Noreen Naughton, Richard Guy, Val Saban, and yours truly Rebekah Luke. The collection looks great!

Photo of me by Noreen Naughton

Every Thursday for the past 10 years, more or less, our group has painted in the peaceful landscape that is Ho‘omaluhia, located at Luluku, at the base of the majestic Ko‘olau mountains in windward Oahu. We come from different backgrounds and for different reasons to enjoy the garden and each other’s friendship.

This the first exhibit of paintings for four of our group. All but one of the 42 works in oil and acrylic may be purchased, with prices ranging from $75 to $2,800. Most prices are reasonable and realistic for original art, so it’s a good opportunity to start or add to your collection. Interested buyers should contact the artists directly (lay away plan of installments considered), as no sales transactions are permitted on the city property.

How we met (excerpt from catalog)

In the 1990s, art professor Noreen Naughton frequented Europe with summer abroad courses. K.Y. Lum, a psychiatrist, and his wife took the “Drawing in Italy” tour, visiting Rome and Tuscany to take in Renaissance art in hill towns and obscure churches. When they went a second time to Italy, Naomi and Alex Weinstein joined Noreen’s group. Alex, an architect, is a good sketcher, and Naomi, a retired educator, was a ceramist.

They all went with Noreen again to paint in France, “Following the Path of the Impressionists” from Amsterdam to Paris.

K. Y. Lum

Naomi Weinstein

Alex Weinstein

Richard Guy

When they returned to Hawai‘i they continued to paint with Noreen in the landscape. Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden became a favorite venue. K.Y. and the Weinsteins are the only ones from Noreen’s original group who continue to paint together on Thursdays.

The others: Val Saban, former international trader and industrialist, lives in the same building as K.Y., and the two swim together.

Rebekah Luke (that’s me) who studied painting with the late Gloria Foss, and K.Y. are first cousins. Richard Guy, retired chief justice of Washington state and a local arbitrator and mediator, joined the group after being introduced by Naomi who is in the same book club as his wife.

Val Saban

Noreen Naughton

If you go (and we hope you will)

The park entrance is located at the end of Luluku Road in Kaneohe, Oahu. The art will be on view every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through August 30, 2010.  Exception: The park is closed on Aug. 6 and 27.

Thursday is the theme. You can meet the artists at a punch-and-cookies reception on Thursday, August 5, from noon to 2 p.m. Most of us will be there on the other Thursdays in August in the mornings only.

Allow time to enjoy the rest of Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden’s plants, trails, picnic areas, lake, camp sites, and overall Hawaiian tropical scenery.

Thanks for visiting!

Copyright 2010 Rebekah Luke

If it’s Thursday, it must be Ho‘omaluhia!

View of the Ko‘olau Mountains from Ho‘omaluhia

My painting group and I are busy putting together an August exhibition of our artwork at Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden Visitor Center in Kaneohe, Oahu. It opens on August 3, with a punch-and-cookies reception on August 5 (Thursday) from noon to 2 p.m. If you are in the area, please come to see it! If time permits, see the garden too. You may click on the garden link above to read about the garden, and on the link below for details of the art show. – Rebekah

CLICK FOR THE INVITATION

Changing it up and the alumni art show

Before releasing students for the holiday break from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where I received intense training in photography, the head administrator sat us down for a little chat.

He advised putting the camera away and treating ourselves to viewing and experiencing other forms of art for inspiration and stimulation.

The program was such that one’s creative juices were pretty much dried up by the end of the term. Five studio courses, 10 concurrent assignments due in two weeks at any given time, photo lab work until 10 pm six nights a week, and frank critiques. If one attended fresh out of high school with no college academics, then those classes were mandatory at night in addition.

Why, you might wonder, did I pick this school, in my 30s even. Because I admired several of its alumni who mentored me when I worked alongside them at the magazine. They were professional photographers at the top of their game, and I came to realize their training influenced the way they were, not just as photographers but as people.

To write blog posts, I like to examine any ongoing themes in my life. I wonder, is now a time for reorganizing? Remembering the art school advice to change it up, today I’m taking stock and reporting the other art forms I’ve experience in the past month or so.

A trip to the lighting showroom. I’m conscious of light: the amount of light, its direction, its quality. Lighting was not my strong suit in art school in that lighting a scene or set with artificial light was challenging. I did learn enough to recognize lighting differences, though I couldn’t always execute them, and I learned the lingo. I know what I like and don’t like about light, and I can tell you why. When I learned to paint, I learned more about the logic of light.

This month, after living a long time dissatisfied with a certain light bulb and dated fixture where I live, I am ecstatic that DH agreed to let the professionals fix the lighting deficiencies and non-design in our home. A trip to the lighting store and a very pleasant consultation with the designer Adir resulted in a solution that is a compromise between husband, wife, and pocketbook, but everyone is happy so far. It’s fun to look at an array of light fixtures, design catalogs, and photo books of interior design.

Moonlight Mele on the Lawn concert. Saturday night’s program of performing arts at the Bishop Museum featured the Tau Dance Theater, Kaukahi, John Cruz, Halau Mohala Ilima, Samadhi Hawaii aerial silk trapeze, and Ledward Kaapana. Each performed first-class numbers. Three of the groups were new to me, impressive and enjoyable. With summer here there are lots of concerts to choose from. Besides taking in the music, I noticed things like the visual form of the dance, costuming, lighting (again), sound, logistical set-up, and audience reaction.

Hula dancing and singing. Gigging with the Punahou Alumni Glee Club, I get to sing Hawaiian songs and learn a new hula each season. We’ve practiced  to perform at Saturday’s alumni luau for many weeks. I appreciate Hattie’s choreography and her superb organization. Good artists and teachers are like that.

Alumni art show. This isn’t the first year of an alumni art show at my high school, but it is the first time I’m exhibiting there. It’s open just a few hours during the alumni kick-off event this coming week and a couple of hours during the luau itself. I am planning to work the show, taking a look at other alumni artists’ artwork. Today I delivered the new still lifes, all at special Punahou alumni reduced prices. If  seeing the show June 10 or 12 interests you (the event represents about 30 artists), please contact me, and I will get back to you with information.

Going to Kauai. Plans to entertain visiting relatives include a trip to Kauai. It’s a brief two-day, one-night whirlwind tour of the island, and we’ll all be tourists. It has been so long since us local folks were last there. Hey, it’s summertime! You have to go somewhere!

Garden maintenance. Might sound boring and too much like work, but this is a type of meditation for me. Since pruning the hedge, I’m thrilled to see the ocean and the sky from the studio. The shorter hedge is in better scale for our lot and the street, there’s more air and light for both us and the neighbors, and more sunshine for the vegetable garden. In the renewed view plane ma uka (toward the mountains) I now see the fruit trees in the landscape beyond as well as two lava rock faces in the mountains.

Loving a parade or two. Kamehameha Day is observed this Saturday, June 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with the annual floral parade, but I heard the route is changed from previous years. It will start on Ala Moana near Fort DeRussy and go in the ewa direction, turn right at Punchbowl street, then left on King street to Iolani Palace. This parade is the best opportunity to see the pau (pronounced pahh-oo) riders, women on horseback representing the various islands of Hawaii with their colorful skirts and elaborate floral lei. DH and I will put in some community service with Koolauloa Hawaiian Civic Club in the hot dogs-and-hamburgers booth on the palace grounds. The following day, June 13, I’d love to take in the Pan-Pacific evening parade, from 5 to 7 p.m. as it processes through Waikiki down Kalakaua avenue.

It’s a good time to change it up. I’ll see you!

Copyright 2010 Rebekah Luke

View of the art market—what will tomorrow bring?

Shall we pick this one . . .

... or that one up there?

No one bought much art today at the Native Hawaiian Arts Market, but there were plenty of art appreciators.  I am happy to show my work and talk about it with others. I met some very nice people, and some friends stopped by.

The artists are expecting a Sunday crowd tomorrow, the 23rd, at the Bishop Museum, on the last event day of Maoli Arts Month. (Please see two posts earlier for info.)

Miss Marvelous liked “Gas Pumps in Paradise,” an earlier work painted in 1993 of the 7-Eleven and gas station in Kaaawa the day Bula Logan led a sovereignty march along Kamehameha Highway.

The painting was part of my “Painting the Town” collection of all the public structures in Kaaawa: the post office, the fire station, the school, the bath house, the library (bookmobile), and two bridges.

I remember organizing with Pat, the then director of Swanzy Beach Park, an art show reception to open the new covered lanai for the park facility. I showed the paintings with environmental portrait photography of the people who worked in the buildings. The only advertising was a hand-painted roadside sign by the summer fun kids that read, “Everybody come.” And everybody did!  Times have changed.

Rather than keep “Gas Pumps in Paradise” as a leaner becoming shop worn in the studio, I’ve marked it down to $200.00, solid koa frame included. The amount is half the original price.

Miss Marvelous enjoys the art show with her mom

Copyright 2010 Rebekah Luke