Edible Dress

Happy Valentine's Day! Cake Works near the University of Hawaii makes cakes for all occasions and on display was this edible dress... perfect for the sexy Valentine's evening wear.

I asked the woman behind this gentleman if I could take a photo of the two of them painting the Wo Fat building in Chinatown and she gestured, "go ahead." They were completely focused on their work and couldn't be bothered. The reflection off the store front window shows the building across the street that they both were painting.

Hanauma Bay Series by Masami Teraoka

There are many Japanese American artists that I am fond of and one of my favorite is painter, Masami Teraoka. I met him several years back at the U.H. art gallery at his Acending Chaos opening show. We also saw his opening show at the Catherine Art Gallery in San Francisco. I am especially moved by his Hanauma Bay series that wason display at the Robin Buntin Art Gallery along with the Ice Cream invading Japan series. His works have political undertones depicting current events from corruption in the Catholic Church, gay marriage, toxic foods, and fast foods becoming mainstream in Japan. The above Hanauma Bay print can be seen at the Hawaii State Art Museum as part of it's permanent collection. His art style follows the Ukiyo-e' Japanese woodblock prints. Classic Ukiyo-e' woodblock prints by masters such as Hokusai, Kuniyoshi, and Yoshitoshi, depict ordinary and fleeting moments. Teraoka is a modern day master using this style in his earlier paintings.

Cracked Seed Mural

On the backside of Keller Hall at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, there was this beautiful mural of cracked seeds in jars. With further observation, it was created by art students from 1981. Click here to see a close up of the signatures of those who have contributed to the painting.

The Fifth Day of Christmas

 On the fifth day of Christmas my tutu give to me five big fat pigs,

Honolulu Academy of Arts - Anna Cooke

The Honolulu Academy of Arts was originally the home to the Rice missionaries on Oahu. The Rice family had three kids and as they prospered, they purchased works of art for their home on Beratania Street. Daughter Anna Rice married and became a part of another missionary family becoming Anna Cooke. She continued purchasing art and importing pieces from China until there was more art than their home could hold. She decided to have their Beratania home torn down in the 1920's to build a museum for their large collection. The Honolulu Academy of Arts was opened in 1927. The above photo is of the dragon fountain located in rear of the pond.

Handmade Holiday Market

There was a Handmade Holiday Market at Manoa Marketplace today where individual craftsmen lined up their booths and sold their handmade items. This one stood out in particular because of it's detail. The woman used wool to make these lifelike Christmas ornaments that looked simple but she described it as labor intensive. Click here to see more photos on Baby aWEARness' facebook page, the organizer of the Handmade Holiday.

University of Hawaii Art Gallery

 

Happy Sunday everyone! I was at the University of Hawaii art gallery today and they are featuring a ceramic show called "East-West Ceramic Collaboration V"with artists from the Pacific Rim until December 9, 2011. The show is free to the public and there the artists are internationally known. One of my favorite pieces is the above cup for it's simpleness and because it is a functional piece. Other works are detailed sculptures and other vessels. One artist used a paintball gun to shoot the glaze on his plates for a splash finish. Influenced by Hawaii's shaved ice, the colors on these plates represent the rainbow of flavors. The holiday season is now in motion and the traffic in the U.H. gallery has been slow, thus if you live here, feel free to take a peek at no charge! Click here to see some of the other pieces on display on facebook. 

Click here for the map to get to the U.H. gallery

UPW Mural- Jean Charlot

The tile murals on the wall of the United Public Workers (UPW) Union's building is a creation by Jean Charlot the famous french painter. Although at first glance, I once thought it was created by Mexican painter Diego Rivera. Located in Kalihi on School Street, it is another one of Honolulu's little treasures for all to freely enjoy. It worth seeking out since it is a block or two and walking distance from the Bishop Museum. The art depicts hard labor as it recognizes blue collar workers who are usually the unsung heroes of the community. A bunch of young volunteers were laboring in the area by picking up trash, and they walked in between the mural and my shutter for this picture.