Kuilima Cove

29 03 2012

"Kuilima Cove," 16" x 20" oil on canvas, by Rebekah Luke

My most recently finished oil painting — except for the lessons I’ve done with my students the past month — deserves a more visible place than the corner of the studio where I stashed it while waiting to varnish it, don’t you think?

I started it as a demonstration at the Hawaiian civic club convention at Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore in October — my gosh, was it that long ago?! — and worked on it little by little with my weekly painting group. Okay, I can be a little pokey sometimes.

From the second floor window of the hotel lobby was the sunny morning view of the cove below and the shoreline in the distance. A cultivated tropical garden juxtaposed with a wild undeveloped coast.

In general, I’m less fond of my demo pieces, but I was determined to turn this canvas into something I liked. So I kept at it, correcting mistakes and bothersome spots, and accepting valuable constructive criticism from my painting buddies. Not wanting to overwork it, I put my brush down as soon as it finally felt right.

As I tell my students the same thing my teachers taught me, “Paint what you know [the logic of light], paint what you see, and paint what you feel.”

Copyright 2012 Rebekah Luke




The energy of collaboration

5 03 2012

So, dear reader, the new energy I’m talking about has to do with the comings and goings of new friends and old friends at the studio—my healing space, my brick-and-mortar studio, and a unique gallery space.

In February I held a Reiki Level I training class in the Unlimited Reiki System of Natural Healing with Reiki Master Teacher Lori A. Wong, who attuned and certified three students. The island country setting is well suited for meditation. We plan to continue with Level II and Master Level training. What a day. Wow. When we channel Reiki, or universal life force energy, we heal, harmonize, and balance our minds, bodies, spirits and emotions! It was great!

I also started teaching adults how to oil paint, after the method my own teachers Vicky Kula and Gloria Foss taught me, and everyone is enjoying it. My students, just three ladies for now, attend class once a week for most of the day. (Although I promoted both offerings widely, three seems to be the magic number from the Universe. ;-))

Studio painters

With the combined lecture/demo, hands-on painting assignment, homework and critique each time—starting with the basics and then having each lesson build upon the previous learned knowledge—they understand there is a lot to learning to paint.

I, myself, am enjoying the refresher from developing lesson plans and doing the assignments. I don’t have all the answers, but the students are very clever and are full of new ideas. We laugh a lot, and I learn from them too. A bonus: They bring food and recipes for lunch, and, believe me, they can cook!

I’m happy to share what I know how to do. It’s surprising that it has taken so long for me to have enough confidence to do this. I think I just wanted to be sure I could do it well.

Pi‘ikea and Vicky relax in front of “Morning Destination: Kalaeokaoio Beach” — Photo by Rebekah Luke

Yesterday’s open house event of a renovated Kailua home that is on the market was a chance to see 15 of my paintings displayed in a residential setting.

The students came and brought lots of good energy to the property. It is a different experience to see an original oil painting up close and properly framed and hanging rather than to see a reproduction.

The colors are true. One can view paint strokes and textures. It is easier to imagine what the art piece will look like in your own home or office.

Other fans of Rebekah’s Studio came to support the collaborative project efforts of Realtor Associates Ruth Sinclair and Karyn Shaunnessy who invited me to be their guest artist.

Me and members of my fan club at the special showing, left to right: Noella, Rochelle, me, Pat, Karen, and Pi‘ikea. The lei po‘o (the beautiful yellow floral wreath of native and tropical flowers on my head) is a gift from Vicky, and the sweet white ginger lei is from Nani (who came earlier and left before the photo op). — Photo by Karyn Shaunnessy

Collaborators (from left) Ruth Sinclair, Rebekah Luke, and Karyn Shaunnessy. — Photo by James H. Kim On Chong-Gossard

Copyright 2012 Rebekah Luke






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

24 02 2012

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




My art-teaching début

1 02 2012

My teaching début went well today, the first of a series of 12 classes in oil painting. I hope the response the first Reiki class I’m offering with my colleague Lori on the 18th will be as good.

I have three enthusiastic painting students who will come to the studio once a week from Honolulu on the other side of the island to learn the fundamentals of how to paint.

Today, after the introduction of the Ball, Cube, Cylinder and Cone—the four basic forms—we used this tabletop set to practice drawing ellipses. Ellipses form the front and inside back walls of the roundish objects.

Correctly drawn ellipses for objects with a circular base, such as the pitcher—ball-like at the bottom and cylindrical at the top, and the black vase—a combination of a cylinder and a ball at the bottom and an upside down cone at the top, is the first step in translating the volume of three-dimensional objects to the two-dimensional drawing surface.

The butter dish is designed with an open cylinder for a handle. The cover is a variation of the cube, in that there are three planes showing.

In the photo, the longer plane of the butter dish is too “hot” from the bright morning sunlight hitting the surface straight on, coming in through a window reflected in the black vase. If I painted it, I would make it a lower value (a little darker, such as a pearly gray) but not as dark as the neighboring plane. I could/should have “burned in” that part of the photo before publishing it for a better image.

I thank my own teachers Vicky Kula and the late Gloria Foss, whose How to Paint curriculum is the basis of my teaching.

Copyright 2012 Rebekah Luke




Chinese new year’s yum-yum after seeing The Artist

22 01 2012

Shanghai dumplings and Shanghai noodles by Ming's

Went on a date last night, DH and I. Went to The Artist, the award-winning film I wanted to see ever since hearing the music and wondering about that cute dog on the Golden Globes. When I told my date there was a dog in the movie about the size of Alice Brown, he said okay we could go. Woof!

Is it in black and white? Yes. Is it a silent movie? Most of it. And that’s all I’m gonna say because I don’t want to spoil it for you. A fine, heartwarming flick!

Where to go for an after-movie snack? It’s Chinese New Year! Chinatown is in the opposite direction from home, but I felt like acknowledging my ancestral heritage nevertheless, so taking a cue from my friend Lori, I suggested we find Ming’s Chinese Restaurant in the little shopping center at Waiakamilo road and Dillingham boulevard in Honolulu and eat some Shanghai dumplings.

That’s not what they’re called by the restaurant, but you can look for a picture of them, similar to the one I made above, on the menu. We ate the dumplings by loading each onto a soup spoon, biting off the tip, slurping the soup that is inside, and only then ate the pork filling and its wrapper. Mmmm, good. Very tasty! And even better with red vinegar already on the table. No need to ask for it.

DH pronounced we could do this again. Good movie. Delicious snack. Renewing date night.

Copyright 2012 Rebekah Luke




A balance of light and energy

20 01 2012

For the past few days I’ve done the things I like to do. There seems to be a balance of energy around me, and I feel well! This is my 200th blog post to you!

A photo panoramic view of Lanihuli peak from Luluku on a sunshiny winter day. I've made several paintings in oil of the vicinity. I like to paint in the landscape as much as I like to blog. Access is from Ho‘omaluhia Botanical Garden. Please see the painted images below.

I had a Reiki client this morning, too. That is great for my being. Then I was glad to get some nice email from some folks I hadn’t heard from for a while.

The studio is clean, that is, clean enough that I’m not going crazy with clutter, and I’m expecting my cousin Jim this afternoon when we will continue working on a new book about our family, my grandparents’ clan.

I’m on track with writing the lesson plans for the Painting classes I’m teaching starting February.

DH and I are sleeping very well since moving our bed back to the original master bedroom that we vacated to accommodate my aging father (1914-2003) and later Miss Marvelous, while her parents worked and she was not yet in school. Anticipating the kids’ move to Italy in a month or so, we disassembled the crib and moved back in after almost 10 years.

The feng shui is better in the living area, thanks to a simple rearrangement of furniture to allow for a freer flow of energy.

I’m eating more sensibly since the holidays, though enjoying Chinese New Year food, and, at this very moment, the aches and pains of aging are non-existent. I’m listening to soothing harp music and not a ball game on TV.

Yesterday I painted with the Thursday group and got some good critique from Val and Naomi, who paint differently from the way I paint, but they have good eyes and suggestions to improve the canvas I’m working on—a morning scene of Kuilima Cove on the North Shore.

I was sorry I didn’t bring a large blank canvas, for the vog gave way in the morning to clear skies and a spectacular landscape in the top photo that I should have been painting instead. I snapped two pictures with my iPhone. After posting them on Facebook, Kelley commented the mountain scene was so beautiful to her. I agreed. Nature in the right light. Yo posted she almost mistook them for one of my paintings.

In fact, I have painted scenes from this place on other occasions, and surely will paint another now that I can see the mountain up to the top, for there were few clouds, and definite form and cast shadows from a point source—the sun!

"Banyan Shade," 16" x 20"oil on canvas

"Clouds Lifting Over Lanihuli," 16"x 20" oil on canvas

"View of the Koolau Mountains" by Rebekah Luke. Richard Guy Collection.

"Golden Retreat at Ho'omaluhia," 11" x 14" oil on canvas

Reiki blessings to you!

Copyright 2012 Rebekah Luke




Kalo diptych

12 01 2012
Heart-shaped kalo leaves
Border of green not red hues
Valentine preview
 

Kalo diptych / 10" x 7" / oil on canvas

Copyright 2012 Rebekah Luke