Maʻafala

10 09 2024

Maʻafala, the Samoan and Tongan breadfruit variety, apparently has cherished value. The tree I planted from a pot is bearing well now. This year’s first round of picking went to the residents of our immediate neighborhood. The second round was distributed to my friend Taueva, who is Tongan—she offered me money and I told her the breadfruit was a gift, Caroline who refilled my bag with bananas and cucumbers, cousin Julie who refilled my other bag with cookies and crackers, and artist friend Esperance who presented me with his original oil painting of outrigger canoes at Kailua Beach. So generous! I am loving the notion of trading.

Twelve years ago
“Kailua Beach Canoes” by Esperance Rakotonirina
Bounty

I’m grateful for the blessings.

Be well.

~Rebekah


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Of boats and lei garlands

4 08 2024

Once again Kaneohe Yacht Club welcomed sailboats that made the sea journey from San Francisco in the Pacific Cup race that occurs in even-numbered years. In the last week of July, a land crew crafted lei garlands to present to the yachts when they arrived.

My friend Georgia Schmidt organized the effort of rounding up fresh plant material from gardens and the people to make the lei, each six feet long.

Here are some photos made by lei maker Lisa Leydon and me.

The basis of the lei is made of ti leaves, seen here stripped from the growing stalk, bundled and with stems trimmed off.
Song of Singapore leaves are popular paired with red ti. The plant material is fastened to a base of twine with 24 gauge paddle wire from the florist supply store. The style of lei making is “wili.”
Georgia models the long lei she made with ti and Song of India leaves.
Lisa at work
Joann is delighted with her creation.
Gwen made a ti leaf rose while Steve, below, helped out.
Azure, from Alameda, is decorated with several lei.
Here is Lucky Duck shortly after her welcome at Kaneohe.
Saga, of San Diego, and her island welcome.

Many, many thanks to everyone who helped with this volunteer project. Aloha nō!

Be well ~

Rebekah


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Welcome 2024!

2 01 2024

Aloha mai kākou e Studio Fans! Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou 2024! As I noted in other social media:

Affirmations, not resolutions, for 2024: make more art, sing and play more music, keep writing and visual documenting for my blog, contribute more, and cultivate kindness and positive relationships.

Be well!
~Rebekah


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Prayers and aid for Maui

11 08 2023

Dear Studio Fans,

Wildfires this past Tuesday have destroyed most of Lahaina on the Island of Maui. I am writing this brief message to let you know that we at the studio, here on the different island of Oʻahu, are safe and saddened.

How can we help if we are not physically there? Our family chose to donate to favorite charities such as the World Central Kitchen and the American Red Cross. We filled a sturdy bag with usable supplies, and DH dropped it off this morning at the Hawaii Capitol in Honolulu from where it will be sent to Maui.

In emergencies like this, look for the helpers, and pray for the helpers. So much has been lost.

Be well,

Rebekah

 


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April showers bring May flowers

27 04 2023

It’s the rainy season at the studio, and as the saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers.”  These are some blooms from my garden.






Enjoy!
Be well!
~ Rebekah


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My art receives Honorable Mention

18 03 2023

I appreciated very much the words of Gregory Pai, the juror of Ultra III exhibit of the Windward Artists Guild. He gave the remarks on March 16, 2023, about my hand-dyed tissue-paper collage entitled “Crater View.” The actual crater at Kilauea was Fissure 8, now named ʻAhuʻailaʻau. The acoustics were poor in the second-floor lobby of Pauahi Tower, where the art will be hanging for two months, so I hope I heard the video correctly for my transcription:

“ … it’s not a piece of work that shouts at you when you look at it, but when you start to look at it very closely, it goes deeper and deeper and deeper. And it’s just very skillful use of collage elements to create an abstract, visual landscape. And the excellent values, differentiation and composition using very strong diagonal shapes gives it a strong sense of movement, depth, and aerial perspective. So it was an abstract, but in the same sense you felt like you were looking at a crater. And it had a very real depth abstract quality to it, and it was done in collage, which is a very difficult medium to work with …”

Be well.

~ Rebekah


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Yes, I’ll weave a lei for your boat

24 01 2023

On Chinese (Lunar) New Year’s Day, one is not to do any work, but I didn’t mind creating something new for a gentleman who asked if I could make a lei for his boat being launched that day.

I enjoy making fresh lei, and my crew and I have made scores of the garlands for yachts that have finished trans Pacific crossings.

So I gathered the materials from my garden: green ti leaves, alaheʻe (native mock orange), kupukupu fern, and cherry.

They didn’t really need any cleaning. A quick rinse with water and trimming off the stems from the ti was enough.

I made the lei wili style—“wili” means to wind—using 924 (24 gauge) paddle wire from the floral crafts store.

We had agreed on a price for an eight-foot length, but I wanted to use all the material I picked, so the lei became ten feet long.

It was a gorgeous January day, and I was able to meet the customer at 2 pm at the Kaneohe Yacht Club bar. “I’ll be the one with the big lei,” I said.

As you can see, the lei fit perfectly, and the customer gave me a tip. That’s what I mean by “gentleman.”

Welina mai kāua e “Seas the Day”! I hope you catch lots of fish!

Love,

Rebekah


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