I just returned home from a holiday with friends in Long Beach, Washington, located on reportedly the longest beach in North America. The beach is also very wide and hard enough to drive a car on, unlike the beaches of Oahu. From the house we rented it was perhaps a city block away along a sandy trail through trees and grasses. We went there at least two times a day.
Mom turned 90 on Friday, and her children and grandchildren came to Long Beach, Washington, a sentimental place of hers, to celebrate with her. I am honored she welcomes me as part of her clan. There were 14 of us. We came from Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and Iowa for “the big bash.”
We hung around one of two big houses we rented and took walks along this Northwest Coast, recalling family stories and enjoying the relaxing outdoors. We ate constantly, it seemed, with delicious food prepared by several cooks or at her favorite restaurant. Mostly we took the cue from Mom and did what she preferred. These are my images of Sinclair Family time.
Family starts to arrive. Karl, from left, Ruth, Ivalee, Margaret, Cynthia, and Jon
Grandson Brook arrives
Healthy fruit and veggie starters
Grill master Brian looks for the char on the corn
Eldest son David and the pile of yummy corn
Daughter Kathy and daughter-in-law Cherie
Cheese on your burger? How about a hot dog?
Margaret and Mom
Along with all the usual condiments for the burgers, Grandson Brandon prepares his specialty of roasted broccoli with garlic and olive oil.
Granddaughter Sarah
Only a token number of candles on the requested chocolate cake
Evening around a bon fire with Brandon, left, Ruth, Karl, and Ivalee
Happy Birthday, Mom!
The volcano on the island of Hawaii continues to erupt. I found this aerial footage “May 27, 2018 HUGE Lava Fountain” from Mick Kalber aboard Paradise Helicopters. The reporting credits go to them. Please click to view it.
Mālama pono. Take care and do the right thing. — Rebekah
Aloha Studio Fans and Lava Junkies!
You all are following the current volcanic event at Kilauea on the island of Hawaii, right? Right?! It is the longest eruption there since 1924! Here is my recommended link to an awesome 24-minute video by the USGS geologists at Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory. “Kilauea Summit Eruption: Lava Returns to Halema‘uma‘u” is a calm and scientific explanation of the eruption. Let me know how you like it.
I, for one, am so very inspired by our Earth’s creation of new land. Gonna make art now!
— Rebekah
On April 28, 2018, at Kawaiaha‘o Church, I was a member of combined choirs performing the premiere of the Hawaiian language oratorio entitled KINOHI composed by Herb Mahelona. He wrote the lyrics and music over a 20-year period. I am excited to share the video with you. It is one hour and 40 minutes long. As the composer remarked upon hearing it sung for the first time in its entirety, “It is exactly as I dreamt it!” Please sit back and enjoy!
Worth watching more than once! – Herb Mahelona
Mahalo, gratitude, to all involved who made this happen.
~ Rebekah Luke, second alto
HONOLULU—Every May 1st floral designers make lei for the Hawaiian Lei Contest sponsored by the City at Kapiolani Park. A horticulturist identifies the plant elements in the lei upon entry, and then organizers line up the creations near the parking lot between the park Bandstand and the Waikiki Shell.
The display opens to the public to view with the untying of a ti leaf lei around 12:30 p.m. after the Royal May Day Court sees it first.
Today I was first in line along with Evelyn who I just met. We are both lei makers, too. Although we did not enter anything, we came for ideas! Check out my images. You can practically smell the flowers, can’t you? The lei in the last photo in the series took the Mayor’s Grand Prize.
Mayor’s Grand Prize is awarded to Melvin T. Labra for his wili style lei of ‘ohai ali‘i, palapalai, and kukunaokala.
May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii!
~Rebekah
While the inspiration for my latest art was a leaf from the Ma‘afala breadfruit tree outside my window, the finished pieces look little like the actual plant.
The leafy model
My medium—hand-dyed tissue paper collage—lends itself to abstract images. It is tricky to determine the final color of a section that has been layered with the tissue, and the final result is rarely what the artist had in mind in the beginning. When stuck in the creating process, my teacher the late Susan Rogers-Aregger would say, “Glue another paper over it!” But because of all that, surprising results of color and luminescence can be had.
Several folks commented they liked a preview of the finished collages that I posted as photos on social media just before I took them to the frame shop. I was so excited to finish and show them. I admit they were a tad tacky from the final varnish. Framers don’t like that, but this time it was darn near dry!
The actual dimensions are 22″ x 28″ each, and the two were designed as a diptych to hang together, yet each panel can stand alone. I started with a palette of greens and reds and soon changed it to a triad of complementary colors: violet, green, and orange. I haven’t even given the collages a title yet. Hmmm, maybe it will be “Breadfruit” and “Ma‘afala.”
Pattern
Dried and fallen
Rebekah’s Studio 
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