Art endures

27 02 2025

A few days ago, Nohea Gallery at Kahala Mall reconnected me with a past art buyer of mine.

Now “older,” by chance Susan found herself browsing the gallery while waiting for her ride.

She asked Nadja the sales rep about me, so the Gallery took her phone number to give to me. 

Baobab

Susan had bought my “Baobab Tree” oil painting that she watched me paint on location at Foster Botanical Garden in Honolulu many years ago.

The baobab tree, if you recall, is the tree that the little prince in Le Petit Prince disliked for all the leaves it dropped and that he had to rake up.

According to Susan, she was really broke at the time, but her husband said if she really liked the painting she should sacrifice and buy it. 

And so she did. It made me happy to hear Susan say the painting hangs prominently in her home.

You may wish to check out the upcoming Windward Artists Guild show for which I have chosen to represent the town of Kaʻaʻawa. It runs April 2-30, at the newly renovated Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden Gallery. The Meet the Artists reception is from 12:30 to 3:30 pm, April 6, 2025.

“Good Morning Kaaawa!”
“Morning Destination”

Choral art

These days I’m enjoying another kind of art — choral art, that is, I sing in a community choir. Our choir director apologizes for the ear worms from rehearsing the catchy tunes weekly!

Upcoming concerts are:

March 2, 4 pm, Kawaihaʻo Church, Community Choral Festival, six choirs, freewill offering in lieu of admission charge.

April WCS Spring Concert, April 27, 2025, at 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 148A Makawao St, Kailua, Oahu.

Be well!

~Rebekah





Holiday 2024 calendar

10 11 2024

Usually I wait until Thanksgiving Day has passed before preparing for Christmas, but there are events of art and music to put on your calendar now.

Sunday, Dec. 1, Handel’s “Messiah” singalong, 4 p.m., Christ Church Uniting in Kailua, Oʻahu. Bring your scores or ask to share. If you wish attend as audience, please do come!

Friday, Dec. 6, Opening Reception for “The Holiday Art Fair,” 5 to 7 p.m., ARTS at Marks, 1159 Nuuanu avenue at Pauahi street, Honolulu Chinatown. The art exhibit runs noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday through the closing reception on Dec. 27. Visual art by the Windward Artists Guild and the Association of Hawaii Artists.

Sunday, Dec. 15, Windward Choral Society Concert, 4 p.m., St. Anthony of Padua Church, 148 Makawao Ave., Kailua, Oʻahu.

Windward Choral Society, Artistic Director Susan McCreary Duprey

Come one, come all!

With love and blessings for the holidays,

Rebekah





June already?

15 05 2024

The middle of May is not too early to plan your arts social calendar.

We have these lined up to attend and enjoy: 

The Windward Choral Society’s concert “Birds, Beasts & Bugs,” 4 to 5:30 p.m., June 2, 2024, at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 148 Makawao Street, Kailua, Oʻahu.

“Collage and Clay” art show, June 5-28, 2024, The ARTS at Marks Garage gallery, 1159 Nuuanu Ave. at Pauahi street. Regular gallery hours are 12 to 5 pm daily.

Opening reception, 5 to 8 pm, June 7, 2024. Closing reception, 5 to 8 pm, June 28, 2024.

Hand-dyed tissue-paper collage, 22” x 28”, by Rebekah Luke

I have six hand-dyed tissue-paper collages in this group exhibit.

Maybe I’ll see you?! Be well.

~Rebekah

 





Art & music for December 2023

15 11 2023

Greetings, studio fans ~

A couple of community offerings where my “work” is represented are on the calendar for next month on Oʻahu:

One is an art show at ARTS at Marks Garage, corner of Nuuanu avenue and Pauahi street, for most of December. I can meet you at the First Friday evening reception there, too.

The other is the Windward Choral Society’s “Home for the Holidays” winter concert at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Kailua, 148 Makawao St., Kailua. I’m singing! More details in the accompanying images:


Holiday blessings, and be well!

~Rebekah





Palehua

5 11 2023



In 
choir, the Windward Choral Society, we are rehearsing “Palehua,” a mele (song) composed by Amy Hanaialiʻi Gilliom and Willie Kahaialiʻi. Yesterday we took a field trip to that place high above Makakilo on Oʻahu. It was an example of the lengths (and heights!) our director Susan McCreary Duprey will go to have the choristers absorb the music.

For most of us who live on the Windward side of the island, Palehua is a long car ride away, and because parking is tight at the cabin site, we carpooled in three shifts. In the afternoon we had perfect weather—not too hot or too cold and no rain. What a great view of the Waianaʻe Coast including Pokaʻi Bay and northward to Mount Kaʻala, too.

Many thanks to choir president Pat for driving and to ridemates Katie and Gail for keeping it lively. And, oh yes, we did sing some numbers!

 

 Keep on singing, and be well!

~Rebekah





Oh, joy! Earworms for days

12 06 2023

The sanctuary of Kawaiahaʻo Church filled with concert goers yesterday to hear “Jubilate Deo,” a choral and symphonic work composed by Dan Forrest, and performed by the Windward Choral Society and symphony musicians under the direction  of Susan McCreary Duprey. What an honor and a pleasure!
The lyrics, after Psalm 100 in the Bible, for each of seven movements, are in a different language, that is, our chorus sang in seven different languages. It’s not a long piece—50 minutes—and our director prides herself in concluding on the dot. I think she was a minute early in rehearsal!

In rehearsal

Because of my bad back, I sang seated from a chair behind the brass section. Sometimes I couldn’t hear myself. A friend quipped, ”At least you weren’t in front of the brass!” Ahaha, that’s for sure! This was my view, looking toward the back of the church toward the pipe organ.

I’m glad I remembered to ask Dan Forrest to sign my score!

Composer Dan Forrest and Rebekah Luke (Alto 2). Photo by Peter Krape)

“Omnis terra, jubilate, omnis terra, laudate, Omnis terra, jubilate Deo!”

“Sing for joy, dance in gladness, shout for joy, all the earth!”

”Alleluia!”

Be well, everyone, and keep singing!

~ Rebekah





Art, music & letters rewind

2 03 2023

The National League of American Pen Women (NLAPW) is a club for women who work professionally as fine artists, writers, and composers. What they have in common is the blank page to start.

When I was a reporter for The Honolulu Advertiser, during and after college, noted and respected writer Gwenfread Allen introduced me to the Honolulu Branch of NLAPW that held regular monthly meetings I enjoyed. Fine, but what I really enjoyed was meeting the Arts members. I wanted to be like them, and that’s what inspired me to take oil painting lessons from the now late Gloria Foss, followed by tissue-paper dying and collage-making workshops by Susan Rogers-Aregger, who has also passed. Currently I have an inventory of paintings and collages. The most recently completed collage “Crater View” has been juried into “Ultra III” at Pauahi Tower, 2nd  Floor Lobby, on exhibit from March 12 through May 11.

If you’re reading this, then you know I write a blog. It’s not my whole life; mostly I try to keep it upbeat. I’ve written about a lot of things, and if you scroll way way down, you’ll come to a search box. Plug in a topic and be surprised. I write a travel blog, too, “Popo Goes Abroad,” accessed from the menu bar.

As for music, I’m not composing nor arranging, but I really enjoy  my part as a chorister in the Windward Choral Society. The choir is currently rehearsing “Jubilate Deo” composed by Dan Forrest. We are scheduled to perform this major work—seven movements in seven different languages—at 4 pm, June 11, 2023, at Kawaiahaʻo Church in Honolulu. Susan McCreary Duprey is the artistic director. Please mark your calendar!

Windward Choral Society

Be well.

Rebekah