Tae Ja Koki

When I was a little girl, my dream was always to be an artist. After I graduated from school in Korea, I worked as an illustrationist with a comic book company for two years before coming to Hawaii with my sister in 1971. I got married the following year and have two sons who graduated from mainland universities. I was able, at last, to study art as I had always dreamed.

I attended art classes whenever possible. I studied all aspects of art with Diane Kim and Alan Leitner, and drawings with Michael Harada at Leeward Community College. I also studied with George Woolard and Roger Whitlock. I attended the six-week Atelier class at Windward Community College with Snowden Hodges.

I am interested in art of all kinds and have attended a class on encaustic painting as well as a collage class with Paul Levitt at Linekona School, Academy of Art. I also joined a week's watercolor workshop with Ong Kim Seng of Singapore. To improve my artwork, I enrolled and completed an eight-week course on digital photography at Lee's Computer Institute.

I am a member of the Korean Artist of Hawaii. I also belong to the Hawaii Watercolor Society and the Association of Hawaii Artists.

email: taejakoki@gmail.com

Craig Baumgartner

I retired from the Army as an endodontist/research microbiologist and took a position as Chairman of the Department of Endodontology at Oregon Health & Science University. I am now a Professor Emeritus at the University but reside here in Kailua. Since retiring I developed a strong interest in art. I have studied art history and taken numerous courses through the Honolulu Museum of Art and the University of Hawaii studying water colors, acrylics and oil painting.

My focus now is on plein air oil painting of seascapes and landscapes. The shift from scientist to artist has been an exciting adventure. Observing light and color as an artist has changed the way I see the world. My style is slowly evolving as I attempt to be more “painterly.” I have had paintings in numerous shows. The Association of Hawaii Artists has been very supportive. I am currently Vice President of the Association of Hawaii Artists and have been the Master of Ceremony for their shows.

e-mail: alohajcb@gmail.com

Wendy Roberts

Wendy Roberts is inspired by the gorgeous Hawaiian islands. The stunning mountains, beaches, wildlife, and underwater world serve as the inspiration for her award-winning oil paintings. Often, she incorporates elements of metal leafing (thin sheets of metal) into her paintings. The shimmer of gold or silver adds an element of ever-changing light. Her paintings of natural subjects are a celebration of the beautiful world that surrounds us, and a reminder that we must protect our wild spaces in order to connect with our deepest spiritual selves.

You can view her work, read her blog, and/or commission a painting on her website: www.wendyrobertsfineart.com.  She is active on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest as well.

Frank Oliva

Frank Oliva draws a great deal of inspiration for his paintings from what he sees in these beautiful islands, particularly the ocean and the lush Hawaiian vegetation. In 2007, he visited Australia and discovered a whole new energy and art.  With the aboriginal paintings, he incorporates an instinctive gift for color with aboriginal designs and patterns. His aboriginal series of paintings on furniture and canvas is unique. Hundreds of bursting color “dots” bubble on the surface, and yet the effect evokes peace and a harmony attuned with nature and with the spirit of the aboriginal world. Every piece is an original, every piece is celebration of color! Frank Oliva is a member of the Association of Hawaii Artists, the International Society of Acrylic Painters(ISAP) and the Windward Artists Guild. His paintings have been included in several galleries on Oahu and California. His canvas painting, “Aboriginal Paths,” was accepted by the Honolulu Academy of Arts for the prestigious 2009 Artists of Hawaii juried art exhibition. He has received multiple awards with ISAP, and has been juried into art exhibitions here and on the mainland. He was named a winner in the Artists Magazine 31st Annual Art Competition and featured in the Dec 2014 issue. He paints with acrylics on canvas, handmade paper, palm fronds and wood. His work often includes “series”:  works in which a single subject is represented in different arrangements and perspectives. Visit his website frankolivaislandart.com or contact Frank at ciaofranko45@gmail.com, or 808 263 8223

Mary Anne Long, Hau`ula, Hawaii

MaryAnne Long

Hau`ula, Hawaii

I found art later in life.  Or maybe art found me???  Regardless, what a wonderful way to spend my time in retirement.

I work in oils, watercolor, and pencil.  I like all three equally, as each has a purpose for me.

Most of my oils are scenes of Hawaii or my former home area of Cape Cod.  I like the richness and depth of oil paintings.

My watercolors are mostly flowers or familiar sites.  I am trying to do more loose watercolor, but giving up control is not easy to do. I am also experimenting with using hemp paper for watercolor paintings.

Sketching with graphite pencil is something I try to do daily.  I carry a sketching kit with me almost everywhere. 

In trying to find a niche in art, I started painting what I call “Ghost Palms.”  The rich background colors and the white trees seem very eye-catching.

For the past two years, I have been writing mini-tutorials to complement video art lessons for paintbasket.com and will begin writing their monthy newsletter this month.  It has been a fantastic opportunity for me to learn art skills and techniques.

MaryAnne Long
PO Box 418 
Hauula, HI 96717
malong@hawaii.rr.com
808-225-7307

Website: longlostart.weebly.com

Kenji Honda

I started painting after moving to Hawaii from Tokyo in 2013, since retired from my long history of science research. I want to continue to develop my career by shifting from scientist to artist in the next decades of my life, as both of these two fields need creativity. It is a good opportunity for me to challenge the painting with artists in Hawaii. Fortunately, I had a chance to work with excellent members of the Association of Hawaii Artists. I had also a good chance to exhibit my paintings at several AHA shows in 2015, and will try to continue to submit my artworks to AHA exhibitions in the future. In addition, I will help AHA officers as a volunteer for something related to the exhibitions and other events.

Contact: (email) kenjihonda66@gmail.com (TEL) 917-863-9087

Art by Winette

Website: www.ArtByWinette.com     

Contact Artist: artbywinette@hawaii.rr.com

Ron Root

Having been a high school art teacher for thirty years as well as a stained glass artisan for more than twenty years, I have grown to appreciate and practice many styles of visual expression. Reflecting the beauty in this world is my first objective when I pick up a pencil or a brush. Often I will write two or three pages of thoughts,research and objectives before the paint hits the canvas. Just the concept of a new piece feeds my spirit to overflow.

I have been blessed with an unlimited choice of subject matter, having lived in Laguna Beach,Santa Cruz,San Jose,Palm Springs and since 2009 Hawaii Kai. I started visiting the Islands regularly since 1964, immersing myself into the culture. I hope the aloha spirit shows in my work.

Anita Benson-Bradley

I have been an artist ever since my grandfather labeled me as such when I was 4 years old. Emotions inspire me - joy, pathos, serenity, mysterious unnamable feelings, adventure and excitement. Certain objects and/or scenes evoke an emotion and I use these as symbols. I choose my color palette to strengthen the emotion.  I earned a Master's Degree in both Studio Art and Art History in 1980 and taught in the Art Department at Monterey Peninsula College, CA. for 18 years. After early retirement, I moved to Oahu with my husband in 2005. I spend my days snorkeling, lecturing on marine life and painting, painting, painting! [Anita Benson]

Jennifer Rothschild

Currently Jennifer Rothschild resides in Honolulu and enjoys both painting in Oils and Acrylics. She is a former President of the Association of Hawaii Artists and currently curates Art Shows with her associate and artist, Priscilla Hall.

"Many of my art pieces are textural or three dimensional. This featured 16” X 20” Acrylic painting, “Kelp Forest,” is an exploration in the textures and colors that fascinate me underwater. Movement of the long transparent kelp gives both the familiar and also surreal landscape that I wish to capture and make accessible."

Email: onoaloha@hawaii.rr.com      Phone: (808) 286-5675

Sherree McKellar

Anthony Randall

"I have always admired the forms and colors that occur in Nature. Living in Hawaii, the fish and flowers of this tropical island have been my greatest inspiration. As an avid snorkeler and gardener, I find my subjects everywhere. I try to reflect in my paintings this variation of form, boldness of color, and playfulness of subjects."

Anthony Randall was born in 1953 in Los Angeles, California. He attended Cal State Northridge, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, specializing in textile design and printing. He launched Anthony Randall Fabric, a collection of hand painted and printed fabrics. Noted for his award winning desgins, he created collections for Indeco Enterprises, Dan River, Inc., Luis Esteves, and Scandia Down Shops.

In 1988, Mr. Randall moved to Maui, signing on as Art Director for the newly formed Island Fabric Company. As Art Director, he styled and produced a nationally distributed line of tropical fabrics and wall coverings.

In 1990, Mr. Randall moved to Oahu to concentrate on his own distinctive style of painting. The final result is his collection of tropical "Fish and Flowers". These paintings are bold and colorful, as well as, playful. His distinctive style of hard line combine with soft blending of color truly sets his work apart from others.

Painting for all it's imperfections is always an expression of love, to behold and to share.

Vivian Ursula Bratton

Vivian Ursula was born on the Hamakua coast. She moved to Alaska where she was active in artists in school programs, creating indoor as well as permanent outdoor murals. Since returning to the islands she is a member of the Association of Hawaii Artists, Honolulu Printmakers, East Hawaii Cultural Center and Pastel Artists of Hawaii, where she was  awarded signature member status. "As a multimedia artist of printmaking, pastel and acrylic painting, I strive to capture the spirit and sense of the place or subject, many times letting go of the subject. My goal isn't to create a reproduction of the subject but rather to capture the essence and magic that captured my attention."   

Tanya D'Avanzo

"My interest in portraits grows out of my work as a clinical psychologist, with an understanding of the universal appeal of the face as a visual stimulus evoking strong emotion. My art is influenced by both European modernists and American portrait painters. I use color as a means for creating mood and stirring the imagination."

Tanya D’Avanzo’s artworks have appeared in over 20 public exhibits including over 10 juried shows.  In 2009, she was selected as one of the Artists of Hawaii at the Honolulu Academy of Art.  She has had 5 solo art shows, was a winner of a People’s Choice Award at a Figures and Portraits exhibition, and a recipient of an Honorable Mention at the Second Annual Miniature Show by the Association of Hawaii Artists. Her works appear in private collections in Honolulu, the Netherlands, San Francisco, Portland, and New York. 

Esperance Rakotonirini

Esperance Rakotonirina's preferred focus is nature and wildlife paintings of Hawaii in a realistic style. Esperance has spent innumerable hours  studying Hawaiian native plants including the ecosystem. In 2012,  Esperance joined the Windward Artist Guild, ''WAG,'' and the Association of Hawaii Artists, ''AHA." His talent was quickly recognized when he was awarded 1st place of the first Miniature show .

To preview many of Esperance's recent paintings please check out his website at :www.artbyesperance.com; Facebook page: Esperance Rakotonirna Hawaii Artist. To commission his art, please contact him at rmesperance@yahoo.fr.

Christina Uebelein

Christina Uebelein was born in Maryland, raised in Europe, and moved to the Islands in 1967. She received a Masters in Architecture degree and a Certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her sculptures embody the aesthetics of assemblage, Surrealism, and Nouveau Realisme -- art forms in which natural and manufactured, traditionally non-artistic materials and objets trouvés are assembled into three-dimensional structures. Her constructions combine organic, geometric, fantastical, allegorical, and marvelous elements into a unified whole. Her sculptures have been in many juried exhibitions both locally and on the mainland.

Eve Naia Tupper, M.A., aka “Eve Naia” is a nationally recognized artist who lived on Big Island since 1999, and who relocated to Honolulu in 2012. She has lived and studied at the Penland School of Crafts, and holds a magna cum laude Biochemistry/Chemistry double major Bachelor’s degree, and an M.A. in English from Virginia Tech. Eve’s mandala art is published in We'Moon, and her artwork has won awards from the curators of the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C. and the Baltimore Museum of Art. 

Eve Naia has taught art at venues such as Naropa University, the Hualalai Four Seasons Spa, the Watershed School, and Boulder’s Open Studios School of Art. Since 2001, Eve has taught art as a volunteer in dozens of public school classrooms in Colorado and Hawaii. 

To commission or purchase sculptural art, or to order canvas mandala prints, email evemagic1@yahoo.com and visit www.EveNaia.com.

Barbara Sumida

Osvaldo Flores

Born and raised in the artistic and cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Osvaldo was exposed to many expressions of art at an early age. Armed with an engineering degree, he ventured to New York to seek his fortune. There, he prospered in his field, never losing his passion for photography and cinema which would eventually lead him to his new life. After producing the unique documentary film "La Historia En La Arena " (The Great 

Gaucho Circus), featuring internationally recognized stars, he was encouraged to continue his artistic education completing courses at "The Cine Club Argentino" where he studied photography, cinematography fundamentals, video editing, computer graphics, script writing, acting, direction, art history and communications. In 2008, while covering the Honolulu Cultural Festival for a documentary, he was captivated by the exquisite beauty that surrounded him. Now semi-retired, he moved from New York to Honolulu to continue his artistic expression through his unique photos and videos. He is a member of the Association of Hawaii Artists and has exhibited his photos in many juried shows and galleries. He received the 2009 Telly award.

David Friedman