My Morning Walk

This is going to be  bit long...lots of photos...but thought it would be fun to document my morning walk.  I walk around the neighborhood (a 3 mile loop) every morning between 6-7am.  It's already 80 degrees by then, beautiful and peaceful.  We live on the north Kohala Coast of the Big Island.  As you can see, it's pretty dry.  Rain forests are only a 20minute drive, but without a lot of rain...things remain pretty arid. I may see a neighbor or two, a cow or two, wild turkeys and incredible views (of the ocean, the coastline and the volcanoes)  Today wasn't very clear...I'll probably try this on another day when the VOG (volcano ash/fog) isn't so bad, but you get the idea.  Starting out my front door, down the driveway and around the block...back up my driveway to the front door.

Printed Onesies (Hawaiian Baby Gift)

A dear friend will be a grandma for the first time in just a few days.  I wanted to make something fun, practical and Hawaiian.  It's not an original idea (there is a local company that makes a similar style on toddler t-shirts) but it's a clean design, cute and clever and I wanted to make a couple.  I bought a package of Onesies at WalMart the other day and dyed them with bright yellow Rit Dye.  

                                                

I drew a stylized octopus and the Hawaiian word for it

cut it out of freezer paper for my stencil

Same thing with a crab

Next I ironed the freezer paper to the onesie

I mixed up a rust color and spongebrushed through

the stencil onto the onesie.  I let it dry and reapplied a second coat

Finished Octopus

...and crab

Banana Nut Bread

My painter is here sanding and refinishing the garage doors, gates, railings and front door.  The salt air, wind and rain really wreck havoc on wood...and I have LOTS of wood...duh, it's Hawaii.  Anyway, they've been working all day...thought a treat would keep them going another couple of hours.  This banana nut bread recipe is SO simple and SOOOOO good.

Banana Nut Bread

1 C sugar

1/2 C butter

3 very ripe bananas

2 eggs

1 1/4 C flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 C crushed walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and butter, add bananas and eggs beaten. Sift flour, salt and baking soda 3 times. Blend and add to banana mixture.  Pour batter into 9x5 loaf pan (or 3 mini loaf pans). Bake for 55 minutes.  Cool  on rack. Tastes even better the second day.

The Gallery in Hawi

I worked the gallery in Hawi today.  I did tell you I was accepted into a gallery here in Hawaii, didn't I?  Well, I've been in it 6 weeks or so...it's in Hawi, a little town on the northern end of the Big Island.  I've already sold 2 paintings...yippeeee.  That's 2 more than I've sold in Laguna North Gallery (the gallery in Laguna Beach, Ca I'm in) in the same time period.  I'm not very good at retail sales, but offered to "work" the gallery today because they're short of helpers.  Being new to the island I tried my best to answer questions posed by tourists...but I think I have alot to learn about the art on our gallery walls and the island itself.  Here are some photos of the gallery...if you make your way to Hawi...stop in and say HI!

here are two of my watercolors

another

4 more

another

and another

Pine Needle Basket Update

Well, I must admit this isn't my most successful project ever....but I have learned a LOT.  My next one should be fabulous :)!  I have run out of the pine needles gathered from Ryan's house (this was to be a housewarming present using his very own pine needles) so finishing the basket will have to wait until I'm back in California.  I did discover that the mauka (mountain) road from Waimea to Hawi is lined with pine trees! They are a different variety, the needles are very different, but I think they'll work.  I have to work the gallery in Hawi on Monday and need lots of projects to keep myself busy, so will start the new basket then.

 

I think raffia isn't my thread of choice anymore. The widths 

are too inconsistent, the lengths are too short,

and it breaks too easily.  I'm going to try this polished hemp and 

see if I like the look better.

Here's what the "Hawaiian" pine needles look like. They're individual

needles (not groups of 3 like Ryan's) much thicker, and

they have little "joints" every 1/2" or so that should add

some texture and interest.  I'll keep you posted!

Hawaiian Style Wine Bottle Gift Bag!

I couldn't resist making more gift bags with leftover Hawaiian print fabric.  I don't have any silkscreen supplies here...so had to make my designs with freezer paper stencils.  Time consuming, but lots of fun.

First I cut my design out of freezer paper

Ironed my designs to the bag fabric (cut to 9"x"15")

A sponge brush and fabric paint

After dabbing on the paint, let dry, remove freezer paper, then heat set

My designs, see this post for sewing instructions

Hawaiian Wine Bottle gift bags

Pine Needle Basket

I have wanted to make one of these forever..well...since I saw one once in a museum and thought..."I can do that!"  The Manzanita House has several huge pine trees that seem to drop an unending supply of pine needles everyday...insert lightbulb here...the house needs a pine needle basket or two on the new mantle!  So, I found this cool "how to" site, read it, and started making one last night.  My first attempt will be kind of messy and unprofessional, but I know my next will be better.  Looks like it will be a fun project for Hawaii.  I gathered enough pine needles yesterday for about 10 baskets...they're all boiled and softened, and if I can get them past Hawaiian agricultural (ha ha, just kidding) I should have hours and hours of mindless projecting for the next couple of weeks!

So, here are the first steps...think the finished basket won't happen until I've got a few days of down time in Hawaii.  Here is the pile of pine needles after boiling for 10 minutes (to clean and soften)

These are my prepared bundles to take to the Hawaii House.

And here is the start to my basket...I'm using raffia as my "thread"