Back on Maui!

Aloha from our favorite place away from home. We are back at Kahana Sunset in our condo with great ocean views. The beach is as wonderful as ever,and the snorkeling is right at our doorstep. Kahana Sunset offers some of the best snorkeling in west Maui without driving off the property. There is also have a covered area (the Keone Nui room) where you can stay out of the sun and read in the shade and watch the beach activities, it also provides a perfect place to watch the turtles that live among the reef. The are usually most visible at night while you are at the beach to watch the gorgeous sunsets. Earlier this week we were visited by a group of large rays that swam very close to the shore as the sun went down.

We have had a good ten days of re-decorating the master bedroom and also the home-owners meetings were this week. Warren ended his participation in the Board and his presidency of fou years. Now we only have vacation time planned. To prove the point Warren is off playing golf at Ka'anapali ( a 15 minute drive away) this morning.

If you are planning a trip to Maui check out my earlier blogs about things to do away from the beach.

Love this place!

I am fascinated by sky; most artists are. I believe. It's always a challenge because it is ever changing. The English artist Constable made a great study of sky's and they were always beautiful. This painting is from my imagination. I just wanted to do a lot of sky, the water and the estuary seemed like a natural flow. It has a very tranquil feeling.

Plumeria

These Hawaiian flowers are wonderful to paint. This is a 12 x 16 oil on linen, and I tried to capture the raindrops on the petals. They are hard to see on this small computer image, however!

Placer Arts League Show

This 9 x 12 oil was accepted into the PAL Juried art show that runs from June 15 to July 30. The show is being held in the Lincoln Arts and Culture Foundation gallery in Lincoln. Hope you will stop by and take a look at some wonderful art.

These beautiful birds were great to paint, they live at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. The painting was done, with permission, from a photograph by Olivier Laud.

A newer painting

This oil on canvas was done from a photograph of fall in Wisconsin. It is the first time I tried work work with oil on a sponge. It was messy!

LIncoln Hills Arts Association

Lincoln Hills Arts Association took me to lunch last week as I ended my 4 year term as President. It was a fun time and they gave me a terrific vase shaped like a brush holder!

Here are a few pictures:

More on Maui

Still more ideas of things to do when you are ready for a change of pace away from the shore. You can still get great views of the ocean Upcountry. O'o Farm is worth a visit they have gourmet organic lunch tours every Wednesday and Thursday. The produce grown there is used in their two restaurants in Lahaina, I'O and Pacific O at 505 Front Street.

How about a visit to the "Surfing Goat Dairy" ? The Dairy produces over 42 different cheeses. They offer five different interactive tours as well as cheese tasting.

Ali'i Kula Lavender farm is also a fun place to experience breathtaking views while you walk in the lavender farm. It's a bit like experiencing the Mediterranean in the middle of the Pacific!

Stop in to Tedeschi Vineyards and taste some Maui wine, the Tasting Room is open daily from 10-5 p.m. All of these places are listed in almost all of the literature you can pick up at the airport or at various stores on the island or visit them on line for directions.

Finally, since I am a "foodie" as well as an artist, try Kula Lodge for lunch. It sits at 3200 ft. up the slopes of Haleakala in a beautiful garden setting. Good food at reasonable prices, they cook pizzas outside in their pizza ovens. They have a great market selling local products and a gift shop, and the Curtis Wilson Cost gallery is on the premises.

I've completed two more paintings so more on recent art work next time!

Upcountry Maui

The ocean and the beaches are wonderful but you miss a lot if you don't venture "upcountry". There are horse and cattle ranches in gorgeous scenery. Most of the vegetables not imported from the mainland are grown up in Kula and they are delicious. The cowboy town of Makawao is a delightful place to explore shops and restauarants. It looks like a town in the "old west". Shop at Alititudes and Hurricane for great womens clothes.

Watercolorist, Sherri Reeves, has her studio on the main street and there are several art galleries, one of the best is Viewpoints which has paintings from George Allen and Ronaldo Macedo.

Eat lunch at Hali'imaile ($$$$) or at Farm Fresh Bistro ($$) in a courtyard near Viewpoints. Excellent food at both places with fresh ingredients grown locally.

Take a drive "upcountry" on your next visit to Maui!

upcountry

upcountry

upcountry

upcountry